old west The Best 50s Western Movies  

Ranker Film
9k votes 957 voters 14.8k views 60 items

List Rules Vote up your favorite Western films that were released in the 1950s.

Sometimes you just need a little bit of the old heroes. The old American film heroes before rock 'n roll took over and changed how heroes, and masculinity in general were portrayed on screen. These are the best 1950s Western movies, ranked from best to worst by user votes. The best 50s Western movies have a fairly wide array of plots for movies that are all tied to the same genre. Some great 1950s Westerns featured lone riders saving the day, while other good 50s Western movies included elements of comedy. A few top 1950s Western movies even featured romantic love stories.

What are some of the movies that you will find on this best 50s Western movies list? Man of the West, starring the great Gary Cooper, has to be one of the best Westerns of the 1950s or any era. Fun Fact: Cooper did his own horse-riding scenes in this classic film. John Wayne's Hondo is another good Western that was released in the 1950s.

The Western became a musical event when Oklahoma! came out in 1955. Other great films that you will find on this top 1950s Western movies list include The Searchers, High Noon, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Which '50s Western do you think belongs at No. 1 on this list? Give your favorite movies a thumbs up and get in on the conversation in the comments section.
list ordered by

1
284 77
Shane is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Jack Palance, Jean Arthur, Alan Ladd 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 ...more

2
274 77
The Searchers is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Vera Miles The Searchers is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision Western film directed by John Ford, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, and starring John Wayne as a middle-aged veteran who spends ...more

3
258 72
High Noon is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Grace Kelly, Gary Cooper, Lee Van Cleef High Noon is a 1952 American Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper. In nearly real time, the film tells the story of a town marshal forced to face a gang of killers by ...more

4
222 67
The Man from Laramie is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
James Stewart, Jack Elam, Arthur Kennedy The Man from Laramie is a 1955 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp, and Cathy O'Donnell. Written by Philip Yordan and Frank ...more

5
218 68
3:10 to Yuma is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Richard Jaeckel 3:10 to Yuma is a 1957 American western film starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin and directed by Delmer Daves. The film was based on a 1953 short story by Elmore Leonard. In 2012, the film was ...more

6
210 68
Rio Bravo is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson Rio Bravo is a 1959 American Western film produced and directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, and Ward Bond. Written by ...more

7
208 68
The Gunfighter is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Gregory Peck, Karl Malden, Richard Jaeckel The Gunfighter is a 1950 western film starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. This film was directed by Henry King. It was written by screenwriters William ...more

8
204 68
Hondo is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
John Wayne, James Arness, Geraldine Page Hondo is a 1953 Warnercolor 3D Western film starring John Wayne and directed by John Farrow. The screenplay is based on the July 5, 1952 Collier's short story "The Gift of Cochise" by ...more

9
193 68
Bend of the River is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
James Stewart, Rock Hudson, Harry Morgan Bend of the River is a 1952 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, and Rock Hudson. Based on the 1952 novel Bend of the Snake by ...more

10
184 67
The Naked Spur is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan The Naked Spur is a 1953 Technicolor American western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, and Robert Ryan. Written by Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom, the film ...more

11
181 66
Winchester '73 is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
James Stewart, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis Winchester '73 is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, and Stephen McNally. Written by Borden Chase and Robert L. ...more

12
159 67
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Kirk Douglas, Dennis Hopper, Burt Lancaster Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 American film starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday, based on a real event which took place on October 26, 1881. The ...more

13
147 62
The Big Country is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons The Big Country is a 1958 American epic Western film directed by William Wyler and starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston and Burl Ives. The supporting cast features ...more

14
143 67
Ride Lonesome is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
James Coburn, Lee Van Cleef, Randolph Scott Ride Lonesome is a 1959 Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, Lee Van Cleef, and James Coburn in his film debut. This Eastmancolor ...more

15
141 68
Last Train from Gun Hill is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones Last Train from Gun Hill is a 1959 Western by action director John Sturges. It stars Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones and Earl Holliman. Douglas and Holliman had previously appeared ...more

16
138 68
Seven Men from Now is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Lee Marvin, Gail Russell, Randolph Scott Seven Men from Now is a 1956 Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, and Lee Marvin. The film was written by Burt Kennedy and produced by John Wayne's ...more

17
129 68
Day of the Outlaw is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Tina Louise, Burl Ives, Robert Ryan Day of the Outlaw is a 1959 Western film starring Robert Ryan, Burl Ives, and Tina Louise. It was directed by André De Toth; this was his last Western feature film.

18
129 68
The Fastest Gun Alive is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
anne flynn added Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, Broderick Crawford The Fastest Gun Alive is a 1956 western film starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain and Broderick Crawford.

19
120 63
The Far Country is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
James Stewart, Walter Brennan, Harry Morgan The Far Country is a 1954 American Western Technicolor romance film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Ruth Roman, and Walter Brennan. Written by Borden Chase, the film is ...more

20
120 65
Man of the West is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Gary Cooper, Lee J. Cobb, Julie London Man of the West is a 1958 western film starring Gary Cooper and directed by Anthony Mann. The screenplay, written by Reginald Rose, is based on the novel The Border Jumpers by Will C. Brown.

21
70 27
River of No Return is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum, Rory Calhoun River of No Return is a 1954 American Western film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. The screenplay by Frank Fenton is based on a story by Louis Lantz, ...more

22
121 67
Rio Grande is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ben Johnson Rio Grande is a 1950 Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. The picture is the third installment of Ford's "cavalry trilogy," following two RKO ...more

23
120 67
Vera Cruz is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson Vera Cruz is a 1954 American Western theatrical film starring Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster, and featuring Denise Darcel, Sara Montiel, Cesar Romero, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson and Jack ...more

24
119 67
The Horse Soldiers is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
John Wayne, William Holden, Althea Gibson The Horse Soldiers is a 1959 film set during the American Civil War. It was directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne, William Holden and Constance Towers. John Lee Mahin and Martin Rackin ...more

25
115 66
The Tall T is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Maureen O'Sullivan, Randolph Scott, Richard Boone The Tall T is a 1957 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, and Maureen O'Sullivan. Adapted by Burt Kennedy from the short story "The ...more

26
78 37
Decision at Sundown is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added Randolph Scott, Richard Deacon, Noah Beery Decision at Sundown is a 1957 western directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. One of seven Boetticher/Scott western collaborations that also includes Seven Men from Now, The ...more

27
107 61
The Tin Star is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Henry Fonda, Anthony Perkins, Lee Van Cleef The Tin Star was first a short story then a 1957 American western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins, in one of Perkins' first roles. The film became one ...more

28
109 63
The Hanging Tree is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Gary Cooper, George C. Scott, Karl Malden The Hanging Tree is a 1959 movie directed by Delmer Daves. Karl Malden took over directing duties for several days when Daves fell ill. The film stars Gary Cooper, Maria Schell, George C. Scott ...more

29
61 25
Buchanan Rides Alone is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added Randolph Scott, Craig Stevens, L. Q. Jones Buchanan Rides Alone is a 1958 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Craig Stevens, and Barry Kelley. Based on the 1956 novel The Name's Buchanan by ...more

30
100 57
Night Passage is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added James Stewart, Audie Murphy, Jack Elam Night Passage is a 1957 Western film starring James Stewart and Audie Murphy.

31
71 35
The Raid is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added Anne Bancroft, Lee Marvin, Peter Graves The Raid is a 1954 Technicolor American film set during the American Civil War. It stars Van Heflin, Anne Bancroft, Richard Boone and Lee Marvin. It is loosely based on a true incident, the St. ...more

32
101 60
Warlock is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
anne flynn added Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Richard Widmark Warlock is a 1959 film, released by Twentieth Century Fox and shot in DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope. It is a Western adapted from the novel by Oakley Hall. Directed by Edward Dmytryk, it stars ...more

33
56 25
Man with the Gun is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added Robert Mitchum, Jan Sterling, Leo Gordon Man with the Gun is a 1955 Western film starring Robert Mitchum. The film was released in the United Kingdom as The Trouble Shooter and is also sometimes entitled Deadly Peacemaker. The ...more

34
92 57
Along the Great Divide is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Kirk Douglas, Walter Brennan, Virginia Mayo Along the Great Divide is a 1951 American western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, John Agar, and Walter Brennan.

35
91 57
The Violent Men is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
john greyflinn added Barbara Stanwyck, Glenn Ford, Edward G. Robinson The Violent Men is a 1955 CinemaScope Western film drama directed by Rudolph Maté, based on the novel Smoky Valley by Donald Hamilton, and starring Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward ...more

36
92 58
Jubal is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
anne flynn added Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine, Glenn Ford Jubal is a 1956 western film written by Russell S. Hughes and Delmer Daves and directed by Delmer Daves. "Delmer Daves's intense, good looking Western based on Othello, in which Glenn Ford ...more

37
52 25
Rage at Dawn is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added Forrest Tucker, Edgar Buchanan, Randolph Scott Rage at Dawn is a 1955 American Western film by RKO Pictures starring Randolph Scott and Forrest Tucker, and featuring Denver Pyle, Edgar Buchanan, Mala Powers and J. Carrol Naish. It purports ...more

38
90 62
Arrowhead is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
anne flynn added Charlton Heston, Jack Palance, Brian Keith Arrowhead is a 1953 western film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Charlton Heston and Jack Palance. The film is based on the novel Adobe Walls by W.R.Burnett. The screenplay was ...more

39
28 10
Springfield Rifle is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Lucy Hall added Gary Cooper, Alan Hale, Jr. Springfield Rifle is a western film, directed by André de Toth and released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1952. The film is set during the American Civil War and stars Gary Cooper, with ...more

40
87 65
Apache is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
anne flynn added Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson, Jean Peters Apache is a 1954 Western film starring Burt Lancaster.

41
66 56
The Furies is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson The Furies is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, and Walter Huston in his last film performance. In 2008, the film was released ...more

42
13 5
Escape from Fort Bravo is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added William Holden, Eleanor Parker, John Forsythe Escape from Fort Bravo is a 1953 Anscocolor western film set during the American Civil War. It stars William Holden, Eleanor Parker, and John Forsythe.

43
18 11
Distant Drums is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Lucy Hall added Gary Cooper, Ray Teal, Richard Webb Distant Drums is a 1951 "Florida Western" film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Gary Cooper. It is set during the Second Seminole War in the 1840s, with Cooper playing an Army ...more

44
65 60
Forty Guns is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Barry, Dean Jagger Forty Guns is a 1957 gothic western film written and directed by Samuel Fuller, filmed in black-and-white CinemaScope and released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Barbara ...more

45
17 11
the mark of zorro is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Stevenf.Wayne added the mark of zorro Tyrone Power

46
62 58
The Devils Doorway is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added The Devils Doorway

47
14 10
The Hard Man is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Lucy Hall added Lorne Greene ... Marshall Cole, Richard Farnsworth, Guy Madison The Hard Man is a 1957 film directed by George Sherman.

48
50 48
Silver Lode is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
iknowwhatawesternis added Alan Hale, Jr., Dolores Moran Silver Lode is a color 1954 western film directed by Allan Dwan. It was filmed in Technicolor and released by RKO.

49
51 50
The Last Frontier is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
gerard flynn added Anne Bancroft, James Whitmore, Robert Preston The Last Frontier is a 1956 weatern film directed by Anthony Mann.

50
52 53
Giant is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best 50s Western Movies
Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Dennis Hopper Giant is a 1956 American drama film, directed by George Stevens from a screenplay adapted by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat from the novel by Edna Ferber. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock ...more