The Best Ben Johnson Movies

Updated June 11, 2019 1.4k votes 157 voters 12.8k views47 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

List of the best Ben Johnson movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Ben Johnson's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Ben Johnson movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Ben Johnson movies will be at the top of the list. Ben Johnson has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Ben Johnson movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Ben Johnson films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Ben Johnson role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Ben Johnson performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

The list you're viewing is made up of many different films, including The Shadow Riders and Grayeagle.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Ben Johnson movies?" and "What are the greatest Ben Johnson roles of all time?"

...more

1
84
9
Chisum
John Wayne, Ben Johnson
Released: 1970
Released: 1970
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Chisum is a 1970 Warner Bros. Technicolor Western film starring John Wayne. The large cast also includes Forrest Tucker, Christopher George, Ben Johnson, Glenn Corbett, Geoffrey Deuel, Andrew Prine,... more
More Chisum
#12 of 44 The Best Western Movies of the '70s#21 of 98 The Best John Wayne Movies Of All Time
2
77
5
Shane
Jack Palance, Jean Arthur
Released: 1953
Released: 1953
Directed by: George Stevens
Directed by: George Stevens
Shane is a 1953 American Technicolor Western film from Paramount. It was produced and directed by George Stevens from a screenplay by A. B. Guthrie, Jr., based on the 1949 novel of the same name by... more
More Shane
#948 of 1,506 The Most Rewatchable Movies#175 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry
3
62
9
Wagon Master
James Arness, Ben Johnson
Released: 1950
Released: 1950
Directed by: John Ford
Directed by: John Ford
Wagon Master is a 1950 Western film about a Mormon pioneer wagon train to the San Juan River in Utah. The film was conceived, produced, and directed by John Ford, who is often listed among the... more
4
58
8
The Shadow Riders
Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott
Released: 1982
Released: 1982
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
The Shadow Riders is a 1982 American Western television film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Dominique Dunne, and Katharine Ross. Based on the novel of the same... more
5
55
9
The Last Picture Show
Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd
Released: 1971
Released: 1971
Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
The Last Picture Show is a 1971 American drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from a semi-autobiographical 1966 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry. Set in a small town in north... more
More The Last Picture Show
#215 of 675 The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars#89 of 225 The Best Black And White Movies Ever Made
6
50
9
The Train Robbers
John Wayne, Ann-Margret
Released: 1973
Released: 1973
Directed by: Burt Kennedy
Directed by: Burt Kennedy
The Train Robbers is a 1973 Western Technicolor film starring John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor and Ben Johnson. The movie was written and directed by Burt Kennedy. Rod Taylor is billed above the... more
More The Train Robbers
#137 of 175 The Best Comedy Movies Of The 1970s#10 of 63 The Best Ann-Margret Movies
7
45
6
Will Penny
Charlton Heston, Bruce Dern
Released: 1968
Released: 1968
Directed by: Tom Gries
Directed by: Tom Gries
Will Penny is a 1968 western film written and directed by Tom Gries starring Charlton Heston and Donald Pleasence. It was based upon an episode of the 1960 Sam Peckinpah television series The... more
More Will Penny
#19 of 33 The Best Movies About Hunting#29 of 88 The Best Charlton Heston Movies of All Time, Ranked
8
36
7
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Kate Capshaw, Scott Glenn
Released: 1991
Released: 1991
Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg
Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys is a 1991 Western drama film starring Scott Glenn and Kate Capshaw and directed by Stuart Rosenberg.... more
9
32
4
The Sugarland Express
Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson
Released: 1974
Released: 1974
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
The Sugarland Express is a 1974 American neo-noir drama film co-written and directed by Steven Spielberg in his theatrical feature film directorial debut. It stars Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, William... more
10
34
7
One-Eyed Jacks
Marlon Brando, Karl Malden
Released: 1961
Released: 1961
Directed by: Marlon Brando
Directed by: Marlon Brando
One-Eyed Jacks, a 1961 Western, is the only film directed by actor Marlon Brando. The picture was originally planned to be directed by Stanley Kubrick from a screenplay by Sam Peckinpah, but studio... more
More
#170 of 175 The Best Movies Of The '60s#38 of 142 The Best Western Movies on Amazon Prime

11
31
4
Junior Bonner
Steve McQueen, Ida Lupino
Released: 1972
Released: 1972
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Junior Bonner is a 1972 film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Steve McQueen, Joe Don Baker, Robert Preston and Ida Lupino. The film focuses on a veteran rodeo rider as he returns to his... more
12
35
9
The Rare Breed
James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara
Released: 1966
Released: 1966
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
The Rare Breed is a 1966 American western film starring James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith, Juliet Mills and Ben Johnson and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. Loosely based on the life of... more
13
35
10
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
John Wayne, Ben Johnson
Released: 1949
Released: 1949
Directed by: John Ford
Directed by: John Ford
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a 1949 Technicolor Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. The academy award winning film was the second of Ford's Cavalry trilogy films. With a budget... more
More She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
#933 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#47 of 100 The Most Patriotic Movies of All Time
14
32
8
Breakheart Pass
Charles Bronson, Doug Atkins
Released: 1975
Released: 1975
Directed by: Tom Gries
Directed by: Tom Gries
Breakheart Pass is an American 1975 western adventure film that stars Charles Bronson, Ben Johnson, Richard Crenna, and Jill Ireland. The movie was based on the novel by Alistair MacLean of the same... more
More Breakheart Pass
#19 of 46 The Best Train Movies#10 of 91 The Best Charles Bronson Movies
15
27
4
Major Dundee
Charlton Heston, Richard Harris
Released: 1965
Released: 1965
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Major Dundee is a 1965 Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and James Coburn. Written by Harry Julian Fink, the film is about a Union... more
More Major Dundee
#16 of 70 The Best US Civil War Movies Ever Made#25 of 46 The Best 60s War Movies
16
29
6
Dillinger
Richard Dreyfuss, Cloris Leachman
Released: 1973
Released: 1973
Directed by: John Milius
Directed by: John Milius
Dillinger is a 1973 gangster film about the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger. It stars Warren Oates as Dillinger and Ben Johnson as his pursuer, FBI Agent Melvin... more
17
28
7
The Wild Bunch
William Holden, Ernest Borgnine
Released: 1969
Released: 1969
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
The Wild Bunch is a 1969 American epic Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah about an aging outlaw gang on the Texas–Mexico border, trying to exist in the changing "modern" world of 1913. The... more
More The Wild Bunch
#44 of 45 The Most Controversial Movies of All Time#71 of 75 Which Ensemble Films Should Be Remade With All-Female Casts?
18
26
5
Bonanza: The Return
Linda Gray, Dean Stockwell
Released: 1993
Released: 1993
Directed by: Jerry Jameson
Directed by: Jerry Jameson
Bonanza: The Return is a 1993 TV-movie sequel to both the 1959-1973 television series Bonanza and the 1988 made-for-television film Bonanza: The Next Generation . The movie was directed by Jerry... more
19
20
0
Bite the Bullet
Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen
Released: 1975
Released: 1975
Directed by: Richard Brooks
Directed by: Richard Brooks
Bite the Bullet is a 1975 American Western film written and directed by Richard Brooks and starring Gene Hackman, James Coburn, Candice Bergen, Ben Johnson, Ian Bannen, Jan-Michael Vincent and Dabney... more
More Bite the Bullet
#207 of 401 The Best Western Movies Ever Made#465 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies
20
26
7
Angels in the Outfield
Matthew McConaughey, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Released: 1994
Released: 1994
Directed by: William Dear
Directed by: William Dear
Angels in the Outfield is a 1994 remake of the 1951 film of the same name. The film stars Danny Glover, Tony Danza and Christopher Lloyd, and features several future stars, including Joseph... more
More Angels in the Outfield
#145 of 375 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime#483 of 1,141 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time

21
21
2
The Getaway
Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw
Released: 1972
Released: 1972
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
The Getaway is a 1972 American action film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw. The film is based on the Jim Thompson novel of the same name, with the screenplay... more
More The Getaway
#96 of 552 The Best '70s Movies#61 of 129 The Best Mafia Films Of All Time
22
8
0
Terror Train
Jamie Lee Curtis, Vanity
Released: 1980
Released: 1980
Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
Terror Train is a 1980 slasher film, directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Johnson and David Copperfield. It follows the members of a college fraternity who played a cruel... more
More Terror Train
#566 of 736 The Best Horror Movies Of All Time#483 of 512 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
23
25
7
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Dawn Wells, Ben Johnson
Released: 1976
Released: 1976
Directed by: Charles B. Pierce
Directed by: Charles B. Pierce
The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 1976 American horror film by producer and director Charles B. Pierce who also co-stars as a bumbling police officer named A.C. Benson, also known as "Sparkplug".... more
More The Town That Dreaded Sundown
#12 of 27 The Best Movies About Real Serial Killers#39 of 111 The Best '70s Horror Movies
24
6
0
Tex
Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez
Released: 1982
Released: 1982
Directed by: Tim Hunter
Directed by: Tim Hunter
Tex is a 1982 drama film directed by Tim Hunter and written by Charles S. Haas, based on the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton. Matt Dillon and Jim Metzler play brothers who struggle after their... more
25
21
4
Bonanza: Under Attack
Leonard Nimoy, Jack Elam
Released: 1995
Released: 1995
Directed by: Mark Tinker
Directed by: Mark Tinker
Bonanza: Under Attack is a 1995 TV-movie sequel to the 1959-1973 television series Bonanza and television films Bonanza: The Next Generation and Bonanza: The Return. The movie was directed by Mark... more

One-Eyed Jacks

Dillinger

Bonanza: The Return