I hate guns. I'm scared of horses. As a city person, I am not particularly drawn to landscapes. And I abhor racist stereotyping. But I love Westerns. They've got everything: life vs. death, good vs. evil, love vs. loss, wilderness vs. civilization, old ways vs. modern times, natural law vs. man-made law, all in a riveting action-filled package. I love the classic John Ford-directed John Wayne Westerns, the Spaghetti Westerns, and the more cynical Westerns of the 60's-70's. Most of all, I am drawn to the Westerns of the 1950s, from directors such as Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher. They are more nuanced and complex than the earlier films, and have been described as bringing a noir sensibility to the conventional Western form. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Bend of the River (1952) Anthony Mann. Starring James Stewart.
2. The Naked Spur (1953) Anthony Mann. Starring James Stewart
3. The Man from Laramie (1955) Anthony Mann. Starring James Stewart
4. The Tin Star (1957) Anthony Mann. Starring Henry Fonda & Anthony Perkins
5. Man of the West (1958) Anthony Mann. Starring Gary Cooper
6. The Tall T (1957) Budd Boetticher. Starring Randolph Scott
7. Ride Lonesome (1959) Budd Boetticher. Starring Randolph Scott.
8. 3:10 to Yuma (1957) Delmar Daves. Starring Glenn Ford & Van Heflin
9. Blood on the Moon (1948) Robert Wise. Starring Robert Mitchum
10. Ride the High Country (1962) Sam Peckinpah. Starring Randolph Scott & Joel McCrea
When the Series is over, check them out.
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