MovieChat Forums > Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958) Discussion > Best Western of All Tiime?

Best Western of All Tiime?

posted 9 years ago by w22nuschler
21 replies | jump to latest

I was wondering what other think about Wanted: Dead or Alive being the best western of all time. I have seem a lot of them and I think I would say it's number one. There are at least 15 great westerns. I grew up on Bonanza & Big Valley. With the westerns channel and dvd's coming out, I have seen most of the other westerns.

The Virginian, Rifleman, Little House on the Prairie, Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Bronco & Have Gun, Will Travel, Daniel Boone, Roy Rogers Show, Zorro, Maverick, Tombstone Territory, Wagon Train, Law of the Plainsman, Riverboat, The Westerner, Wild Wild West, Branded, Hec Ramsey, Barbary Coast & Cimarron Strip are the greats I have seen.

[–] Eddysfitzboy 9 years ago

This show is pretty good but I think Gunsmoke is much better.
Both have their great episodes and, umm, "less than" great shows but overall I would place GS above WDoA.

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[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gppressingon 8 years ago

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE is certainly in the pantheon of great westerns. I would agree with the preceding poster, however, that GUNSMOKE is better, if only because it lasted so along and had the chance to produce so many excellent episodes.

I love WDoA, but would argue HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL is better written and performed. That may be my favorite western if I had to settle on one, though I've been really enjoying watching the nearly forgotten western series THE TALL MAN starring Barry Sullivan and Clu Gulager as Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

BONANZA, BIG VALLEY, and THE VIRGINIAN were each a little too soap opera for me, with family drama overriding the western plots and action. GUNSMOKE descended into that too, especially in the late '60s and '70s. I never think of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE as a western, though I guess it fits, though it too would fall deep into the family drama category.

You list a few series I have never seen: BRONCO, TOMBSTONE TERRITORY, LAW OF THE PLAINSMEN, THE WESTERNER, and CIMARRON STRIP have all eluded me thus far. And I only saw the pilot movie of BARBARY COAST and that long ago.

Would KUNG FU with David Carradine count as a western? (Carradine did a straight western series--SHANE, that was pretty good). Or BEARCATS? That latter series is set in the early 20th century, about the time of HEC RAMSEY and the movie THE WILD BUNCH.

A couple great but overlooked westerns worth considering are SHOTGUN SLADE starring Scott Brady and BAT MASTERSON starring Gene Barry. The good thing for western fans is that there's no shortage of great shows out there with enough episodes to last a lifetime.

[–] maxman-5 8 years ago

You list a few series I have never seen: BRONCO, TOMBSTONE TERRITORY, LAW OF THE PLAINSMEN, THE WESTERNER, and CIMARRON STRIP have all eluded me thus far. And I only saw the pilot movie of BARBARY COAST and that long ago.

I watched Bronco & Tombstone Territory. Remember Cimarron Strip; probably watched a few episodes but don't really recall. I've never seen Law of the Plainsmen to the best of my knowledge. Barbary Coast, possibly an episode or two. The Westerner is one I've never seen but heard so much about. Wish I could catch the episodes, as I'm a Sam Peckinpah fan.

[–] gppressingon 8 years ago

Sam Peckinpah? That's a beautiful name in Navajo (to quote Nobody).

I just watched the GUNSMOKE episode "Yorky" that Peckinpah wrote. Good, early work from a man just building up a head of steam.

Since I first posted I bought the pricy BARBARY COAST set and have been enjoying it. Not really a Western by traditional standards since so many of the stories are set in San Francisco. It's disappointing as a remake of THE WILD, WILD WEST, but it's fun for fans of William Shatner and Doug McClure.

Here's hoping THE WESTERNER comes out on DVD someday soon. You'd think with Peckinpah as creator and Brian Keith as star it would prove profitable. Rod Serling's THE LONER is out on DVD, as is CUSTER, so short-run series are finding distributors and audiences.

And now back to the WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE discussion, already in progress.

[–] lou-114 8 years ago

It's the mumbliest Western of all time anyway. Steve McQueen sounds like he's doing a Homestar Runner imitation half the time.

I'm a "Have Gun - Will Travel" man myself, and I don't mind if you point out that Richard Boone is kind of an ugly critter.

[–] romar289 8 years ago

Agreed. I thought this was also the "mumbliest" western of all time and was just my imagination. It really does sound that way. Another post stated that McQueen only did this series for the dough.
I still admire his acting skills but "Wanted" often seemed like he was barely tolerating doing the show.

The best revenge: Live well, enjoy life and be happy. Drives any haters crazy.

[–] michelleishappyp 8 years ago

I liked "Branded" with Chuck Connors. It seems to be one of those that people don't think about. It had a good plot: Hero Jason McCord (Connors) was unjustly accused as an Army coward, stripped of his brass buttons from his uniform, his C.O. breaking his saber in half, and kicked out of the fort in shame. Yet in in the humility and good character he already possesses, does good deeds for everyone he meets. Someday, perhaps, his good name will be restored.

[–] michelleishappyp 8 years ago

In an episode tonite (can't recall which), a young brunette leans over a water trough at Josh while he's seated on the other side of it, cutting up and eating an apple. She is clearly wearing Wrangler jeans. Wanted: Dead or Alive takes place in the 1870s; however Wrangler jeans weren't manufactured for at least 30 more years. (The company was established in 1904) lol

[–] maxman-5 8 years ago

Best or not (subjective), my favorite has always been 'The Rifleman'.

[–] grizzledgeezer 7 years ago

Though it gradually descended into sappy family drama, at least The Rifleman had some superb episodes (and I use superb deliberately), mostly from Sam Peckinpah and Cyril Hume.

[–] w22nuschler 7 years ago

I've watched some Gunsmoke episodes on tv and the show has grown on me. I never put it up as a favoirte, but I think I can change that. James Arness is so good and I like Festus as well. Chester was good too. I never was a big fan of Miss Kitty. I totally respect the people who mentioned Have Gun, Will Travel and The Rifleman as their favorite. They are really good. I think if I had to choose, I would go with the half hour westerns. They just seem to be better in that timeframe. But one could argue that The Virginian, which ran 1 and a half hours, had more depth to it. Anyway, it's fun to hear what other people like.

[–] grizzledgeezer 7 years ago

I've started watching Cheyenne, one of three rotating-star Westerns from Warner. They were the first hour-long filmed TV shows. The writing was solid (as was Mr Walker) and the production values high.

[–] Bill-16 8 years ago

Really only opinions, but I know there is huge difference between 1/2hr and Hour Shows... Hour shows are so padded out... the 1/2Hr Gunsmoke Episodes are OutStanding... unbelievable really. It went to an Hour and of course it is still fantastic, but them 1/2 Hr Episodes are All Action and 1 Single Story. No side plots or big character development. Matt Dillon does what needs to be done and that is all.
'Wanted' being 1/2hr holds up much better than lots of them other shows.. Bonanza, Wagon Train, Rawhide etc. 'Rifleman' is another great show, but I think it ran out of gas. Mark started getting old and it changed, but I would put that up there with 'Wanted' as Tops!!!

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