Readers of the Purple Sage Bookstore
Oscar-Winning
Western Movies
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Only three Western feature films have won Best Picture Oscars in the 80+ years of the Academy Awards. So Westerns that were nominated for Best Picture & other major categories are included here. The list is still too short. See also the Western Film Festival Pages. |
"In Old Arizona" [Fox Jan 1929]
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The first all-talking sound-on-film feature. An Army sergeant conspires with Cisco Kid's faithless girlfriend for the reward for Cisco's capture - dead or alive!
Co-directed by Irving Cummings & Raoul Walsh; based on O. Henry's story "The Caballero's Way"; starring Warner Baxter, Edmund Lowe & Dorothy Burgess; won Oscar for Best Actor (Baxter), nominated for Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Script & Best Cinematography
Fox DVD [5/2005] for $13.48 full credits from IMDb 11"x17" poster from Amazon for $9.99 |
"Cimarron" [RKO Pictures Feb 1931]
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Directed by Wesley Ruggles; based on the Edna Ferber novel; won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Script, Best Art Direction, nominated for Best Director & Best Cinematography; starring Richard Dix & Irene Dunne (each nominated for Best Actor/Actress)
Warner Video b&w VHS [2/2002] for $13.74 full credits from IMDb |
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based on the 1930 novel by Edna Ferber
Fawcett pb [9/79] out of print/used G&D/Amereon hardcover [10/98] for $28.95 BooksOnTape audio [11/83] out of stock/used This author & this book should not be out of print! |
"Viva Villa!" [MGM April 1934]
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Directed by Jack Conway & Howard Hawks; starring Wallace Beery, Leo Carrillo & Fay Wray; Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Script, Best Sound, won for Best Asst Director
Warner Video b&w VHS [4/93] for $14.95 full credits from IMDb |
"San Francisco" [MGM June 1936]
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Directed by W.S. Van Dyke; starring Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy & Jack Holt; Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Script, Best Actor (Tracy), Best AD, won for Best Sound
Warner Video color VHS [11/90] for $14.95 Great Music Themes soundtrack CD [11/97] out of print/used full credits from IMDb |
"Stagecoach" [United Artists Feb 1939]
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Passengers on a stagecoach – the famous Ringo Kid, a drunken doctor, a pregnant woman, a crooked bank manager & others – learn that Geronimo is on the warpath.
Directed by John Ford [1894- 1973]; starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt & Tim Holt; Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, Best B&W Cinematography, Best Art Direction, won Best Music, Best Supporting Actor (Mitchell); listed at National Film Registry 1995 Warner Video b&w VHS [6/97] for $14.95 Warner Video b&w DVD [10/97] for $15.99 full credits from IMDb "Stagecoach" [1939] posters at AllPosters [dot] com |
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"John Ford's Stagecoach" [2002] Edited by Barry Keith Grant Cambridge Univ Press 9x6 pb [12/2002] for $22.99 "Stagecoach" [1992] critical text by Edward Buscombe British Film Institute 7½x5½ pb [9/92] for $10.17 |
"The Westerner" [Samuel Goldwyn Sept 1940]
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Directed by William Wyler; starring Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Doris Davenport, Fred Stone & Forrest Tucker; won Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Brennan), nominated for Best Script, Best Art Direction
MGM/UA b&w VHS [9/2001] for $9.94 HBO Video b&w DVD [9/98] out of stock/used full credits from IMDb |
"Billy The Kid" [M.G.M./Loew's May 1941]
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Embittered cowhand Billy fights back when his cattleman boss is murdered.
Directed by David Miller; loosely based on the novel "The Saga of Billy The Kid" [1926] by W.N. Burns; starring Robert Taylor {as Billy}, Gene Lockhart, Ian Hunter, Brian Donlevy & Mary Howard; Oscar nomination for Best Color Cinematography Warner/M.G.M. color VHS [4/94] out of print/used full credits from IMDb Billy the Kid Page at 'Readers of The Purple Sage' Bookstore |
"The Ox-Bow Incident" [Fox May 1943]
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Directed by William A. Wellman; based on the Walter Van Tilburg Clark novel; starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Mary Beth Hughes, Anthony Quinn & Harry Morgan; Oscar nomination for Best Picture; listed at National Film Registry 1999
Fox b&w DVD [11/2003] for $12.99 Fox b&w VHS [5/99] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
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Novel by Walter Van Tilburg Clark [1940] Modern Library pb [3/2001] for $9.95 |
"High Noon" [Stanley Kramer July 1952]
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26"x38" one-sheet poster available at AllPosters.com
Directed by Fred Zinnemann, from the book "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham; starring Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Grace Kelly, Ian MacDonald & Lee Van Cleef; Oscar nomination for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Script, won Best Actor (Cooper), Best Editing, Best Music (Dimitri Tiomkin), Best Song; listed at National Film Registry 1989 Republic Video b&w DVD [10/2001] for $16.99 Republic Video b&w VHS [10/97] for $13.99 full credits from IMDb |
"Viva Zapata!" [Fox 1952]
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Directed by Elia Kazan; starring Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn & Joseph Wiseman; won Best Supporting Actor Oscar (AQ), nominated for Best Script (John Steinbeck), Best Actor (Brando), Best Music, Best Art Direction
b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used Fox b&w VHS [6/2001] out of prodn/used Verese soundtrack CD [3/98] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
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"The Big Sky" [RKO Pictures Aug 1952]
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Directed by Howard Hawks, from the A.B. Guthrie Jr. novel; starring Kirk Douglas, Dewey Martin, Elizabeth Threatt, Arthur Hunnicutt & Buddy Baer; Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (AH), Best B&W Cinematography
Warner b&w VHS [5/93] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb Novel by A.B. Guthrie, Jr. [1947] Houghton Mifflin 8x5½ pb [1/2002] for $11.20 |
"Shane" [Paramount April 1953]
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Directed by George Stevens, screenplay by A.B. Guthrie Jr. from the Jack Schaefer story; starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon DeWilde, Jack Palance & Ben Johnson; Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Script, Best Supporting Actor (JP & BDW), won for Best Cinematography; listed at National Film Registry 1993
Paramount color DVD [8/2000] for $22.49 Hungry Minds color VHS [4/98] for $9.95 full credits from IMDb "Shane" posters at AllPosters [dot] com |
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Novel by Jack Schaefer [1954] Bantam Starfire pb [10/83] for $5.99 DH Audio UNABR [1/92] out of stock/used hardcover edition illustrated by J. McCormick
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"Hondo" [Warner Nov 1953]
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Directed by John Farrow; based on the 1952 Louis L'Amour novel; starring John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond & James Arness; Oscar nominations for Best Script & Best Supporting Actress (GP)
Paramount color DVD [10/2005] for $10.99 MPI Home Video color VHS [9/94] out of prodn/many used full credits from IMDb "Hondo" posters at AllPosters [dot] com |
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Novel by Louis L'Amour {aka 'The Gift of Cochise'} [1953] Bantam pb [6/91] for $4.50 |
"Broken Lance" [Fox Sept 1954]
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Directed by [blacklistee] Edward Dmytryk; starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark, Hugh O'Brian & Earl Holliman; won Oscar for Best Script, nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Katy Jurado)
Fox color VHS [2/93] for $14.98 full credits from IMDb |
"Bad Day At Black Rock" [MGM Jan 1955]
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After World War II, a one-armed man arrives at a whistle-stop town; he is shunned and his life is endangered as the townspeople protect their dark secrets.
Directed by John Sturges; starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine & Lee Marvin; Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Script, Best Actor (Tracy)
Warner widescreen color DVD [5/2005] for $14.99 Turner Home Video color VHS [8/96] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb "You can learn more from John Sturges' audio track on the 'Bad Day At Black Rock' laserdisk than you can in 20 years of film school." — Paul Thomas Anderson [LATimes Calendar Letters, 12 Dec 1999] |
"Giant" [Warner Oct 1956]
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Directed by George Stevens; based on the Edna Ferber novel; starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Carroll Baker, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCambridge & Dennis Hopper; won Best Director Oscar, nominated for Best Picture, Best Script, Best Actor (RH & JD), Best Music, Best Editing, Best Costumes, Best Art Direction, Best Supporting Actress (MM)
Warner widescreen color DVD [10/2003] 2 disks for $19.99 Warner widescreen color keepcase DVD [5/2005] for $23.99 Warner Video color VHS [1/2002] 2 tapes - out of prodn/used Warner VHS w/Spanish subtitles [1/2002] 2 tapes - out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
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Novel by Edna Ferber [1952] Harper 8x5.3 pb [9/2000] for $11.20 Buccaneer 9x5¾ hardcover [1/96] for $32.16 BooksOnTape UNABR audio [1/84] for $80.00 |
"The Big Country" [United Artists Oct 1958]
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Directed by William Wyler; based on the Donald Hamilton novel; starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives & Charles Bickford; won Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Ives), nominated for Best Music
MGM/UA color VHS [5/2000] for $14.95 MGM/UA widescreen VHS [9/97] out of stock/used MGM/UA widescreen DVD [5/2001] for $12.99 full credits from IMDb Novel by Donald Hamilton [Dell 1957] Dell pb [9/88] out of print/used |
"The Alamo" [Batjac/Alamo Oct 1960]
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Directed by & starring John Wayne; co-starring Richard Widmark, Richard Boone, Laurence Harvey, Frankie Avalon, Patrick Wayne, Linda Cristal, Chill Wills & Denver Pyle; Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Wills), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music (Dimitri Tiomkin), won for Best Sound
MGM/UA UNCUT {202 min.} color VHS [12/2001] for $9.94 MGM/UA widescreen [162 min.} DVD [12/2000] for $17.98 Sony soundtrack CD [3/95] for $11.98 full credits from IMDb "The Alamo" [1960] posters at AllPosters [dot] com |
"How The West Was Won" [MGM/Cinerama Feb 1963]
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Co-directed by John Ford [1894- 1973], Henry Hathaway, George Marshall & Richard Thorpe; starring Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Harry Dean Stanton & Lee Van Cleef; Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Music, Best Costumes, won for Best Script, Best Editing, Best Sound; listed at National Film Registry 1997
Warner color VHS [5/2000] for $14.95 Warner widescreen VHS [5/2000] for $14.95 Warner letterbox color DVD [7/98] for $15.99 Rhino soundtrack double CD [1/97] for $30.38 full credits from IMDb 11"x17" poster available at AllPosters [dot] com |
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Novelization by Louis L'Amour [1963] Bantam pb [6/81] out of print/used 1977 MGM/ABC mini-series: credits from IMDb
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"Cat Ballou" [Columbia June 1965]
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Hilarious parody, an utter delight, with Marvin in a dual role; Cole & Kaye step out and sing parts of the story, accompanied by banjo music.
Directed by Elliot Silverstein, from the novel by Roy Chanslor; starring Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Nat 'King' Cole, Stubby Kaye, Tom Nardini, Arthur Hunnicutt & John Marley; won Best Actor Oscar (LM), nominated for Best Script, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Song
Columbia/TriStar widescreen DVD [8/2000] for $26.96 Columbia/TriStar color VHS [1/92] for $14.95 full credits from IMDb 11"x17" poster available at AllPosters [dot] com |
"The Professionals" [Columbia Nov 1966]
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Written & directed by Richard Brooks; based on the Frank O'Rourke novel; starring Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Jack Palance, Claudia Cardinale & Ralph Bellamy; Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Script, Best Cinematography
Columbia/TriStar widescreen DVD [7/99] for $25.16 Columbia/TriStar color VHS [6/93] for $14.95 full credits from IMDb 11"x17" poster available at AllPosters [dot] com Novel by Frank O'Rourke {original title "A Mule for the Marquesa"} Pocket pb [4/87] out of print/used |
"The Wild Bunch" [Warner/Seven Arts June 1969]
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A deep meditation on the ending of the Western frontier, controversial for the vividness of the on-screen violence, yet superbly romantic: All that a Western tale should be.
Directed by Sam Peckinpah; starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, and the scurrilous L.Q. Jones & Strother Martin; Oscar nominations for Best Script & Best Music; award for Best Cinematography from N.F.S.C.; listed at National Film Registry 1999 Warner Video widescreen Director's Cut 145-min. DVD [8/97] for $15.99 Warner Video Anniv. Edition 179-min. color VHS [11/2001] for $12.94 full credits from IMDb "The Wild Bunch" posters at AllPosters [dot] com Cambridge Film Handbook, edited by Stephen Prince
"The Wild Bunch: An Album In Montage" [documentary short 1996]
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"Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" [Fox Sept 1969]
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Directed by George Roy Hill; starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross & Strother Martin; won Oscars for Best Script (William Goldman), Best Cinematography, Best Music, Best Song, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound; also won WGA & several BAFTA awards
Fox Special Edition widescreen DVD [5/2000] for $25.49 CBS/Fox Special Edition color VHS [5/2000] for $13.99 A&M soundtrack CD [7/87] for $9.98 full credits from IMDb "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" posters at AllPosters [dot] com "Making of.." documentary: credits from IMDb Script by William Goldman (with photos)
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"Little Big Man" [Dec 1970]
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Directed by Arthur Penn; based on the Thomas Berger novel; starring Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, Richard Mulligan, Jeff Corey & Aimée Eccles; nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar (Chief Dan George) and for WGA Best Adaptation
Paramount color VHS [11/2000] for $9.95 full credits from IMDb |
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based on the novel by Thomas Berger [1964]
Delacorte 8x5¼ pb [10/89] for $11.96 Isis UNABR audio [1/2000] for $99.95 "Return of Little Big Man" by Thomas Berger [1999] Back Bay 8¼x5½ pb [2/2000] for $11.16 Isis UNABR audio [1/2001] for $104.95 |
"McCabe & Mrs. Miller" [Warner Bros. 1971]
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Co-written & directed by Robert Altman [1925-2006]; based on the Edmund Naughton novel; starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois, William Devane, John Schuck, Bert Remsen & Shelley Duvall; nominated for Best Actress Oscar (JC)
Warner widescreen color DVD [6/2002] for $17.99 Warner color VHS [5/99] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb 11"x17" poster available at AllPosters [dot] com based on the 1964 novel by Edmund Naughton Leisure Books pb [2/91] out of print/used |
"Blazing Saddles" [Warner Bros. Feb 1974]
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Co-written & directed by Mel Brooks; starring Cleavon Little & Gene Wilder; Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Madeline Kahn), Best Editing, Best Song; won WGA Award for Best Comedy
Warner widescreen DVD [8/97] for $15.99 Creative Design Ltd Edition Collectors Set DVD [6/2000] for $71.98 Warner Special Edition color VHS [4/2001] for $13.99 Warner widescreen VHS [4/2001] for $14.94 full credits from IMDb | theme music [1min:55sec] "Blazing Saddles" posters at AllPosters [dot] com |
"Days of Heaven" [Paramount Sept 1978]
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Written & directed by Terrence Malick; Néstor Almendros won an Oscar for his superb cinematography; starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz & Robert J. Wilke
Criterion widescreen color DVD [10/2007] for $34.99 Paramount widescreen DVD [3/99] for $9.98 Paramount color VHS [5/97] out of prodn/used Paramount widescreen VHS [5/98] out of prodn/used Intermezzo soundtrack CD [12/95] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
"Comes A Horseman" [Chartoff-Winkler 1978]
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Directed by Alan J. Pakula; starring James Caan, Jane Fonda & Jason Robards Jr.; nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar (Richard Farnsworth)
MGM/UA widescreen DVD [4/2001] for $13.46 MGM/UA color VHS [4/2001] out of stock/used MGM/UA widescreen VHS [4/2001] out of stock/used full credits from IMDb |
"City Slickers" [Columbia June 1991]
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Directed by Ron Underwood; starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Josh Mostel & David Paymer; won Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Jack Palance)
Columbia/TriStar color VHS [9/92] for $14.95 MGM/UA widescreen DVD [5/2001] for $17.98 full credits from IMDb sequel "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold" [Columbia June 1994] Directed by Paul Weiland Castle Rock color VHS [1/99] for $9.94 full credits from IMDb |
"Dances With Wolves" [Orion Nov 1990]
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Directed by & starring Kevin Costner; novel & screenplay by Michael Blake; co-starring Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene & Wes Studi; won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Script, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, nominated for 3 Best Acting (KC, GG, MM), Best Art Direction, Best Costumes; also won DGA, WGA & many other awards
Image Ent widescreen DVD [11/98] for $26.99 MGM/UA color VHS [12/2001] for $9.94 Sony soundtrack CD [11/90] for $14.99 full credits from IMDb | theme music [2min:03sec] "Dances With Wolves" posters at AllPosters [dot] com |
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based on the 1988 novel by Michael Blake Fawcett movie tie-in pb [11/90] for $6.99 Econo-Clad hardcover [10/99] for $13.35 Random House UNABR audio [10/96] out of print/used |
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"DWW: The Illustrated Story of the Epic Film"
Newmarket Press pb [9/2002] for $13.27 Newmarket 11x8½ hardcover [10/91] for $29.95 "DWW: The Illustrated Screenplay & Abridged Story"
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"Dakota Epic: Experiences of a Reenactor During the Filming of Dances With Wolves" [2001] by Bill Markley; drawings by Jim Hatzell iUniverse 9x6¼ pb [10/2001] for $13.95 author's website |
"Unforgiven" [Warner Bros Aug 1992]
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Directed by & starring Clint Eastwood; co-starring Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris & Frances Fisher; won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (GH), Best Editing, nominated for Best Script, Best Actor (CE), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound; also won DGA, nominated for Best Script by WGA; listed on Time Magazine's All-TIME 100 Movies (10/2005)
Warner widescreen DVD [8/97] for $15.99 Warner color VHS [8/2000] for $13.74 Warner widescreen color VHS [3/2001] for $14.94 color VHS w/Spanish subtitles [7/2000] for $14.94 Verese soundtrack CD [8/92] out of stock/used full credits from IMDb "Unforgiven" posters at AllPosters [dot] com |
And notice all the classic Westerns not on this page:
"Monte Walsh", "3:10 To Yuma", "The Searchers",
anything by Budd Boetticher...
Look for them on the Western Film Festival Pages.
Visit Our Other Online Film Festival Pages
Ayn Rand Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Existentialist Film Festival at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Films Noir Festival at BlackHat Mystery Bookstore
Human Rights Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Pirate Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Philosophy Film Festival at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Political Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Railroad Film Festival at Spirit of America
Samurai Films at Magic Lantern
Shakespeare On Film at Magic Lantern
War [& Anti-War] Film Festival Pages at Magic Lantern
Western Movies Film Festival at 'Readers of the Purple Sage'
... and others on the Online Film Festivals Index Page
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