Greatest Cowboy Movies by L. A. Keller
For this month's cowboy topic, I wanted to review some of the best cowboy movies of all time. Of course, this is subject to your own preferences but these rank in my top. If you haven't seen these I recommend that you do a complete weekend binge watch. Get the popcorn, pizza, nachos or whatever your favorite snacks are and don't move until you've seen them all. You won't regret it.
My number one favorite has to feature John Wayne - True Grit. If you don't fall in love with the three main characters and the sweet story line, then you may as well switch off your television forever. Mattie is a fourteen year old girl bent on getting vengeance for her father's murder. She hires the best Marshall for the job and thus begins their journey. Watch the original and then watch the remake which was remarkably well done.
The rest aren't in any particular order but are among the few movies I will watch repeatedly.
Lonesome Dove - Okay this was actually a mini series but come on - Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall can not be beat as a team. Guess what Robert Duvall also played in True Grit as a bad guy.
Dances With Wolves - watch it for the cinematography the first time in a dark room with no distractions. You will want to see it again for everything else. A love story between not just a man, Kevin Costner and a woman but also with nature, animals and the Native American culture.
The Magnificent Seven - The cast of this movie was spectacular - Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, JamesColburn, Robert Vaughn and two lesser known stars. These unlikely gunslingers are hired by a Mexican town to save them from bandits. You will cheer them all the way through.
The Shootist - also with John Wayne as the star. It was his last movie and he was dying of cancer in real life. For me he was the greatest western actor of all time and then you throw in Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Ron Howard, Hugh O'Brien, Richard Boone, Harry Morgan and John Carradine and I don't think there has been a cast of this quality since. This movie has one of my all-time favorite lines by Lauren Bacall when Wayne's character is visited by a woman from his past, "Were you surprised?" Such a simple line but delivered with a look that spoke volumes.
Open Range - a second western with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. This movie
got bad reviews when it opened but the cinematography shines and the story has the prerequisite happy ending for me.
The Cowboys - another John Wayne movie which featured a cast of young actors, including Robert Carradine. The fantastic acting of Roscoe Lee Brown and Bruce Dern as a really bad guy. Lacking a team, Wayne's character takes a crew of eleven boys on a 400-mile cattle drive. It's a movie about growing up, facing peril and life lessons. Brilliant story and acting that will make you laugh and cry.
I hope you enjoy your movie marathon. If you have others to include on this list, I would love to hear them.
My number one favorite has to feature John Wayne - True Grit. If you don't fall in love with the three main characters and the sweet story line, then you may as well switch off your television forever. Mattie is a fourteen year old girl bent on getting vengeance for her father's murder. She hires the best Marshall for the job and thus begins their journey. Watch the original and then watch the remake which was remarkably well done.
The rest aren't in any particular order but are among the few movies I will watch repeatedly.
Lonesome Dove - Okay this was actually a mini series but come on - Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall can not be beat as a team. Guess what Robert Duvall also played in True Grit as a bad guy.
Dances With Wolves - watch it for the cinematography the first time in a dark room with no distractions. You will want to see it again for everything else. A love story between not just a man, Kevin Costner and a woman but also with nature, animals and the Native American culture.
The Magnificent Seven - The cast of this movie was spectacular - Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, James
The Shootist - also with John Wayne as the star. It was his last movie and he was dying of cancer in real life. For me he was the greatest western actor of all time and then you throw in Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Ron Howard, Hugh O'Brien, Richard Boone, Harry Morgan and John Carradine and I don't think there has been a cast of this quality since. This movie has one of my all-time favorite lines by Lauren Bacall when Wayne's character is visited by a woman from his past, "Were you surprised?" Such a simple line but delivered with a look that spoke volumes.
Open Range - a second western with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. This movie
got bad reviews when it opened but the cinematography shines and the story has the prerequisite happy ending for me.
The Cowboys - another John Wayne movie which featured a cast of young actors, including Robert Carradine. The fantastic acting of Roscoe Lee Brown and Bruce Dern as a really bad guy. Lacking a team, Wayne's character takes a crew of eleven boys on a 400-mile cattle drive. It's a movie about growing up, facing peril and life lessons. Brilliant story and acting that will make you laugh and cry.
I hope you enjoy your movie marathon. If you have others to include on this list, I would love to hear them.
Happy Trails,
Leslie
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