The Greatest Western Stars...

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    OK, I think we all agree that John Wayne was the greatest Western movie star of all time, but who else would you put in the top 5?


    I'd have to rank it...


    1. John Wayne
    2. Clint Eastwood
    3. James Stewart
    4. Randolph Scott
    5. Henry Fonda


    Other notables...


    Richard Widmark
    Kirk Douglas
    Glenn Ford
    Kevin Costner


    Who am I missing?

    "Who am I missing?"


    Joel McCrae
    Roy Rogers
    Gene Autrey
    Hopalong Cassidy
    Lash Larue
    Tommie Lee Jones
    Robert Duvall
    Gabby Hayes
    Ben Johnson
    Burt Lancaster
    Kirk Douglas
    Chill Wills
    Walter Brennan
    Both Harry Careys
    Richard Boone
    Steve McQueen
    Among others

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Well there are so many actors who have been in westerns, but, to name a actor who was/is the greatest western actor is my way of defining it. One who upholds the traditions of the western and makes great contributions to the genre. Plus, I believe you are going to have alittle bit of a generation gap between people's choices. Plus you will be leaving out the great supporting actors like, Ben Johnson, Ward Bond, Walter Brennan, ect..... With all that being said. I would rank John Wayne as the greatest. Here are my other choices which there is no particular order:


    1. Duke
    2. Clint Eastwood
    3. Gary Cooper
    4. Randolph Scott
    5. Glenn Ford
    6. Richard Widmark
    7. Lee Marvin
    8. Kirk Douglas
    9. Charlton Heston
    10. Burt Lancaster


    There are many others who were good in a particular role in a western and I am sure I have forgotten many that I am sure others will bring up but off the top of my head, which is how I would address this informal pole, this is my list.


    B5Erik, although I agree with Kevin Costner being a notable I am still on the fence about him being a great western actor. Don't get me wrong, I like Costner allot, but he is not yet a great western actor. He might turn out to be but not yet. I would put Tom Selleck ahead of him at the moment. Oh and don't be surprised if you get some rather negative comments about putting Costner in with that group of people. Some peoople don't like him very well.

    Life is hard, its even harder when your stupid!!
    -John Wayne

    See dammit, just as I sugggested. Along comes Stumpy and adds another one of my favorties, Steve McQueen. This is going to be rather difficult, I can already tell!!!1

    Life is hard, its even harder when your stupid!!
    -John Wayne

    Looking through my collection of westerns,
    the same few great western actors stand out,

    DUKE, JAMES STEWERT,HENRY FONDA,
    GARY COOPER, RANDOLPH SCOTT,
    MITCHUM, LANCASTER etc
    the more modern ones, CLINT, KURT RUSSELLS(Wyatt)
    CHARLES BRONSON.
    and don't forget WILLIE NELSON and GARY BUSEY
    were brilliant in BARBAROSA, and should have made more!
    and most of the others already mentioned,
    and don't forget,
    William S Hart!
    As said, very difficult to get the definitive list,
    but Duke's the one and only one really!!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Duke is #1 of course!


    I like a lot of the others on the other lists too, like Eastwood (My #2 favorite), Cooper, and Stewart and the others.


    One other that I'd put on my list is James Garner.

    Next to The Duke , :cowboy: I would go for Tom Selleck because he makes a Great Western Hero, :cowboy: and in "Cross Fire Trail" he is a Dead Ringer for how Duke would have played the part in this Louis L'Amour's story "Cross Fire Trail" and he sits a Saddle just like The Duke!!! :cowboy::cowboy::cowboy:


    Chilibill :cowboy:

    Hi all.


    I agree with all the above. BUT.


    One more must be added.


    GREGORY PECK.


    A great actor who starred in some every good westerns.


    The Gunfighter, Duel in The Sun, The Big Country, How the West Was Won.


    And although not a western as such, The Yearling. a great movie by any standard.


    But Duke is No 1.


    Emmanuel.

    Emmanuel.


    I'll try one of those black beers....THE QUIET MAN.


    I agree, Emmanuel. One of my favorite westerns starring Greg is "The Stalking Moon". IMO, it never received the praise it deserved. Another pretty good Peck western was "The Bravados".

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    "The Bravados" is a vastly underrated western. Besides Peck, the movie had a young Joan Collins, Stephen Boyd, Albert Salmi, Henry Silva, Lee Van Cleef and Gene Evans and a number of other character actors who provided an excellent tale of revenge and redemption. I remember seeing this at the drive-in theater shortly after it was released.
    Cheers - Jay :D

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"

    What about Eroll Fynn then?
    DODGE CITY, VIRGINIA CITY,
    THEY DIED WITH THEIR SNEAKERS ON
    and don't forget, what a wonderful cowboys
    Cagney and Bogart were,
    The hell they was!!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England


    Errol was one of my favorite actors from Hollyweird's "Golden Age" but as a swashbuckler, not a cowboy. Although I have to admit, "Dodge City" and the hugely fictional story of Custer weren't bad.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Yeah, maybe I should have been a little more specific....


    I was going for a list of Western STARS - true movie stars who were the leading men in their Westerns.


    There were certainly many GREAT supporting actors (Ben Johnson comes to mind right away, as does Bruce Cabot), but I was looking for a list of what you believe to be the best Western leading men - the stars of the movies.


    Gregory Peck
    Burt Lancaster
    Steve McQueen
    Gary Cooper
    Charlton Heston
    Errol Flynn
    Tom Selleck


    -Those are some great names that I missed when doing my list off the top of my head.


    And if Costner can do at least one more great western he will have earned a place on that list (I loved Silverado and Open Range, and I liked Wyatt Earp, even if it was overlong and maybe a little over serious).


    I just wish I could get a couple million dollars together so that I could make my own Western! I've got a story, and casting ideas, and even some thoughts on a director - but, of course, no money, no contacts, no chance. Oh, well - at least I can dream!


    But as for the list of great Western STARS, it looks as if there were certainly a lot more of them than I originally thought of! (I still like my original top 5 list, though...)


    By the way - Joel McCrea was GREAT on the old radio show Tales of the Texas Rangers as Ranger Jayce Pearson! The show aired in the late 40's or early 50's, and the stories took place in the 20's and 30's - but it was a great Western/Detective hybrid!

    McQueen didn't do much work in Westerns, unless you throw in his television series. Really, Paul Newman boasts a much more significant presence in Westerns (he starred in six compared to McQueen's three), as does Charles Bronson.


    Jimmy Stewart definitely deserves more recognition. In the 1950s, under the direction of Anthony Mann, he emerged as one of the Western's greatest stars.

    Did I miss this thread when it went around the first time? Here's some that I haven't seen mentioned yet. No, they're aren't all stars, and they didn't all make "A" movies, but I think that each one of them was great, and in some cases, better than some of the "Big Stars" who made westerns. I'd take Ben Johnson, or Charlie Starrett over Charles Bronson anytime. Not that I didn't like Bronson, but not in westerns (except for Once Upon A Time In The West).


    Robert Taylor
    Robert Montgomery
    Randolph Scott
    George Montgomery
    Dick Jones
    Jock Mahoney
    Charlie Starrett
    Lash LaRue
    Roy Rogers
    Gene Autry
    Alan Ladd
    Audie Murphy
    Ben Johnson
    Burt Lancaster
    Chill Wills
    Rory Calhoun
    Dale Robertson
    Harry Carey (Sr. & Jr.)
    Denver Pyle
    Dub Taylor
    Buck Taylor
    Frank McGrath
    Gabby Hayes
    Hopaling Cassidy
    Monte Montana
    Guy Madison
    Slim Pickens
    Jack Elam
    Jack and Tim Holt
    James Garner
    Joel McCrea
    Ken Maynard
    Monte Hale
    L.Q. Jones
    Richard Farnsworth
    Strother Martin
    and of course,
    Walter Brennan

    "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them" It may be time worn, but it's the best life-creed I know.

    Quote

    Originally posted by Colorado Bob@Aug 17 2006, 10:12 PM
    I'd take Ben Johnson, or Charlie Starrett over Charles Bronson anytime. Not that I didn't like Bronson, but not in westerns (except for Once Upon A Time In The West).


    Now c'mon, CB. Bronson was magnificent in "The Magnificent Seven". :P

    De gustibus non est disputandum