Nothing to do tonight tenderfoot? Saddle up the horse, pull some leather, mosey on to town, hitch up at the general store, and get one of these shows. You will not be disappointed. These are movies can be watched again and again. There are many other great western movies that could be on this list. These happen to be my top 20 favorite western movies.

1. The Searchers; 1956; Director: John Ford; Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, & a young Natalie Wood. Story of revenge, perseverance, and prejudice. A great performance by John Wayne in the greatest western of all time.	2. High Noon; 1952; Director: Fred Zinneman; Starring: Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. Lawman waits for showdown with ruthless killers. Town's people abandon him and will not help. Suspense make this one great.
3. Shane; 1953; Director: George Stevens Starring: Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur. A gunfighter defends homesteaders from a cattle baron. Jack Palance is great as the cattle baron's hired gun. Besides being a great movie this is the first movie I ever remember seeing when I was 7 years old at a drive-in.	4. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; 1962; Director: John Ford; Starring James Stewart and John Wayne. Civilized man achieves success from the killing of an outlaw on the raw frontier. Lee Marvin is excellent in the role of the outlaw.
5. Unforgiven; 1992; Director: Clint Eastwood; Starring: Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman. A very realistic western that depicts the violence of the old west. Best picture and best director Oscar winner.	6. Ride the High Country; 1962; Director: Sam Peckinpah; Starring: Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea. Two aging lawmen try to recapture the past by escorting a gold shipment. Joel McCrea gives great performance. Randolph Scott's last role.
7. Stagecoach; 1939; Director: John Ford; Starring: John Wayne and Claire Trevor. A well developed story of redemption. A group of people of different social classes are put together on a stagecoach under attack. The characters and action make this a good one.	8. Pale Rider; 1985; Director: Clint Eastwood Starring Clint Eastwood and Carrie Snodgress. Mysterious stranger saves poor miners from ruthless mine owner. Great scenery and superb action. This one is a great western that should have won the Oscar.
9. Fort Apache; 1948 Director: John Ford; Stars John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Ward Bond, Shirley Temple, and Ben Johnson. John Wayne plays an experienced officer with years of fighting Indians. Henry Fonda is the foolish commander who will not listen his subordinates. This is the best of Ford's "trilogy" of cavalry films.	10. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1949; Director: John Ford; Starring: John Wayne , Ben Johnson, Joanna Dru, Harry Carey Jr., & Victor McLaglen. John Wayne is great as the old cavalry Captain about to retire after one last mission. Show the role of the cavalry in maintaining peace in the old west. Victor McLaglen steals the show as the Irish Top Sergeant. This is the most enjoyable film of Ford's "Cavalry" trilogy.
11. Rio Grande; 1950; Director: John Ford; Starring: John Wayne , Ben Johnson, Maureen O'Hara, Harry Carey Jr., & Victor McLaglen. John Wayne is great as the cavalry officer. His son he has not seen in 15 years is assigned as one of his recruits. His estranged wife shows up to get the son out of the Army. Good action and great chemistry between Wayne and O'Hara. This is the most entertaining film of Ford's "Cavalry" trilogy.	12. Hondo; 1953; Director: John Farrow; Starring: John Wayne and Geraldine Page. Wayne is a tough cavalry scout who falls in love with a frontierswoman. He unknowingly kills her husband and then saves her from Apaches. One of the 1st psychological westerns.
13. The Ox-Bow Incident; 1943; Director: William A. Wellman; Starring: Henry Fonda and Dana Andrews. Cowboys try to stop a lynching. Powerful story about injustice.	14. Hombre; 1967; Director: Martin Ritt; Starring: Paul Newman and Fredric March. Indian reared white man helps stagecoach passengers in 1880 Arizona. Dies as a result.
15. Red River; 1948; Director: Howard Hawks. Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Cliff, Joanne Dru, & Walter Brennan. Son, played by Cliff, becomes the cattle baron's, played by Wayne, biggest rival. An epic western filmed in southern Arizona.	16. Blood on the Moon; 1948; Director: Robert Wise; Starring: Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, & Walter Brennen. A dark noir style film that has a saddle tramp getting caught up in a range war. He ends up turning against his best friend and his underhanded deals.
17. The Gunfighter; 1950; Director: Henry King; Starring: Gregory Peck and Helen Westcott. Gunfighter wants to escape from his past but is forced into using his guns again.	18. The Unforgiven; 1960; Director: John Huston; Starring: Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, and Audie Murphy. Prejudice in 1850 Texas when a daughter is suspected to be of Indian birth. An authentic hero, Audie Murphy, gives a superb perfomance.
19. Duel in the Sun; 1946; Director: King Vidor Starring Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish and Charles Bickford. Family turmoil and resentment. Jennifer Jones and Lionel Barrymore have great performances.	20. The Wild Bunch; 1969; Director: Sam Peckinpah; Starring: William Holden and Ernest Borgnine. Gang tries to pull off one last job. Depicts the violent life of the old west at a time when the way of life of the old west is ending.