There is no denying the impact that old American westerns had on movie history. The classic cowboy adventures started a pattern for romance, action, and dialogue that many western films still use. James (Jimmy) Stewart changed the genre almost as much as the genre changed the industry; the traditional ’nice guy’ image he had cultivated in other movies often vanished when he took up a western, playing against type as a very different person.
Updated January 16th, 2023: If you’re a fan of Jimmy Stewart westerns, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article with new entries.
His tough but lovable characters created some of the best western films ever made, and set the standard for all cowboy films thereafter. No list about the wild west is complete without Jimmy Stewart, so we made a list dedicated to him. Here are the best Jimmy Stewart westerns, ranked.
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10 Shenandoah (1965)
Universal Studios
Even though this film doesn’t take place on the western frontier, Shenandoah still feels like a western with its suspenseful shootouts, political tensions, and war-ridden characters. Jimmy Stewart stars as Charlie Anderson, a wealthy man living in the South during the Civil War.
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Charlie refuses to let his boys fight in the war on principle, but his family still cannot escape the effects of rising violence. Charlie sets out on a western-style adventure to save his family from captivity. This film’s different setting and premise allows for a unique spin-off on the classic western genre as well as an emotional performance from Jimmy Stewart.
9 The Far Country (1954)
Universal Pictures
The Far Country is one of five legendary psychological westerns made by Jimmy Stewart and director Anthony Mann. The film stars Jimmy Stewart and Walter Brennan as a self-minded adventurer, Jeff Webster, and his partner Ben Tatem, driving cattle through the far reaches of Alaska to Canada during the 1896 Klondike Gold Rush.
On the way, they run into trouble, coming across a corrupt sheriff (John McIntire). Instead of playing another good guy in The Far Country, Stewart steps into the role of a cynical anti-hero who vows revenge and proceeds down a bloody path.
8 The Man from Laramie (1955)
Columbia Pictures
With Stewart in the lead role, Anthony Mann’s 1955 top-notch revenge western The Man from Laramie follows Will Lockhart, a mysterious loner who will stop at nothing to find out who killed his younger brother. In the film, Lockhart rides the vengeance trail as he comes to an isolated town in Apache country. There, Stewart’s character becomes embroiled in a local feud. If you are looking for a great classic western, The Man from Laramie is for you.
7 The Naked Spur (1953)
Loew's, Inc
The Naked Spur is yet another wonderful western made by both Stewart and director Anthony Mann. Jimmy Stewart takes a detour from his usual strait-laced character to play a rough and hardened bounty hunter in this role. As the bounty hunter chases after an outlaw, he grapples with betrayals from his team members and feelings for the outlaw’s girl.
Stewart proves his emotional range in this role as he plays the desperate and dirty bounty hunter just as naturally as any other role. Stewart’s performance strikes the perfect balance between having a hard and discerning mind, but also a soft heart.
6 Destry Rides Again (1939)
While a distaste for violence and weaponry can be a noble trait, it may have been a hard ideology to maintain in the wild west. Jimmy Stewart plays a humble deputy with a dislike for guns who moves to a crime-infested town. The green law enforcer finds himself with a target on his back and few ways to defend himself (or his new love interest).
The ironic premise creates a host of comedic situations. Fans love Destry Rides Againfor the witty banter overlaying the movie’s serious themes. One of the earliest Stewart westerns, the 1939 George Marshall film has an incredible performance by Marlene Dietrich as well.
5 Bend of the River (1952)
In Bend of the River, from Anthony Mann again, a small band of settlers become desperate for supplies after a gold rush inflates prices. As greed and deception run rampant, Jimmy Stewart plays a man who risks his life to secure food for him and his people. This film focuses more on interpersonal relationships, romance, and drama than many of the other films on this list.
Stewart preforms a difficult balance between a hardened frontier man and a soft-hearted gentleman. While the story may not be as thought-provoking as some other westerns, Bend of the River remains an entertaining classic. It is an excellent example both of Stewart’s acting credentials and what a western should be.
4 The Broken Arrow (1950)
20th Century Fox
Not to be confused with the John Travolta film with the same name, Delmer Daves’ The Broken Arrow (released in 1950) follows the efforts of Tom Jeffords (Jimmy Stewart) to broker peace between his town and the neighboring Apache tribe. However, the growing violence and hatred between the two peoples makes Tom’s mission seem impossible. Broken Arrow shows a side of the Apache tribe that is not prevalent in most other films. Tom’s journey from hatred to peace is inspirational and applicable in any decade. Jimmy Stewart excellently portrays the serious soul-searching and desperate negotiating of the middle man as he navigates the impossible situation.
3 Winchester 73 (1950)
One of Stewart’s first times inhabiting a darker character remains one of his best, and his first time working with the great Anthony Mann. Winchester 73 not only makes our list of Stewart’s best films, but also remains near the top of any list about the western genre. In this film Stewart plays a man trying to steal back his Winchester 73 gun after his competition takes it. Winchester 73 remains a classic for its large scale action sequences and suspenseful shootouts. As the title suggests, the movie highlights the significance of guns in the west, and particularly the significance of the Winchester 73.
2 How the West Was Won (1962)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
As one of the most ambitious film projects at its time, How the West Was Won even startles modern audiences with its ingenuity. The sheer number of practical effects, historical details, and complex shots gives this film a place in the history books, with the movie being filmed in the difficult three-lens Cinerama and originally needing to be projected on a tripartite, curved screen to achieve its massive, epic visual effect. Not to mention the all star cast with over 13 recognizable names like James Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck, and John Wayne.
How the West Was Won contains every trope of the genre imaginable, packed into one 164 minute experience. The epic adventure follows western settlers of every station, including actors, government leaders, renegades and migrating families. With so much historical detail, the film stands not only as an enjoyable and visually sumptuous movie, but also as a history lesson.
1 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962)
Paramount Pictures
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence remains a cinematic masterpiece for its pointed themes and surprising screenplay. While an unchecked outlaw, Liberty Valence, causes chaos and terror around town, Ransom (a meek newcomer to town played by Jimmy Stewart) dedicates himself to proving that diplomacy and democracy can win the day. While Ransom helps to create schools and files paperwork, the town’s cowboy hero, Tom Donavan (played by John Wayne), seeks to take matters into his own hands.
Viewers will ponder about leadership, power, and love while watching Ransom and Tom butt heads thought this film. The high stakes and higher emotions make for some of the most suspenseful confrontations in any western to date, and results in one of the best, saddest, most stimulating western movies of all time.
