Westerns featuring Singers in starring roles
by classicsoncall | created - 28 Aug 2014 | updated - 4 days ago | PublicI thought this would be a fun category - Westerns I've watched and reviewed in which one of the stars is also a famous singer. I've listed these in IMDb ranking order.
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1. Rio Bravo (1959)
Passed | 141 min | Western
A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson
Votes: 68,101 | Gross: $12.54M
"If I'm going to get shot at, I might as well get paid for it. How do I get a badge?"
2. Old Henry (2021)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Drama, Western
A farmer takes in an injured man with a satchel of cash. When a posse comes for the money, he must decide who to trust. Defending a siege, he reveals a gunslinging talent calling his true identity into question.
Director: Potsy Ponciroli | Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis, Trace Adkins
Votes: 36,678
"You have no idea the hell storm you're fixin' to let loose."
3. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Western
Pat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid.
Director: Sam Peckinpah | Stars: James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado
Votes: 21,097 | Gross: $0.95M
"I believe they elected you and paid you good wages for killin' the kid, huh?"
4. The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
Passed | 122 min | Drama, Western
Ranch owner Katie Elder's four sons determine to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother.
Director: Henry Hathaway | Stars: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer, Michael Anderson Jr.
Votes: 19,204 | Gross: $13.33M
"Now who do you think was the stinkin', dirty low down rat that killed our Pa?"
5. Heaven's Gate (1980)
R | 219 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
During the Johnson County War in 1890 Wyoming, a sheriff born into wealth does his best to protect immigrant farmers from rich cattle interests.
Director: Michael Cimino | Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, John Hurt, Sam Waterston
Votes: 17,159 | Gross: $3.48M
"You can't force salvation on people, Jim. It doesn't work."
6. Bandolero! (1968)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Western
Mace Bishop (James Stewart) masquerades as a hangman in order to save his outlaw brother, Dee (Dean Martin), from the gallows, runs to Mexico chased by Sheriff July Johnson's (George Kennedy's) posse and fights against Mexican bandits.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen | Stars: James Stewart, Dean Martin, Raquel Welch, George Kennedy
Votes: 5,731
"I'm broke without a woman and you're rich without a man."
7. Flaming Star (1960)
Passed | 101 min | Drama, Western
When fighting breaks out between two cultures in West Texas, the mixed-blood Pacer tries to act as a peacemaker, but the "flaming star of death" pulls him irrevocably into the deadly violence.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden, Steve Forrest, Dolores Del Río
Votes: 4,075 | Gross: $1.96M
"They take a man for what they think he ought to be, not for what he is."
8. Red Headed Stranger (1986)
R | 105 min | Western
Revisionist western about fallen preacher Shay, who guns down his wife Raysha for running off with another man. Wandering, he meets single mom Laurie. However, helpless sheriff Scoby wants Shay to help him fight the villainous Clavers.
Director: William D. Wittliff | Stars: Willie Nelson, Morgan Fairchild, R.G. Armstrong, Royal Dano
Votes: 902
"You'll be fightin' the devil on his own ground here, Sir."
9. 5 Card Stud (1968)
Approved | 103 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
The players in an ongoing poker game are being mysteriously killed off, one by one.
Director: Henry Hathaway | Stars: Dean Martin, Robert Mitchum, Inger Stevens, Roddy McDowall
Votes: 4,410
"I guess a man's gotta be a damn fool once in a while."
10. Texas Across the River (1966)
Approved | 101 min | Comedy, Western
In 1845 Texas, a Louisiana belle is courted by a wanted Spanish nobleman and a Texas brawling gunrunner but her suitors' passionate duel is interrupted by the cavalry and a Comanche attack.
Director: Michael Gordon | Stars: Dean Martin, Alain Delon, Rosemary Forsyth, Joey Bishop
Votes: 1,878
"We've had civilized killing around here for years."
11. Barbarosa (1982)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An inexperienced farm boy hooks up with a legendary outlaw in Mexico and both are soon on the run from the law, Mexican bandits, and two families bent on revenge.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Willie Nelson, Gary Busey, Isela Vega, Gilbert Roland
Votes: 2,077 | Gross: $1.74M
"He is the devil on Earth."
12. Rough Night in Jericho (1967)
Approved | 104 min | Romance, Western
A former deputy and a strong-willed widow are determined to stop a ruthless town boss.
Director: Arnold Laven | Stars: Dean Martin, Jean Simmons, George Peppard, John McIntire
Votes: 1,499
"My only bad luck is you're not dead yet."
13. Blindman (1971)
R | 105 min | Western
After fifty mail-order brides are kidnapped by bandits, the blind gunfighter hired to escort them heads into Mexico in pursuit.
Director: Ferdinando Baldi | Stars: Tony Anthony, Ringo Starr, Lloyd Battista, Magda Konopka
Votes: 1,338
"I want my fifty women!"
14. Harry Tracy: The Last of the Wild Bunch (1982)
PG | 107 min | Drama, Western
A charming but unscrupulous train robber courts capture and hanging when he falls in love with the daughter of a judge.
Director: William A. Graham | Stars: Bruce Dern, Helen Shaver, Michael C. Gwynne, Gordon Lightfoot
Votes: 441
"I can't continue to tolerate this kind of rat hole incompetence!"
15. Two for Texas (1998 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Western
Two escapees from a brutal Louisiana penal colony join Sam Houston's forces in the effort to gain vengeance for the massacre at the Alamo.
Director: Rod Hardy | Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Scott Bairstow, Irene Bedard, Tom Skerritt
Votes: 321
"Regular rules have nothing' to do with this place."
16. Showdown (1973)
PG | 99 min | Drama, Western
Two men who have been friends since childhood find themselves on opposite ends of the law.
Director: George Seaton | Stars: Rock Hudson, Dean Martin, Susan Clark, Donald Moffat
Votes: 1,226
"I'm going' out and shoot the man down."
17. The Burning Hills (1956)
Approved | 94 min | Drama, Romance, Western
After Trace Jordan's brother is murdered by members of the land-grabbing Sutton family, he vows to report this injustice to the nearest Army fort.
Director: Stuart Heisler | Stars: Tab Hunter, Natalie Wood, Skip Homeier, Eduard Franz
Votes: 917
"A man must fight for what is right."
18. Stagecoach (1986 TV Movie)
Unrated | 100 min | Drama, Western
In 1880, a motley group of passengers takes the stagecoach from Tonto, Arizona to Lordsburg, New Mexico via dangerous Apache territory.
Director: Ted Post | Stars: Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings
Votes: 1,373
"Lot of good things are gonna happen here tonight."
19. Frank & Jesse (1994)
R | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Western
Western starring Rob Lowe and Bill Paxton, based on the lives of Frank and Jesse James. After the Civil War Frank and Jesse return to their family's farm. When their younger brother is murdered they embark on a mission for revenge.
Director: Robert Boris | Stars: Rob Lowe, Bill Paxton, Randy Travis, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Votes: 1,621
"Boy, we're in it now."
20. Once Upon a Texas Train (1988 TV Movie)
PG | 96 min | Action, Comedy, Romance
An outlaw and a Texas Ranger Captain have a life-long personal feud, but twenty years later, with old-age settling in, they must put their differences aside in order to face the latest Texas problem, the youngest generation of outlaws.
Director: Burt Kennedy | Stars: Willie Nelson, Richard Widmark, Shaun Cassidy, Chuck Connors
Votes: 759
"Guess it's time to put on my gunfightin' glasses."
21. Gunfight in Abilene (1967)
Approved | 86 min | Western
A sheriff, haunted by the accidental killing of his best friend, refuses to wear a gun. But when the brother of his best friend is murdered, the lawman must make a choice.
Director: William Hale | Stars: Bobby Darin, Emily Banks, Leslie Nielsen, Donnelly Rhodes
Votes: 485
"You stay real close to me and make sure nobody shoots me in the back."
22. Charro! (1969)
G | 98 min | Western
Vince Hackett's gang steals a prized victory cannon from Mexico and blames the deed on ex-gang member Jess Wade, who wants to go straight.
Director: Charles Marquis Warren | Stars: Elvis Presley, Ina Balin, Victor French, Barbara Werle
Votes: 2,377 | Gross: $3.27M
"My brother's the only man alive who can call me an idiot."
23. The Long Kill (1999 TV Movie)
R | 96 min | Western
Two aging gunfighters (Nelson, Kristofferson) re-form their old gang to avenge the murder of one of the former members.
Director: Bill Corcoran | Stars: Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Chad Willett, Waylon Jennings
Votes: 788
"This town's on the wrong side of ugly."
24. Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind (1991 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 93 min | Crime, Drama
A gambler, a Texas ranger and an FBI agent are investigating a series of vigilante murders.
Director: Bill Bixby | Stars: Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Severance, Danny Kamin
Votes: 277
"Well I ain't had so much fun since the hogs ate my little brother."
25. 4 for Texas (1963)
Approved | 124 min | Comedy, Western
Zack Thomas is a tough guy who hooks up with Joe Jarrett to open a casino.
Director: Robert Aldrich | Stars: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Anita Ekberg, Ursula Andress
Votes: 3,658
"You must have the fastest horse in Texas!"
26. Rio Diablo (1993 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 92 min | Drama, Western
A groom and a bounty hunter go after his kidnapped bride.
Director: Rod Hardy | Stars: Kenny Rogers, Travis Tritt, Naomi Judd, Brion James
Votes: 380
"...there ain't no such thing as an innocent man, just some less guilty."
27. Texas Rangers (2001)
PG-13 | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A ragtag group of youngsters band together after the American Civil War to form the Texas Rangers, a group charged with the dangerous, ruthless duty of cleaning up the West.
Director: Steve Miner | Stars: James Van Der Beek, Rachael Leigh Cook, Ashton Kutcher, Dylan McDermott
Votes: 6,320 | Gross: $0.62M
"Ain't no outlaw stands a fightin' chance!"
28. Among Wolves (2023)
80 min | Western
Two missionaries witness a murder by hired guns and go on the run. They stumble onto the cabin of two retired contract killers who agree to help the women find safety, but only their guns can secure that promise.
Director: Justin Lee | Stars: Tom Berenger, Jeff Fahey, James Russo, Forrie J. Smith
Votes: 145
"Well ma'am, we're a lot of things, but good we ain't."
29. The Shooter (I) (1997)
R | 91 min | Drama, Western
Cowboy Michael Atherton intervenes on behalf of a prostitute, Wendy, who is being terrorized by a gang of thugs. He guns down the attackers and shepherds her to safety.
Director: Fred Olen Ray | Stars: Michael Dudikoff, Randy Travis, Valerie Wildman, Andrew Stevens
Votes: 737
"Dead men don't need a gun."
30. Ned Kelly (1970)
GP | 100 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The impoverished son of Irish immigrants is pushed by wrongful police persecution into becoming Australia's most notorious bushranger.
Director: Tony Richardson | Stars: Mick Jagger, Clarissa Kaye-Mason, Mark McManus, Ken Goodlet
Votes: 1,414 | Gross: $0.25M
"They say Ned Kelly ain't never done wrong."
31. Traded (2016)
Not Rated | 98 min | Action, Western
In the 1880s western "Traded", a father must leave his ranch for Dodge City to save his daughter from an old enemy, putting his reputation as the fastest draw in the west to the test.
Director: Timothy Woodward Jr. | Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Trace Adkins, Michael Paré, Tom Sizemore
Votes: 2,836
"I guess we know which wolf won."
32. Hickok (2017)
Not Rated | 88 min | Drama, Western
Legendary lawman and gunslinger, Wild Bill Hickok, is tasked with taming the wildest cow-town in the west. While delivering his own brand of frontier justice, the infamous gunfighter's reputation as the fastest draw in the west is put to the test.
Director: Timothy Woodward Jr. | Stars: Luke Hemsworth, Kris Kristofferson, Trace Adkins, Bruce Dern
Votes: 3,190
"Cause sometimes it takes a good man to stop bad people."
33. Guns of a Stranger (1973)
G | 91 min | Action, Music, Western
Forced in the line of duty to kill a young Abilene gunman, Sheriff Matthew Roberts (Marty Robbins)is torn by inner anguish and takes off his badge and leaves Kansas. Time passes and Roberts... See full summary »
Director: Robert Hinkle | Stars: Marty Robbins, Chill Wills, Dovie Beams, Steven Tackett
Votes: 104
"Well I was kinda wonderin' if..., do you care if I call you the drifter?"
34. Il mio West (1998)
PG-13 | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Western
A cold-blooded killer provokes a legendary gunslinger into coming out of retirement to see who's really the fastest gun in the West.
Director: Giovanni Veronesi | Stars: Leonardo Pieraccioni, Harvey Keitel, David Bowie, Alessia Marcuzzi
Votes: 960
"If a man's got a good sense of balance, he'll never die."
35. Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story (2016)
Not Rated | 90 min | Western
A former stagecoach robber is hunted by a vengeful US Marshal.
Director: Terry Miles | Stars: Trace Adkins, Kim Coates, Judd Nelson, Michelle Harrison
Votes: 913
"Oh my, that is apple pie."
36. The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
R | 83 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A western centered on a woman trying to bring her outlaw lover home for his burial.
Director: Tiller Russell | Stars: Dwight Yoakam, Lizzy Caplan, Jon Foster, Cote de Pablo
Votes: 1,120
"All those that go to the grave unsaved, shall know the torment of hell."
37. The Desperate Riders (2022)
PG-13 | 90 min | Western
A loner and a female sharpshooter must save a boy's mother from a ruthless outlaw.
Director: Michael Feifer | Stars: Drew Waters, Vanessa Evigan, Sam Ashby, Victoria Pratt
Votes: 439
"Well kid, there's more than one way of bein' dead."
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