American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Not quite the subject for a Civil War forum, but Gen. Meyer begged the question when he brought up Shane. Yes, Shane is one of the best westerns ever filmed but was it the BEST western? High Noon was made just prior to Shane, John Wayne had already made Red River, and the Cavalry Trilogy. James Stewart was in Winchester '73. Who can forget the Lancaster and Douglas in the OK Corral? Even the Big Country can be considered a western and certainly it had the best music ever written for a western. Eastwood had his Unforgiven but do you remember Burt Lancaster in the first Unforgiven with Audrey Hepburn? It was just as good and completely different from Eastwood. Sound out your favorite Western! Shane was good but it wasn't the best.

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Gen. Drex Ringbloom,
AotS ,Commanding

Aw, shoot! I was afraid of this, but Drex isn't going to let things slide now!

I vote for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN as the best ever western!

And here's a little secret about that film. It revealed who the fastest man in the world was at the time! That's right! If you watch the scene where Calvera slaps Sotero around in the beginning, the first time the gang rides into the village, Calvera's right-hand man, played by Valentin De Vargas, is casually standing behind Sotero appreciatively watching his boss's handiwork. A couple of lines later Calvera grabs his hat and says, "Enough! We git the rest later. Vamanos!" We then watch Calvera stride to his horse and mount with Valentin nowhere to be seen, ostensibly gathering up some additional spoils back in the lean-to. Suddenly one of the villagers yells, "Murderer!" and advances upon Calvera with a machete. The scene flips back to Calvera on horseback who is reaching for his gun and there, magically beside him and mounted upon his own horse is Valentin! It was a fantastic remount by the world's fastest human, barely taking an incredible 1.2 seconds!

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General Jos. C. Meyer, ACWGC
Union Army Chief of Staff
Commander, Army of the Shenandoah
Commander, Army of the Tennessee
(2011-2014 UA CoA/GinC)

Best Western? Wow... too hard to call.

If I can ONLY choose one....

I will say.... The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence.

John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and Jimmy Stewart - who can top that? The film made the term "pilgrim" famous as Wayne referred to Stewart's character in that way throughout the movie. Wayne also made one of his most convincing and toughest lines when he referred to the Liberty Valence character as the "toughest man west of the Brazos... next to me." Wayne's character doesnt need to get into fights to prove his toughness - you just believe him based on that line alone. Finally, the film features one of the great movie lines of the entire genre when the editor says, "this is the west. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

Special Mention: Red River, Vera Cruz, Rio Bravo and The Cowboys

How the West Was Won has my vote. It not only had an all star cast, but it covered everything from flatboats, trappers, the Civil War, the railroads, lawmen and outlaws and wagon trains and dancing girls. It started when Ohio was considered west, and ended around the beginning of the 20th century.

One of my favorites that is also in Morgan Freeman's top five is The Outlaw Josey Wales.

My favorite John Wayne western was Fort Apache. I thought the dialogue was great! Many critics believed The Searchers was his best, and he won an Oscar for True Grit.

My favorite Civil War western was Major Dundee.

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MG Mike Mihalik
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
AoWest/CSA

Can't believe no-one has voted for Blazing Saddles. Lili Von Shtupp, Mongo, Bart, Jim, Taggart and all the other characters, a classic with no equal. Probably couldn't make this film in our current PC enviroment as they are equal opportunity offenders in this movie.

I've seen most (if not all) of those mentioned, including Blazing Saddles. One I enjoy is more modern era: "Open Range" with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall.

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General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

I enjoy "Lonesome Dove" although you can see the "made for TV" tone in it (it was made for TV, right? lol). Augustus was a great character anyhow, and played splendidly by Robert Duvall.

As for the unnamed movie, we shouldn't forget that "Sitting Bull don't surf".

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General Neal Hebert
Edward C. Walthall Division (2nd aka "Gator Alley")
II Corps, Army of the West
CSA Cabinet Secretary

Duvall's are classics, dang near last of the great cowboys. Right now, Costner may be it if he continues making westerns.

There was another with him and Thomas Haden Church where they rescued the chinese girls, can't remember the name at the moment.

I saw one about 10 yrs after it came out and wonder why I never watched it before and that was Silverado, entertaining.

Dances with Wolves was also entertaining.

Shadow Riders
Quigley Down Under

Now if you want westerna nd funny, you have to see the Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer trilogy..........

Trinity
They call me Trinity
Trinity is still my Name

MG Mark Vaccaro
4/II/AoG/CSA

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MG Mark Vaccaro
3/IV/ANV

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MG Mike Mihalik
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
AoWest/CSA

I think one of the best Westerns made in the last 20 years was Eastwood's "Unforgiven "although I do think 'Lonesome Dove" is probably the best, all the more so since it was based on a true story. The era of the westerns, both cinematic and television, was the 1950s and 1960s. you literally could watch westerns on TV all night long practically every weekday then Saturday mornings was time for a western movie, Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger plus others I can't remember.

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Gen. Drex Ringbloom,
AotS ,Commanding

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)

Not if Duval plays the corpse only.

Some of the saturday shows........

The Rifleman
Branded
The Guns of Will Sonnet
Have Gun, Will Travel
F Troop

Just to name a few.

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MG Mark Vaccaro
3/IV/ANV

See below.

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MG Mike Mihalik
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
AoWest/CSA

I can't believe you guys forgot The Rebel!

Plus there used to be a western back in the fifties about a Yank captain, a Yank sergeant, and a Reb lieutenant after the war called The Rough Riders.
Rawhide, Wagon Train, Broken Arrow, Mackenzie's Raiders, etc.

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MG Mike Mihalik
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
AoWest/CSA