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The Western has produced some of the greatest movies ever made, but even some of its strongest classics aren't talked about today. As the 21st century has marked something of a box office low point for the genre, it's not at all hard to find some old-school gems that modern audiences are oblivious to. For every contemporary success like Django Unchained, there are dozens of forgotten masterpieces.
From black-and-white golden age treasures to neo-Western thrillers, finding an overlooked or obscure entry has never been hard. As much as fans of frontier stories would love to claim the genre is alive and well, the reality is that even some award-winning gems just aren't talked about anymore. As directors like Kevin Costner struggle to keep the Western on life support at the box office, rediscovering these classics has never been more important.
The Original 3:10 to Yuma Was Eclipsed By James Mangold's Remake
Elmore Leonard's "Three-Ten to Yuma" has served as one of the finest stories ever written since its 1953 publication, inspiring two Hollywood adaptations. Where James Mangold's 2007 film has become the definitive take on the story, Delmer Daves' 1957 version has become a forgotten gem. Telling the story of hardworking rancher Dan Evans as he fights to get outlaw Ben Wade to prison, it served as the ultimate testament to the grit of '50s Westerns.
For people who can't stomach the darker conclusion of Mangold's version, the Daves adaptation offers something far more optimistic and wholesome. It's closer to a buddy adventure than it is a bleak deconstruction, and doesn't stop moving once the stage is set for their journey. The characters are given a stronger rapport, and it plays to the idea of frontier justice brilliantly.
Bad Day At Black Rock Uses the West to Deconstruct Prejudice
The neo-Western has given its genre some of its finest stories, and can trace its success back to John Sturges' 1955 masterpiece Bad Day at Black Rock. It revolves around the arrival of a mysterious one-armed World War II veteran, Macreedy, to the eponymous desert town. After he inquires about a missing Japanese-American farmer named Komoko, he inadvertently dredges up a horrific secret.
Set in the aftermath of World War II, Sturges' movie uses the fading West as a backdrop for a criticism of Cold War paranoia and xenophobia. The town of Black Rock feels like a forgotten part of the American frontier, one that struggles to find meaning and identity in a modern, industrialized America. It's a fantastic murder mystery that feels as timely today as ever, but, despite being the precursor to the modern neo-Western era, it has been lost to the era it critiqued.
My Darling Clementine Was Rendered Obsolete By Tombstone
In 1993, the success of Tombstone marked a turning point in the Western, becoming the ultimate Wyatt Earp film and, in the process, overshadowing My Darling Clementine. Before Kurt Russell, Henry Fonda was the undisputed take on America's greatest lawman. From directors John Ford and Lloyd Bacon, the movie explored the feud between the marshals and the Cowboy gang, culminating in Doc Holliday joining the vendetta ride.
My Darling Clementine is the kind of Western classic still prized by the absolute most ardent fans, but virtually nobody else. In a world where Tombstone both exists and is such an icon among modern audiences, reminding people of the Henry Fonda classic is like fighting an uphill battle. When the average moviegoer is asked to choose between a quotable '90s flick and a '40s black and white classic, the choice isn't a hard one.
The Stalking Moon Has the Tension of A Horror Movie
The Stalking Moon follows Gregory Peck in the role of Sam Varner, a US cavalry scout tasked with escorting a woman and her half-Apache son after finding her living among a tribe. However, as their journey progresses, he realizes they're being tracked and followed by Salvaje, the vengeful father of the boy. Both eager to get away from the conflict of the West, the pair try to reach Varner's land before the hunter can get the drop on them.
The Stalking Moon isn't an epic, nor is it a gritty gunslinger movie or adventure. Instead, it's a character-driven trek through the frontier, replete with commentary on the nature of war, prejudice, and violence. Even at its time, the height of the genre, it was a failure due to its controversial themes and slower pacing. With all the tension of a horror movie, it's one of the To Kill a Mockingbird actor's best roles.
Richard Boleslawski's Three Godfathers Has the Perfect Western Ending
The story of Peter B. Kyne's Three Godfathers has been adapted to the big screen more than most, but Richard Boleslawski's 1936 version stands out as the most underrated. Telling the story of three outlaws forced on the run after robbing a town, the film follows their protection of an orphaned newborn baby, frustrating their quest for refuge from the law. Taking responsibility for the child, even the most jaded of the trio comes to realize the child's life matters more than his own.
Not only does Boleslawski embrace the darker tone of the characters, but he also serves up the greatest ending of any adaptation of Kyne's story. While the John Ford and John Wayne version might be better known, it can come across as sickly sweet next to the complexity and emotional drive of the earlier picture. In 2002, 20th Century Fox overshadowed all past iterations when they made the most successful take on the story: Ice Age.
The Gunfighter Was the Defining Character Study of the 50s
People don't often associate Gregory Peck with the Western, but in 1950, he gave it one of its greatest characters when he starred in The Gunfighter. Directed by Henry King, it follows a jaded, regretful gunslinger, Jimmy Ringo, as the sins of his past haunt him throughout the West. After killing his latest challenger, he sets off for his hometown, where he plans to make amends with his estranged wife and son, only to be pursued by vengeful brothers.
Long before Unforgiven, The Gunfighter was the definitive Western character study, deconstructing the fabled outlaws of the frontier masterfully. It explored themes of regret, consequence, and the cycle of violence better than any of its contemporaries, driving home a point about how a man's past always catches up to him. However, when Clint Eastwood made his '92 icon, he made just about every gunslinger movie feel redundant by comparison.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon Is A Tender John Wayne Western
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon is set in the aftermath of General Custer's defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn, and focuses on a soon-to-retire officer, Nathan Brittles. Realizing two of his lieutenants are vying for the affections of a young woman, he tries to take them under his wing and mentor them. When the regiment is tasked with quelling a Native American uprising, Brittles is forced to the fore to negotiate a truce for the safety of those in his charge.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon is one of the more quaint and tender of John Wayne's films, avoiding the action-adventure vibe of True Grit or The Alamo. As such, it hasn't maintained the same legendary status of some of the actor's other roles, instead fading into history as a forgotten '40s classic. For people who love seeing some romance on the frontier, however, it has few equals.
The Ox-Bow Incident Is Twelve Angry Men For Western Fans
The Ox-Bow Incident follows the arrival of a pair of cowboys to the town of Bridger's Wells. Shortly after they enter the saloon, they hear word of the murder of a local rancher, hesitantly joining a mob to avoid suspicion. With the town's lawman away, the angry residents track who they believe to be the killers, forcing a stand-off as they debate bringing them back to town for a trial or vigilante murder.
A film that walks the line between frontier drama and noir-inspired thriller, the best way to describe what it brings to the genre is to call it Twelve Angry Men on the range. It's dark, cynical, and unforgiving in its look at human nature and mob rule. Watching The Ox-Bow Incident play out is like watching a rugged, Western courtroom drama as three men are left helpless at the hands of their would-be lynchers.
