An Edjamikated Redneck said...
One quibble Trooper (well, maybe 2); where are my 2 favorite Wayne westerns: The Shootist, and Big Jake?
Both do exactly what a movie should, as far as I'm concerned, and that is tell a good story convincingly, and so it with a minimum of preaching.
I could have done the whole list of ten and not left The Duke (another great Hawks western- The War Wagon, and where is Hondo
I know you are a true John Wayne fan as I am, so you know that I could have filled the list with just his films. I hated leaving off Fort Apache and I love Rio Bravo but I went with films that have a lot of artistic merit or are historically significant. The Sons of Katie Elder for that matter. Or the Fighting Kentuckian and the Angel and the Badman. Great films all. Of the three films you mentioned, the only one that could have made the list was Hondo. That was a John Wayne produced and financed film that was tied up in litigation for years and didn't make it to TV. It is very stylized but ultimately falls short because it didn't cover new ground. Both the Big Jake and the Shootist are solid entertainment but I didn't just go for fun. If I did I would have put one of my all time favorites on the list "Gunfight at the OK Corral." I love that film. Sometimes I go around singing in a Frankie Lane voice like they did in Gunfight. Drives my wife crazy.
Utlimately, I went for what I thought were the best of the westerns. And I think when you make such a list you need to acknowledge the work of people who are integral to the genre. Like Ford, Wayne, and Eastwood. I could easily replace Johnny Guitar, but I just like it. So my list is really just films I like and I hope other people will enjoy.
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