10 Best Western Movies Of The 1950s, Ranked

Warner Bros.

Westerns were really hitting its stride in the 1950s, with the genre enjoying more ambitious productions as it continued to thrill audiences worldwide. Popular actors like John Wayne and Gary Cooper were turning in some of their best work during the decade, headlining movies that became bonafide classics. At the same time, there was a growing sophistication to the genre, from movies that subverted common tropes to more nuanced storytelling being employed. The decade produced several Western movies that everyone should watch at least once, really defining the genre for generations to come.

We've already covered the best Western movies of the 1960s, and now we're looking at the decade prior. From overlooked gems to beloved films that immortalized their stars, the '50s were a robust decade for Westerns. This period also saw light experimentation with the genre, subtly pushing the creative boundaries and feeling ahead of their time. 

These are the 10 best Western movies of the 1950s, taking the genre to new heights and standing the test of time.

Republic Pictures

Joan Crawford broke up the male hegemony that the Western genre often falls into, starring in the 1954 movie "Johnny Guitar." The title character is actually played by Sterling Hayden, who travels to an Arizona frontier town to reunite with his ex-girlfriend Vienna (Crawford). This reunion prompts a violent web of jealousy between former lovers, including Vienna's other former boyfriend (Scott Brady), who leads his own outlaw gang. This all comes to a head when a posse is formed to drive these hardened gunslingers out of town.

"Johnny Guitar" is one of the best Western movies according to Roger Ebert, and we're inclined to agree with him. Beyond just having a woman receive top billing in a Western, the movie explores more progressive themes and dynamics than most of the genre movies released during the decade. The movie also possesses a distinct visual style, from its vibrant color palette to its more graceful choreography than a typical Western. A movie far ahead of its time, "Johnny Guitar" deserves wider recognition for how it redefined what a Western could be.

United Artists

Gregory Peck is one of the more underrated Western actors, not as widely recognized for his work in the genre as contemporaries like John Wayne, Henry Fonda, or Kirk Douglas. Among Peck's best Western work is the 1958 movie "The Big Country," with Peck producing and starring as sea captain James McKay. Arriving in the Wild West to marry his fiancee Patricia Terrill (Carroll Baker), only to find his arrival sparks a feud between rival ranchers. Caught in the middle of this escalating conflict, McKay's impending marriage is threatened, as is his life, leading him to take action.

William Wyler is the most nominated director in Oscars history, and he lives up to that distinction, delivering strong work with "The Big Country." This includes sweeping shots of the Texan filming locations, really living up to the movie's title and setting the mood. Peck is reliably good as always, and he has a strong supporting cast opposite him, including Charlton Heston and Chuck Connors. An unassuming Western moving at a deliberate pace while offering the requisite thrills, "The Big Country" has a marked maturity compared to its contemporaries that helps set it apart.

20th Century Studios

By the '50s, revisionist takes on the Western genre began to make their way to the silver screen, setting up even more postmodern takes in subsequent decades. Among those early examples is 1950's "The Gunfighter," starring Gregory Peck as infamous Wild West gunslinger Jimmy Ringo. Because of his reputation, Ringo spends most of his life gunning down rivals trying to outdraw him or being pursued by those vowing revenge on people he's killed. World-weary from these experiences, Ringo tries to reconcile with his wife and son before his past catches up with him.

"The Gunfighter" is one of those great Western movies that nobody talks about anymore, with its legacy obscured by the more prominent revisionist Westerns that followed. The movie portrays being the fastest gun in the Wild West as a relentless curse rather than an enviable achievement, deconstructing the archetype. Peck plays up that aspect considerably, playing against type from his more clean-cut cinematic heroes to someone more at odds with his history of violence. A moody little Western worth watching for Peck's underrated performance, "The Gunfighter" started the decade's genre movies on a striking note.

MGM

The neo-Western template, juxtaposing classic genre tropes with more contemporary settings, can be tracked back to movies like 1955's "Bad Day at Black Rock." Set in the immediate aftermath of World War II, the movie stars Spencer Tracy as John J. Macreedy, a one-armed veteran arriving at the titular Southwestern town. Learning that a Japanese American resident he's searching for was killed in a hate crime, Macreedy moves to avenge him. This places him on a collision course with racist rancher Reno Smith (Robert Ryan) in a fiery showdown.

"Bad Day at the Black Rock" gives Spencer Tracy the most rough and ready role of the venerable actor's career. Powering his performance with a gruff resolve, Tracy's no-nonsense protagonist dismantles a desert town gone bad singlehandedly (literally). The movie's anti-racism messages also feel extraordinarily progressive for a film released in the '50s, especially in the prominent shadow of WWII. Setting the neo-Western formula that movies like "Walking Tall" would follow, "Bad Day at Black Rock" is an especially important film in taking the genre out of period piece settings.

Universal Pictures

While James Stewart's silver screen image placed him as a nice-guy everyman, the actor played his fair share of rugged characters too. One of his best roles was in the 1950 Western "Winchester '73,"  playing gunfighter Lin McAdam hunting for his old rival Dutch Henry Brown (Stephen McNally). The movie itself is named for the 1873 Winchester repeating rifle, is won in a shooting contest by Lin and changes hands several times over the course of the story. The gun returns to the company of Lin and Dutch just in time for the two nemeses to have their final showdown.

"Winchester '73" is one of the 11 perfect James Stewart movies according to Rotten Tomatoes and the greatest of the five '50s Westerns on that list. There is a surprising level of brutal violence to the movie, particularly in comparison to other movies of its era and Stewart's other work at the time. That helps illustrate the movie's themes of violence being inextricably a part of the Wild West and the titular firearm's role in perpetuating that carnage. Stewart's best Western of the '50s, "Winchester '73" lets its lead actor get tougher and meaner than his usual cinematic fare.

Columbia Pictures

Audiences nowadays may be more familiar with the 2007 "3:10 to Yuma," the critically acclaimed Western starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. But Elmore Leonard's pulpy short story was first adapted for the screen with a movie of the same name in 1957 that retains the core premise. The movie opens with struggling rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) agreeing to escort arrested outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) to a prison train, while Wade's gang is in hot pursuit. Despite their differences and the nature of their dynamic, a rapport strikes up between the two men across their journey.

"3:10 to Yuma" is one of those rare cases where both the original movie and its remake feel distinct from each other, yet they're both stellar takes on the same story. Just like its eventual remake 50 years later, the original movie boasts a propulsive pace and palpable chemistry between its lead actors. This all fuels a truly memorable climactic action set piece as Evans moves to see his job through to its natural conclusion. Even if you've seen the more recent adaptation, the original 1957 "3:10 to Yuma" is a must-see for genre fans and holds up incredibly well.

Paramount Pictures

While he might not be as readily recognizable to modern audiences, Alan Ladd is one the best Western movie actors, elevating otherwise routine genre movies. One Ladd-starring movie that's anything but generic is 1956's "Shane," with Ladd playing the titular gunslinger with a mysterious past in his finest role. A bit of a laconic drifter, Shane is hired to help out a frontier ranch, befriending the family's young boy Joey Starrett (Brandon deWilde). However, Shane's gunfighting skills come into play when local cattle baron Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer) employs an army of thugs to drive people off their land, including resorting to violence.

"Shane" really sets the template for a drifter of few words coming to defend a homestead against enemies beyond the means for a community to deal with. A lot of that trope's effectiveness comes from Ladd's performance, offering glimpses of Shane's humanity before locking into lethal seriousness. This is matched by an equal intensity from Jack Palance playing rival gunfighter Jack Wilson, culminating in a memorable climax. Ladd's most iconic performance and an empathetic precursor for men with no name to come, "Shane" solidifies the genre's archetype.

United Artists

The '50s Western with the most overtly pointed social messaging, "High Noon" took aim at the Hollywood blacklist and McCarthyism that was sweeping the nation. The 1952 movie stars Gary Cooper as Will Kane, a marshal preparing to retire to enjoy life with his new young bride Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly). These plans are dashed when Kane learns that notorious outlaw Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) has been released from prison and is coming to town with his gang for revenge. Kane debates fleeing town, as nobody in the community will help him face this incoming threat, but decides to live up to his duty and confront the murderous trio.

"High Noon" saved Gary Cooper from a sea of crappy scripts, as his own career entered its twilight years. On the surface, the story is a retread of one man standing alone against overwhelming odds but with the bitter distinction that his own community has abandoned him. Director Fred Zinneman excels at delivering that ominous mood with the movie's black and white cinematography, growing more foreboding until the titular train bearing the outlaws arrives. "High Noon" weaves in salient social commentary, but beyond warning audiences about the zeitgeist when it was produced, it stands as a more cynical Western tale.

Warner Bros.

Not everyone was particularly enamored by "High Noon," with filmmaker Howard Hawks and John Wayne making "Rio Bravo" over their shared hatred for the movie. The 1959 movie starred Wayne as John T. Chance, the sheriff of a frontier town menaced by local land baron Nathan Burdette (John Marshall). After Chance jails Nathan's younger brother Joe (Claude Akins) for murder, he and his allies find themselves besieged by a small army of gunslingers hired by the Burdettes. In contrast to Will Kane asking for help in "High Noon," Chance and his deputies actively deny help in the standoff to prevent amateurs from being caught in the crossfire.

Regardless of behind-the-scenes inspirations, "Rio Bravo" is one of John Wayne's most overtly fun movies, and artfully made, setting the tone with its largely dialogue-less prologue. The camaraderie between Wayne and his co-stars is palpable and the action throughout the movie is genuinely exciting and well-staged. The subsequent success of "Rio Bravo" launched an unofficial movie trilogy for John Wayne and Howard Hawks, years before Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood's own unofficial "Dollars" trilogy. A strong effort from all parties involved, "Rio Bravo" is a solid reminder of how fun the genre can truly be.

Warner Bros.

As good as "Rio Bravo" is, John Wayne's best role is starring as protagonist Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers." Directed by John Ford, the 1956 movie has Ethan and his nephew Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) search for Ethan's niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) after she's kidnapped by Comanche. This prolonged, grueling trek across the frontier reveals just how bitter and hateful Ethan has become, both in his hatred of the Comanche and his experiences from the Civil War. When Ethan and Martin finally locate Debbie, years after the start of their search, Ethan has to confront his own prejudices and propensity for violence.

"The Searchers" has many vocal fans, from Clint Eastwood to Roger Ebert, and it stands as Steven Spielberg's favorite John Wayne Western. Ford beautifully captures the sweeping landscapes of the American Southwest as the backdrop to his Western epic, giving the movie a more pronounced grandeur. The movie also eschews Wayne's usual white knight image, giving him arguably his most morally conflicted character and one that we definitely don't always root for. An enduring masterpiece from any decade or genre, John Ford and John Wayne were never better than with their collaboration to make "The Searchers."