Your 5 favorite Westerns on blu from BEFORE 1980

[benbess]

In 1980, the epic Western "Heaven's Gate" was a notorious box-office bomb that some said had killed the Western. As Mark Twain once said: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." But it's true that only one or two traditional Westerns a year are usually released these days. Compare that with the dozen or more Westerns released each year during the genre's peak in the 1950s:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...950%E2%80%9354

Anyway, what are your top five favorite Westerns from BEFORE 1980 that are available on blu-ray? PLEASE GIVE A ONE LINE EXPLANATION OF WHY YOU PICKED EACH OF YOUR FIVE FILMS.

Here are mine:

1. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
A surreal twist on the Western that seems part David Lean, part spaghetti. The best music ever written for any Western is found here imho in Ennio Morricone's mind-blowing and iconic score.

2. Shane (1953)
Slow and poignant Technicolor epic directed by George Stevens, and starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Jack Palance, and Brandon deWilde.

3. The Big Country(1958)
The Ben-Hur of Westerns? Anyway, it was directed by William Wyler and stars Charleton Heston and Gregory Peck

4. How the West Was Won (1962)
The only Cinerama Western ever made looks magnificent on blu-ray, and has an all-star cast. Outstanding score by Alfred Newman.

5. The Searchers (1956)
Beautiful VistaVision film directed by John Ford. John Wayne's character is racist, but part of the point of this film is that he's somewhat able to overcome that.

Bonus question. What are the top-3 Westerns BEFORE 1980 that you'd like to see on blu-ray?

Here are mine:

1. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1948)
Magnificent Technicolor Western starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford.

2. The Plainsman (1936)
DeMille epic with compelling role for Gary Cooper.

3. Broken Arrow (1950)
Jimmy Stewart stars in one of the first Westerns to portray "Indians" sympathetically. Beautiful Technicolor film.

[MifuneFan]

Rio Bravo
The Searchers
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
The Man who Shot Liberty Valance

[benbess]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Rio Bravo
The Searchers
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
The Man who Shot Liberty Valance

I don't think Liberty is yet available on blu. I think that would be a nominee for the format, which is the second list. And can you add a one line explanation for why you picked each film? Great choices!++

[Todd Tomorrow]

Johnny Guitar
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Searchers
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

[benbess]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

Johnny Guitar
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Searchers
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Great list!++

But I don't actually know Johnny Guitar. Discovering unknown films is one of the purposes of this list—which is why I requested that you add a one-line reason for each films. Would you be willing to add a line about why JG is your favorite Western of all time? Might make me (and others) want to buy it....Thanks!

[samuel1976]

The Tin Star (with Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins)
Saddle The Wind (with John Cassavetes and Robert Taylor)
The Left Handed Gun (with Paul Newman)
Winchester 73 (with James Stewart)
The Naked Spur (with James Stewart)

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by benbess

Great list!++

But I don't actually know Johnny Guitar. Discovering unknown films is one of the purposes of this list. Would you be willing to add a line about why that is your favorite Western of all time? Might make me (and others) want to buy it....Thanks!

Johnny Guitar is by Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause) and may just be the strangest Hollywood Western ever made. It is the rare western that is focused on a rivalry between two women and Claudia Cardinale's character in Once Upon a Time in the West was modelled after Joan Crawford's ex-prostitute land-owner in Johnny Guitar. It's a very stylised and strangely poetic film.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by benbess

I don't think Liberty is yet available on blu. I think that would be a nominee for the format, which is the second list. And can you add a one line explanation for why you picked each film? Great choices!++

It's available overseas . I imagine Paramount will release it sometime in the US (possibly through Warner).

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-M...Blu-ray/67085/

Rio Bravo - My favorite western. It's kind of like a comfort food type of movie for me. I can never tire of it. The characters and the casting are perfect.

The Searchers - One of the first westerns I've seen. A great film with a large scale feel to it. It's one of the few westerns where I vividly look back on it, and feel like I've lived through that time. One of John Wayne's best in my opinion..

Once Upon a Time in the West - This is Leone's best work in my opinion. Among other things, I enjoy seeing Fonda play a villain.

TGBU - All 3 main actors are just perfect for their roles. I love that we have this western, but then we see that it's set against a civil war backdrop and we're thrown right into that at one point. Amazing music, and camera work as well.

Liberty Valance - It's honestly been a long time since I've seen it, but I remember thinking that it didn't feel like a typical western, and that's why I liked it.

[Scottie]

Giant
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Once Upon A Time In The West
Red River
The Searchers

[KubrickKurasawa]

The Man Who SHot Liberty Valence is on NetFlix and it looks fine imo, it's B&W so that helps it look good with Netflix down sampling quality compared to Blu-Ray. But if you're hardcore I think its available in Europe/import and region free.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Man-Who-...A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

[Dunemoon]

[rkolinski]

Shane
Red River
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Germany)
The Ox-Bow Incident (Germany)
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Drums Along The Mohawk

Pre-1980 Wishlist
The Mark of Zorro (1940)
Northwest Passage (1940)
They Died with Their Boots On (1941)

[Pirate King]

1 Shane. This film is practically perfect.
2 The Searchers
3 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
4 The Sons of Katie Elder. I have just always really liked this film. Dean Martin delivers a surprisingly good performance.
5 Once Upon a Time in the West
And one more.. True Grit. The Duke in one of his best roles.

[hagios]

Your 5 favorite Westerns on blu from BEFORE 1980



1.

Wrongfully accused man of murdering a local rancher that seeks out vengeance on the lynch mob that tried to hang him

2.

Missouri farmer enlists in the Confederate army to better pursue the renegade soldiers responsible for his family's murder

3.

Outlaw brothers Jesse (Tyrone Power) and Frank (Henry Fonda) James

4.

Gunfight feud between Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the Clanton Gang, & the friendship between the rugged marshal (Burt Lancaster) and the dentist-turned-gunfighter (Kirk Douglas)

5.

'Man with No Name' teaming with two gunslingers (Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef) to get at $200,000

What are the top-3 Westerns BEFORE 1980 that you'd like to see on blu-ray?




1.

Frank James the brother of Jesse James seeks revenge

2.

By day he is mild-mannered Don Diego de la Vega & at the same time Don Diego takes on the secret identity of Zorro

3.

In 1864 the Confederacy needs finance for it's war materials & gold could be it's answer

[Musicguy]

1.“Once Upon a Time in the West” has always been my favorite western and one of favorite films – a true masterpiece.

2. “El Dorado” It’s fun and never boring. John Wayne and Robert Mitchum (and I saw it before "Rio Bravo")

3. “The Big Country” What a great score, plus the film is very good with a star studded cast and an Oscar winning performance

4. “The War Wagon” another fun John Wayne film

5. A toss up between “Gunfight at the O.K Corral” and “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” - need I say more?

Best score “The Magnificent Seven”

[hasslein]

Big Country - Peck & Heston 'Nuff said
Magnificent Seven - great score, cast etc
The Professionals - Maria Gomez although pic is from Barquero I think
The Good The Bad & The Ugly
Hannie Caulder - Raquel

Wanted
Frisco Kid (1979) - Gene Wilder's best performance
Five Card Stud - great cast so so film
The Villain (1979)
100 Rifles

[HD Goofnut]

1) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
2) The Searchers
3) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
4) The Outlaw Josey Wales
5) 3:10 to Yuma (1957)

[Iamspartacus]

Top Five:

1. Butch Cassidy
2. El Dorado
3. Rio Bravo
4. The Alamo
5. Chisum

Top 3 wanted on bluray

1. The Alamo
2. Chisum
3. The Shootist

[Blu-Velvet]

Lots of fine titles mentioned so far. It's hard to get it down to five. Here's my list, including a rationale statement, with just a bit of duplication in titles from others.

5 favorite westerns before 1980 on Blu-ray

RIO GRANDE (1950) - the best of John Ford's cavalry trilogy and a fine complex role for John Wayne, his first time paired with Maureen O'Hara. Interesting family conflicts, coming-of-age vs. aging story, as well as military/political commentary.

FORT APACHE (1948) - just an all-around entertaining night at the movies, at the same time it's a cynical commentary on the mythic Old West, great performances from John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Ford's stock company, plus a nice role for teenage Shirley Temple! Stunning picture quality on the Blu-ray.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968) - Sergio Leone's masterpiece and a memorable role for Henry Fonda; a strong story with outstanding widescreen cinematography and use of sound.

BUCKING BROADWAY (1917) - highly entertaining Harry Carey story of a cowboy going to the big city, a bonus feature on Criterion's STAGECOACH, sadly surviving with only mediocre picture quality but given a superb music score that beautifully brings out the romance, melodrama, and comedy.

BLAZING SADDLES (1974) - the hysterical parody of every western cliche that almost single-handedly killed the western as a major Hollywood genre is just as much fun for its forumula western plot as it is for its outrageous satire of it.


Wish-list for future Blu-ray release --

THE BARGAIN (1914) - the first feature-length western by William S. Hart, the biggest western star of the silent era and the precursor to Clint Eastwood's anti-hero.

THE COVERED WAGON (1923) - The first real epic of American pioneers, filmed on location, the forerunner of THE BIG TRAIL and HOW THE WEST WAS WON.

THE VANISHING AMERICAN (1925) - outstanding epic of American history and ahead of its time in exploring the treatment of Native Americans.

MACKENNA'S GOLD (1969) - Gregory Peck in fun formula epic of greed in the southwest desert, closely remade in 1999 as THE MUMMY!

THE SHOOTIST (1976) - John Wayne's last and one of his best films, with a great veteran cast in a story of a dying gunfighter.

[gideonpatch]

Top five on blu-ray:

1.The Good the Bad and the Ugly
What to say about this film that hasn't been said already? The gunfight is perhaps my favorite scene ever filmed.

2.Rio Bravo
Laid back and cool. Just about my favorite scene is the singing bit with Martin, Nelson and Brennan with Wayne looking on. It has absolutely nothing to do with the plot and could have been cut but it's moments like that which make the movie for me.

3.For A Few Dollars More
A close second to TGTBATU. Actually, the screenplay is better, and Gian Maria Volonte's performance is probably the best of the trilogy. However, it doesn't quite reach the highs of Leone's next effort.

4.The Big Gundown
Van Cleef is great, Milan is great. Great score and direction. Fantastic kife/gunfight.

5.Django Kill
Based on director Questi's experiences as an anit-Fascist partisan during World War II. Bizarre is a word often used to describe the film. It's ugly and brutal even for a spaghetti western.



Three I'd like to see on blu-ray;

1. The Great Silence
Probably the bleakest western ever made.

2.She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Not as good as Ford's best westerns but a glorious looking film.

3.One Eyed Jacks
I mean a real release, not the garbage put out now. Criterion, please put this out. One of my favorites.