Destry Rides Again (George Marshall, 1939)
A greedy cheat takes control over all the local cattle ranches. When the sheriff suspects rigging, Kent has him killed. Enter legendary lawman Tom Destry, who restores town order. It’s every western cliche thrown in one.
From crooked gamblers, drunks, and beautiful girls, you sure can’t deny that it’s a good old time.
Westward the Women (William A. Wellman, 1951)
Originally written by Frank Capra, "Westward the Women" sounds rather absurd on paper: A sizeable California farm is suffering from a shortage of women, so naturally, to balance things out, a train is sent out to haul back 150 brides to the farm.
Throw in some treacherous landscapes and tragic death in the mix; the film becomes a telling tale of hardship and gender politics. Not exactly your run-of-the-mill western.
The Gold Rush (Charles Chaplin, 1925)
A western with a comic core, even if it can get pretty dark at times. The Charlie Chaplin silent classic depicts the hardships of prospectors in the Klondike Goldrush. Chaplin's pursuit of a woman initially offers hope, but things take a turn.
The events follow result in a great film filled with some absurdly romantic gestures and a lot of heart.
The Wind (Victor Sjöström, 1928)
This Swedish western follows the captivating tale of an East Coast woman forced into an unwanted marriage. Left to suffer in a windy cottage, our protagonist ( played by Lillian Gish) gets swept up by the literal wind (hence the importance of the name.)
The hallucinatory film remains grounded in Gish's performance as she offers raw emotion that depicts her inner conflict as she sits alone in the vast wilderness,
Run of the Arrow (Samuel Fuller, 1957)
Run of the Arrow follows Private O’Meara, a Confederate soldier who ends up living with a Native American tribe. One could even credit this film for inspiring Kevin Costner's "Dances with Wolves." Unfortunately, in true 1950's fashion, the Native American characters are all played by clearly Caucasian actors.
Not entirely helpful in the authenticity department. Still, the film manages to depict the deductive nature of bigotry in its own Hollywood way.