Yesterday, I was watching a YouTube list of the top 10 western movies of all time. And I disagree big time.
Their list started at No. 10 with The Searchers and then went on with Shane (Alan Ladd) at nine and Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman) at eight. They're all great choices for the top 10, but I'd move The Searchers and Shane up.
Their No. 7 was Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson and James Coburn). I tried to watch it once and didn't finish it.
They had Rio Bravo and High Noon tied for six, with The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence at five. High Noon and The Man are about right at six and five, respectively, but I'd move Rio Bravo down in my top 10. Still, I loved Dean Martin's singing My Rifle, My Pony and Me.
Their four was McCabe and Mrs. Miller, with Once Upon a Time in the West at No. 3. I hated both movies (and with the latter movie, I hate Spaghetti westerns). Their No. 2 was something called Sukiyaki Western Django (I'd never heard of it and don't want to see it), and their argument at No. 1 was that Star Wars was a western set in space.
It was obvious they were trying to be groundbreaking or off the wall with some of their 11 picks, and I guess that's OK. But I'd lose their nos. 7 (Pat Garrett), 4 (McCabe), 2 (Sukiyaki) and 1. When I list the top 10 westerns, I pick westerns. And Star Wars was a space opera. (I wouldn't pick Star Trek as the greatest western TV show of all time, either.)
I don't know if there's a perfect order. My friend Russ won't listen to any No. 1 other than Shane. Me, I think of either The Searchers or The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
I'd include Stagecoach (with John Wayne), The Magnificent Seven (I loved Steve McQueen aggravating Yul Brynner, and the music was magnificent) and Red River (Joanne Dru and Coleen Gray were pretty and gritty) in my top 10. I might top it off at 10 with Ride the High Country, featuring Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea and a young Mariette Hartley.
My honorable mentions include Rio Grande, They Wore a Yellow Ribbon and The Sons of Katie Elder. Those are three more John Wayne westerns, but he made some great ones.
I'd add Silverado (the one time Kevin Costner was wonderful) and City Slickers to the mention list. Costner and Brian Dennehy made Silverado for me. I know City Slickers isn't a true western, but you have to love Jack Palance (also in Shane) and Mitchie the Kid (Billy Crystal); their harmonica scene was simply mahvelous. So was the scene after Norman was born.
I'd get an argument from the YouTube bunch, saying I'm too conventional. That's OK. When it comes to westerns, I'm conventional, Pilgrim.
I'm glad, though, that they didn't put The Wild Bunch in their top 10 (or 11). I really hated it.
Bonus: I wouldn't put them in my honorable mentions (don't want to overflow with them), but, to me, Aussie films Quigley Down Under and The Man From Snowy River were also among the best.
ON WESTERNS
• Actor Saul Rubinek on working with Clint Eastwood on Unforgiven
• Richard Harris "Unforgiven" interview and we talk MacArthur's Park
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