[ClintDeadwood]

Absolutely agree! However...

UNFORGIVEN is probably in the top three of my favorite Westerns and I know I'm not alone in that regard. I think the thing that sets the movie apart is how killing weighs on the main characters. The scene with Will, Ned, and the Kid ambushing the cowboys revealed a softening of the two hardened killers. Will's wife is credited with reforming him throughout the movie. We don't get as much background on Ned but he is adamant that "We ain't bad men no more" early on.
When the Kid killed Quick Mike the crushing reality of what he had done shocked him to the core causing him to abandon his aspirations of being a "villain" as Little Bill would say.
Not technically a gunfight scene but in the opening of DANCES WITH WOLVES, rather than allow the battlefield doctors to amputate his leg Lt. Dunbar attempts suicide in spectacular fashion. If somehow you have missed either of these great movies they really are must see

I will echo your sentiment about Unforgiven.

The entire theme is that some men can kill in cold blood and most of us can't. How hard it is for a normal conscientious human being to take the life of another human being. How most of us recognize how evil and final that act is, and how thoroughly it violates the Golden Rule.

The movie gets into, what is it about some people that they can kill with impunity. Even if their conscience later bothers them and they drink to forget, they can still do the unthinkable that most of can't.

My favorite scene is the jail scene where the Sheriff teases the writer to shoot him so English Bob can escape. "Hard ain't it?" But yes, amazing movie. My #1 favorite Western.

 

[Canine cop]

There are many good ones but a lot of stinkers also. Another of my favorites is an oldie but well made. I normally don't Burt Lancaster in Westerns but Ulzan's raid was an exception. That told what life was like in Apache country, also, another oldie but Goodie was the stalking moon w/ Gregory Peck

 

[Wyatt Burp]

There are many good ones but a lot of stinkers also. Another of my favorites is an oldie but well made. I normally don't Burt Lancaster in Westerns but Ulzan's raid was an exception. That told what life was like in Apache country, also, another oldie but Goodie was the stalking moon w/ Gregory Peck

Speaking of Burt Lancaster, my favorite of him ever since I was a little kid was Vera Cruz. He's so over the top in it chewing up the scenery. It's great so long as you never try to take it seriously. This clip has all music behind it,though which is lame.

 

[Rentfro1444]

Speaking of Burt Lancaster, my favorite of him ever since I was a little kid was Vera Cruz. He's so over the top in it chewing up the scenery. It's great so long as you never try to take it seriously. This clip has all music behind it,though which is lame.

Wyatt, Lancaster was good in Westerns, as you note, in Vera Cruz. Another that I liked but never got seen much was Valdez is Coming. The ending where the arrogant rancher tells his men to kill Valdez, the Forman refuses. Valdez says to the rancher, “Why don’t you shoot me?” As the camera pans up and away, leaving little doubt who’s going to survive.
Liked Lancaster in “The Professionals” as well.
Among my favorite shoot outs was in “Hombre” where Paul Newman faces Richard Boone and Frank Silvera. Loved Boone’s line, “mister, you got some hard bark on you, coming down here like this.”, and last when he says to Newman, “Well, now, what do you suppose Hell is gonna look like?” Didn’t like Newman using double action revolver in that scene.

Interesting to note-Elmore Leonard wrote both “Valdez Is Coming”, and “Hombre.” And sad that Frank Silvera died early in real life-electrocuted replacing a garbage disposal under his sink.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Wyatt, Lancaster was good in Westerns, as you note, in Vera Cruz. Another that I liked but never got seen much was Valdez is Coming. The ending where the arrogant rancher tells his men to kill Valdez, the Forman refuses. Valdez says to the rancher, “Why don’t you shoot me?” As the camera pans up and away, leaving little doubt who’s going to survive.
Liked Lancaster in “The Professionals” as well.
Among my favorite shoot outs was in “Hombre” where Paul Newman faces Richard Boone and Frank Silvera. Loved Boone’s line, “mister, you got some hard bark on you, coming down here like this.”, and last when he says to Newman, “Well, now, what do you suppose Hell is gonna look like?” Didn’t like Newman using double action revolver in that scene.

Interesting to note-Elmore Leonard wrote both “Valdez Is Coming”, and “Hombre.” And sad that Frank Silvera died early in real life-electrocuted replacing a garbage disposal under his sink.

“..Valdez”, “The Professionals”, and “Hombre” are three of my all time favorites, too. All three have unexpected endings. I’m convinced that the half round barreled Sharps ”Valdez” uses is the exact same rifle used by Keifer Sutherland in “Young Guns“and Kris Kristofferson in “The Trackers“.
Here’s Valdez “1,000 yard” gunfight. My only issue is there’s no recoil. This movie was just bad azz when I saw it first when I was 13 and still is today.

 

[Hopalong]

I couldn't resist.

 

[Hanshi]

One of my favorites and I have the DVD!

 

[Wes Terner]

“..Valdez”, “The Professionals”, and “Hombre” are three of my all time favorites, too. All three have unexpected endings. I’m convinced that the half round barreled Sharps ”Valdez” uses is the exact same rifle used by Keifer Sutherland in “Young Guns“and Kris Kristofferson in “The Trackers“.
Here’s Valdez “1,000 yard” gunfight. My only issue is there’s no recoil. This movie was just bad azz when I saw it first when I was 13 and still is today.

Best use of a Sharps against “bad men” in any movie made, and yes except for the lack of recoil, very well done, showing his reloading the cartridges etc! One of Lancasters best movies IMHO!

 

[ClintDeadwood]

I couldn't resist.

Now you've done it.

Next it will be the "Over the Hill Gang" or "Son of Paleface".

 

[Hopalong]

Now you've done it.

Next it will be the "Over the Hill Gang" or "Son of Paleface".

Uh oh. You asked for it. It gets interesting about two minutes in.

 

[Valman]

No one has mentioned High Noon, where Gary Cooper is forced to face the baddies single handed -- with a little help from Grace Kelly. Cooper is far from heroic, his face and demeanor revealing some of the genuine fear that any man would have felt in the circumstances. But the way he manages to knock off the first two bad boys is wholly credible IMO even though the final shot at Frank Miller is a little over the top.

Am I the only one who thinks The Searchers is one of the silliest of the bunch? To me The Duke is at his most pretentious -- after so many of his great western roles -- with Wood in her Pocahontas outfit simply laughable, just like Ward Bond in his top hat. Just sayin'....

 

[ClintDeadwood]

Uh oh. You asked for it. It gets interesting about two minutes in.

LOL. Hilarous. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Maybe that is a good thing? I will say this much. 10x better than the Quick and the Dead.

Who is cowgirl in the red outfit? I recognize everyone else from Roy Rogers to Tonto, but I can't place her. It is not Dale Evans. It is like an Annie Oakley or something. I don't recognize the actress or the character. Thanks.

Your namesake is a glaring omission.

 

[foxfire]

Tuco tub scene!!

 

[Hopalong]

LOL. Hilarous. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Maybe that is a good thing? I will say this much. 10x better than the Quick and the Dead.

Who is cowgirl in the red outfit? I recognize everyone else from Roy Rogers to Tonto, but I can't place her. It is not Dale Evans. It is like an Annie Oakley or something. I don't recognize the actress or the character. Thanks.

Your namesake is a glaring omission.

I believe it's Gail Davis who played Annie Oakley.

 

[Wes Terner]

I believe it's Gail Davis who played Annie Oakley.

You are right!

 

[Jimmy2Dogs]

Joel McCrea was a close friend of my Dad, Joel's ranch bordered the ranch my Dad was on and I can remember as a small child going with Dad to help Joel brand his calves. Joel was a genuine cowboy and horseman and what you see on screen was the real person.

I had no idea! Thanks for posting that little detail. I like Joel McCrea. In 1941, he made a film with Veronica Lake titled Sullivan's Travels, about a Hollywood director who decides to masquerade as a hobo during the Great Depression and travel around seeing what real life was like. The film's a strong commentary on that period of history, disguised by its comedic plot. Parts of it are so funny, I literally laugh out loud when watching it. Every time. I like it so much, I bought it on disc. Sorry for thread drift, just had to mention that.

 

[ClintDeadwood]

I believe it's Gail Davis who played Annie Oakley.

Thank you for answering. I have heard her name in this forum, but never put a face to the name. I have no clue how I missed seeing her show on Saturday TV matinees when I was a kid in the 1960s. Netflix has 4 of her movies. I will have to check some out.

Thanks again.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Best use of a Sharps against “bad men” in any movie made, and yes except for the lack of recoil, very well done, showing his reloading the cartridges etc! One of Lancasters best movies IMHO!

I’m trying to think of scenes in westerns where guys reload their own ammo. Besides Valdez, there was “Quigley..”, “The Last Hunt” showed the Buffalo hunters loading cartridges in camp. “Little Joe” was reloading in The living room of the Ponderosa once. Here’s some of The Last Hunt where Buffalo were really killed, shot by military marksmen thinning out the herds. Stuart Granger uses what looks more like a Creedmore Sharps, and Robert Taylor a nickel plated 1876 Winchester. Spoiler Alert! The ending of the Last Hunt is in it.

 

[OD*]

I’m trying to think of scenes in westerns where guys reload their own ammo. Besides Valdez, there was “Quigley..”, “The Last Hunt” showed the Buffalo hunters loading cartridges in camp. “Little Joe” was reloading in The living room of the Ponderosa once. Here’s some of The Last Hunt where Buffalo were really killed, shot by military marksmen thinning out the herds. Stuart Granger uses what looks more like a Creedmore Sharps, and Robert Taylor a nickel plated 1876 Winchester. Spoiler Alert! The ending of the Last Hunt is in it.

Ending music sounds like that used in The Searchers.

 

[Hanshi]

"The Last Hunt" was an excellent+ movie and quite realistic. After all these years I vividly recall quite a few scenes. I think Sal Mineo played the Indian kid.