Perfect Endings in Westerns

[@thecuss6817]

"Once Upon a Time in the West" had a damn good ending too !!!

[@sidwalker4194]

The ending of "The Magnificent 7" (1960), was right on point as only 2 of the 7 ride off after their big showdown with the Mexican bandits. When the question of who won arises, Yul Brenners' character says only the farmers won.

[@actionjackson1stIDF]

Good video but how could you not include 'The Shootist'. Its ending is double perfect as it symbolizes not only the characters death but that of the star John Wayne's career.

[@vanrana5371]

Although a modern western, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", deserves to be included in this list.

[@unbreakable7633]

This movie has a great line in it, one used by Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles: "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges." Funny story -- I once got to use this line myself. I was taking a review course for professional licensing and the class was required to wear "badges" showing they had paid their fees. A friend of mine, also a big movie buff, and I were in line the first day for our badges and when the lady said, "Here are your badges," he and I looked at each other, smiled, and said with bad Mexican accents, "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges." The entire place roared with laughter but the lady, who apparently didn't know the line, gave us a look that could kill.

[@1Bonex]

Knowing when and how to end a western when the hero prevails is routine. Some of these choices show great vision by the filmmaker

[@jamesbarton1969]

In Shane I always preferred the gunfight with Wilson in the book over the movie. In the book Wilson and Shane fire together, Shane hits Wilson in the arm at the same time Wilson hits Shane delivering the would that it is assumed will kill Shane. Wilson goes for his other gun and Shane kills him. Than the rancher fires at Shane, misses and Shane kills him. Shane's line to Joey saying that Wilson was the fastest he ever saw makes sense here unlike in the movie. There is something about the two gunfighters killing each other rather than having a third character not in the book that seems to have more meaning, rather like the line in the Magnificent seven where the lead gunfighter says about gunfighters, we lost, we always lose. In the book Shane and Wilson kill each other, they both lost, they always lose.

[@unbreakable7633]

For some reason, Hollywood screen writers seem hooked on changing books, especially the endings, almost like they're jealous or think they can do better but rarely do improve the end. Feel the same way about True Grit (the remake does a better job than the Wayne version). Many books I've enjoyed get reworked this way. The end of The Firm in the book was much better than the end of the movie.

[@jamesbarton1969]

This is an old one, guess they thought it was more exciting, but as usual all it showed was that they didn't understand the meaning of what the writer was saying.@@unbreakable7633

[@unbreakable7633]

@@jamesbarton1969 Yep, I can only agree.

[@Ghost-of-a-man]

I always assumed it was Wilson’s shot that wounded Shane as it’s not made clear who wounded him. If you think about it in that sense it makes perfect sense. Even though Shane seemingly made it out he knows that Wilson was the fastest he’s faced because he knows that Wilson wounded him and has ultimately killed him.

[@jamesbarton1969]

In the movie Shane and Wilson draw, Shane gets off the shot first and Wilson fires as he is knocked back, no way he hits anything. The rancher raises his gun but Shane spins and hits him. Finally the brother of the rancher aims a rifle, Joey warns Shane who turns. The brother fires at point blank range. Shane fires a fraction of a second later and immediately reacts as if he was hit. I double checked to make sure my memory was correct.

[@vickyanddanforever]

The original 3:10 to Yuma. A rancher agrees to take an outlaw to the 3:10 to Yuma train, because he has to feed his family. There has been a drought and the crops weren't doing well. The rancher is not a professional gunman---just an ordinary guy who is man enough to do what is needed. The outlaw is played by the magnificent Glenn Ford, who develops a respect for the rancher and actually saves him from his own outlaw gang. As the train is rolling toward Yuma, his wife is sitting in a carriage outside of town--wanting a glimpse of her husband. And it starts raining. An exciting movie that has the sweetest of endings---it can actually make you cry. See it---it is an unknown gem.

[@dusterowner9978]

you left out The Shootest and maybe the most gut wrenching 1883 ending .

[@slowturtle6745]

While technically not a western in the traditional sense I believe "No Country For Old Men" very much has the feel of one and should be on this list for it's ending as well.

[@vickyanddanforever]

It's not a western. And besides, it was a dreadful movie about a psychopath.

[@richardgardner723]

Good show

[@silverjohn6037]

"No where special. I always wanted to go there." (But you have to have a bucket of popcorn while delivering the line;).

[@FrankHogenmuller]

Brilliant idea of this list - great choices as well Personally would switch Nobody to Hombre Man with no name to once upon a time Heightful eight to Brimestone (to keep a newer western in the list)

[@buxxbannerspov30]

3:10 To Yuma ... the ORIGINAL with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin ... memorable ending.

[@vickyanddanforever]

Gosh! I just wrote the same comment above!

[@bravehome4276]

Great list of movies. I'm rather fond of the ending (well, near ending) of Little Big Man. Old Lodge Skins has chosen to die, and makes his final challenge to Death to fight him if he dares: Old Lodge Skins: Come out and fight! It is a good day to die! Thank You for making me a Human Being! Thank You for helpin' me to become a warrior! Thank You for my victories, and for my defeats! Thank You for my vision, and the blindness in which I saw further! You make all things and direct them in their ways, O Grandfather. And now You have decided the Human Beings will soon walk a road that leads nowhere. I am gonna die now, unless death wants to fight. And I ask You for the last time to grant me my old power to make things happen. [Lies down to die. After a moment, props himself up on his elbows to add:] Old Lodge Skins: Take care of my son here. See that he doesn't go crazy. Old Lodge Skins is very still for a while; Jack thinks he is dead. Then a light rain starts, hitting Grandfather in the face: [Grandfather, who has laid himself down to die, wakes up] Old Lodge Skins: Am I still in this world? Jack Crabb: Yes, Grandfather. Old Lodge Skins: [groans] I was afraid of that. [smiles] Well, sometimes the magic works. Sometimes, it doesn't.

[@famouspeople63]

I really like this movie too

[@wesleycook7687]

Klaus Kinski made a lot more westerns than I realized. He was always the bad guy. He was in the "Silence" on this group of westerns and he was also in The Good The Bad And The Ugly. His last best role was in a semi-western called Time Stalkers. It's a western with Sci-Fi overtones and was very good. It's on U Tube.

[@famouspeople63]

Take a look at my video on him in my channel

[@thecuss6817]

Wesley - you're wrong; Kinski was NOT in GBU, he was in "For a Few Dollars More".

[@wesleycook7687]

@@thecuss6817 my mistake.

[@davidbrown386]

The Big Country. With Burl Ives versus Charles Bickford and Gregory Peck riding away with Jean Simmons

[@vickyanddanforever]

It is a beautiful ending. The look they give each other...wow.

[@garfieldsmith332]

Great list of some great films. 👍👍As a spoiler The Great Silence got little distribution outside of Europe and in some of these markets a "Happy ending" was substituted. It is an amazing film. First one I saw where evil wins hands down. The winter setting helps to make this a classic. All Leones' westerns had a great ending.

[@famouspeople63]

Leone was second to none in the spaghetti western genre

[@cliffordholloway6291]

Good one!!

[@howardvenze9956]

The Fastest Gun Alive.

[@Ghost-of-a-man]

Your videos are excellent and enjoyable. I feel like you go make them a bit more in depth and spend more time time talking about things.

[@serpent645]

The Fastest Gun Alive, 1956 Glenn Ford and Brodrick Crawford could have made this list.

[@larry1824]

Searchers Stagecoach Wild Bunch Shootist Fort Apache The Gunfighter

[@famouspeople63]

Hard to go past The Searchers famous door scene

[@larry1824]

@@famouspeople63 or Duke swinging that big loop model 92 in Stagecoach

[@ofreen]

The second badge on the ground forgotten from a previous take always detracts from the ending of High Noon for me. I can't help but look at it. A mistake that shouldn't have happened and should have been fixed somehow.

[@buxxbannerspov30]

2nd Badge? I've watched that one at least 50 times ... never saw a 2nd badge ... slow walked it on here, still didn't see it ...?

[@WaltANelsonPHD]

BReakheart Pass.