The MoFo Top 100 Westerns: Countdown

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Happy to be back for another countdown. Of the first four, only seen Geronimo. It was way back when it was in the theater so I don't remember it much.

Who did the graphics for this thing. They could use some work.
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i had warlock at #5. great western full of moral ambiguity, gorgeous cinemascope, and henry fonda. basically everything a movie needs.

similarly, man of the west is also one of the more morally-complex westerns i’ve seen and it’s anthony mann’s best imo. it was my favorite discovery in preparation for the list and i had it at #8, it’s a travesty it couldn’t make it on.

i almost watched two mules for sister sara a few days before the deadline but ended up watching siegel’s the shootist instead. never heard of geronimo but walter hill is cool.
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That is sixty-seven members of our forums. On a personal note, thank you again to each of you for engaging in the fun and challenge of making a list. Six months ago in this thread we began the process of discussing the genre, naming some personal favorites we hoped others might consider, and determining eligibility.
That's a pretty fair number of fans, which makes for a more meaningful list of top westerns. In some of the HOFs, e.g., we only get 10-12 participants, so it's really more of a love-labor exercise.



Nice looking presentation

None of those four were on my ballot, seen three of them (The Sons Of Katie Elder, Two Mules For Sister Sara and Warlock) and the 35-ptr that just missed out (Man Of The West) - all decent in their own way with Warlock being the closest of those to making my list.

Seen: 3/4
My list:  

Faildictions (yee-haw version 1.01):
96. McLintock!
95. The Guns Of Fort Petticoat



I watched Warlock for the 50's list and Sister Sara for the 70's list and I liked both of them.

I've always known about The Sons of Katie Elder but I've never heard much good so I skipped it. I'll watch it at some point.

Not familiar with Geronimo but with Walter Hill and that cast I'm sure it's at least decent.



Haven't heard of any of these, so you can decide if I voted for them or not

Fantastic graphics, Holden
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Can't believe that Man of the West just missed out! I'll have to check my list to see where I had it exactly but I'm sure it was in the top ten. What a brilliant film. My brother and I watched it recently and both loved it, it's one that's grown on me too.

I love Anthony Mann's films so I hope that he's represented on this list quite heavily despite this omission.
If I have anything to do with it a whole bunch of Anthony Mann's films will make the countdown Man of the West (1958) just missed my list, but I thought very highly of it. Actually the only Antony Mann western that didn't blow me away was Cimarron, and even that is worth watching just for the crazy and huge land rush scene.




Somewhere along the line in compiling and revealing these homegrown MoFo List countdowns it became a tradition for some to intentionally name an obscure or jokey title unlikely to appear on any other ballots as their twenty-fifth vote. If indeed no one else voted for it anywhere on their lists it would stick out as a “one-pointer”. For those who enjoy such a tradition I will not be the one to rob you of it.

These lucky thirteen titles are your MoFo Westerns One-Pointers. Alphabetically…

Black ‘47 (2018)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Buffalo Bill & the Indians or:
Sitting Bull’s History Lesson
(1976)
City of Bad Men (1953)
Drip-Along Daffy (1951)
Greed (1924)
In Pursuit of Honor (1995)
The Incredible Rocky Mountain Race (1977)
Lucky Luke: Ballad of the Daltons (1978)
Montana Belle (1952)
Ride Clear of Diablo (1954)
River of No Return (1954)
Walker (1987)


Claim ‘em if you want ‘em.



*NOTE: John Ford's The Searchers is, no surprise, nowhere near a one-pointer. But what is lonelier or more singular than Duke Wayne's Ethan Edwards in the famous last shot?
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Greed and Brokeback, interesting. Haven’t seen either of those but didn’t think of them as westerns so didn’t bother.



I'm making an effort to watch all the westerns on the countdown that I haven't seen, so that list is appreciated

I'll proudly claim my one pointer a film I love! It's such good fun and it's the genesis of my avatar...Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) with the great Dan Duryea. We'll be seeing Dan on the countdown again, I'm sure of that.



Greed and Brokeback, interesting. Haven’t seen either of those but didn’t think of them as westerns so didn’t bother.
I've seen Greed and it's an ambitious silent film. I'm betting that's Cricket's as he liked Greed. I'll bet Thursday Next had Brokenback Mountain, it has cowboy hats



In Pursuit of Honor was my one-pointer. It’s a made for TV movie, starring Don Johnson, about a group of cavalrymen who steal a bunch of horses from the Army in order to keep them from being killed. I was obsessed with it when I was in like eighth or ninth grade. I like it a whole lot more than several of the films I voted for, but I figured nobody else was likely to have even heard of it.

Surprised to see Brokeback on the list. I almost voted for it, not as a one-pointer but just on my ballot, but ultimately decided that I didn’t really consider it a Western.



City Of Bad Men was my #25 and it's a reasonably enjoyable b-grade offering imo.

Synopsis from IMDb:
Outlaw Brett Stanton and his gang, which includes his brother, Gar,ride into Carson City, Nevada, which is filled with people who have come there from all over to see the Heavyweight Championship prizefight between James J. "Gentleman Jim" Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons. Broke and disgruntled, the gang asks Bret what he intends to do, and he tells them he is planning the biggest haul they have ever made. But gangs led by Johnny Ringo and Bob Thraikill are also in town with plans of their own, and no intention of abiding by Brett's plan.
If that sounds of any interest maybe give it a whirl sometime, it's freely available on the Tube of You (or at least it was when I watched it last month).

Of the other 1-pointers, I've seen:
Greed (superb film but not one I think of particularly as a Western)
Ride Clear of Diablo (ok Audie Murphy/Dan Duryea offering)
River of No Return (an ok adventure but sadly Marilyn's acting does drag it down somewhat for me)



Black ‘47 is the only 1 pointer I've seen. I didn't much like it so it's OK that it never popped into my head when thinking of westerns. Other than that Brokeback Mountain is probably the only film I know of.
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