MovieChat Forums > Broken Arrow Discussion > One of the best westerns

One of the best westerns

posted 12 years ago by waldenpond88
9 replies | jump to latest

My favorite westerns were so far "High Noon", "Shane", "Saskatchewan" and "Bend of the River" (which I like even more than "Winchester 73"), but after watching "Broken Arrow" this morning, I found another favorite.
The love story was one of the most touching ones, maybe comparable with "Across the Wide Missouri" (Clark Gable).
Now I have to watch "Battle at Apache Pass" (Jeff Chandler again as Cochise, but I think it's a prequel even though it has been filmed 2 years after "Broken Arrow") and "Taza, Son of Cochise" (Rock Hudson) which supposedly is a sequel.
Any other suggestions?

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] deepmoss 11 years ago

The Big Sky , great story which focuses on a variety of actors not just one , unusual to have a keelboat play an important part in a movie .

and The Last Wagon , Richard Widmark does a very job in this realistic feeling western

[–] waldenpond88 10 years ago

Hi deepmoss,

"The Last Wagon" is a favorite western for decades. Probably Richard Widmark's most impressive role. When it was released on DVD, I bought it right away.
I still need to catch "The Big Sky" on Encore western Channel.
Thanks for the good tips :).

[–] goGilesgo 11 years ago

you would do yourself a great service taking a look at any of Budd Boetticher's westerns. Almost all of them are worth it with the absolute standouts being:

The Tall T (simply one of the finest films ever)
Buchanan Rides Alone
Decision at Sundown

also some others from the same era:

3:10 to Yuma
Day of the Outlaw
Run of the Arrow
Hour of the Gun (that rare thing: a sequel better than the original)

[–] waldenpond88 10 years ago

Hello goGilesgo,

We are collecting westerns (and his other movies) with Randolph Scott from Encore Western Channel and TCM.
I've seen all 3 Scott & Karen Steele westerns (among them "Decision at Sundown"), but still need to watch "The Tall T" and "Buchanan".
"Hour of the Gun" sounds familiar.
Will look for the 3 other western.

Thank you :)!

[–] jhpen22 10 years ago

Agreed on Shane and Bend of the River.

Others you should collect:
Lonesome Dove: A masterpiece made-for-TV Western with a scope that Hollywood movies can't approach and one of the all-time great performance by Robert Duvall

Stagecoach: Vintage John Ford with John Wayne before he was The Duke; a great movie.

Red River: A father/son (sort of) struggle on a cattle drive with Howard Hawks at the helm.

Once Upon a Time in the West: Sergio Leone's best, IMHO, with an unforgettable Henry Fonda as the villain.

The Big Country: Seaman Greg Peck goes west and gets snarled in a land dispute.

The Naked Spur: Jimmy Stewart as a bounty hunter, Robert Ryan as an evil captive, and Janet Leigh as his woman.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: One of the great movies, period.

Tombstone: Earps v. Clantons, et al. to the death, with Val Kilmer as an unforgettable Doc Holliday.

Will Penny: Charlton Heston as an illiterate, mostly used-up cowboy who might find love.

The Searchers: Another classic Ford/Wayne effort, epic in scale.

I second the recommendation made by another poster: Budd Boetticher Westerns are memorable. And I'm an unashamed fan of a little-known Robert Mitchum movie, Blood on the Moon.

[–] waldenpond88 10 years ago

Yes, I'll have to watch "Lonesome Dove", heard very good things about it!
"Stagecoach", "Red River", "The Naked Spur" are among my favorites, but I found "Once upon a time in the West" too slow and too brutal.
I was bored by "Sierra Madre" and "The Big Country" left no impression, I forgot what it's all about even though I like Gregory Peck.
However, I really enjoyed "Bravados".

"Tombstone" and "Wyatt Earp" were both good, but to me "Dances with Wolves" is unequaled.
Never heard of "Will Penny" though.
I think "The Searchers" is over-rated, we watched it last year and when finished, we looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. It's o.k., but not compelling enough. Something is missing.
We watched John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy last year, all three were very well done.

One Errol Flynn western appealed to me. I watched it as a teenager and decades later again last year, "Rocky Mountain" (1950, with Patrice Wymore). It stood the test of time.
Will watch "Blood on the Moon" as I'm a big Mitchum fan :)!
I agree, Budd Boetticher and his Randolph Scott westerns are great.
Also I do like Anthony Mann's western.

[–] bear022013-909-645034 10 years ago

I agree wholeheartedly.Being a Western fanatic,I know this one was done well.
Not being made in Canada{before they began the process}and showing Americans four timeless Arizona locales and Lone Pine,California.

[–] jarol1 9 years ago

Yes this movie is very special, I also consider it one of the best westerns.

It is very different from other westerns:
- filmed in 1950 and yet in color, very unusal for that time
- main character learning Apache language before going to their camp
- Apaches living in wickiups rather than tipis
- Apaches are hostile at camp and as one would expect he has to stay with Cochise for the night to let everybody see them together not to be in danger anymore
- excellent acting of Cochise actor, very convincing
- the girl's name is spoken in Apache - Sonseeahray, not translated like common in other movies. Pitty that other movies translate names of characters.
- it was filmed long ago when USA was a very racist country, most westerns show native americans in negative way yet this one is very close to truth

Taza, Son of Cochise was unfortunately a very bad movie. Battle at Apache Pass was just average in my opinion.