Western RoundUp: Westerns for Young Viewers

Westerns for Young Viewers

Recently a longtime Twitter pal sought recommendations for traditional Westerns for her 11-year-old daughter to try.

An enjoyable discussion with several people ensued, and I got to thinking that if I fleshed out my thoughts it would make a nice Western RoundUp topic.

I’m thus expanding the short list I gave her with additional thoughts, and I’ve also tweaked my list slightly to include only films which have been released on DVD or Blu-ray. I wanted the films on this list to be as accessible to families as possible, and I thus swapped out my initial recommendation of Joel McCrea’s hard-to-find Saddle Tramp (1950) for Cattle Drive (1951).

It was only after I compiled a short list that I realized over half of the titles are John Wayne films, but what can I say?! Wayne was our greatest Western star, who made many crowd-pleasing films appropriate for all ages.

I’ve written about all of these favorite films here in various contexts over the last half-dozen years, but it’s been quite a while since I discussed some of them, and this is the first time I’ve compiled the titles into a list specifically with appeal for young viewers in mind.

Along with providing a thumbnail description, my comments here are focused on why the films might be especially likely to be enjoyed by children.

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Tall in the Saddle (Edwin L. Marin, 1944)

This lesser-known John Wayne film is included simply because it’s fun. The land dispute plotline isn’t particularly notable, but the movie features fiery Ella Raines as a woman who can’t decide whether to shoot or kiss Wayne — or maybe both! They have great chemistry. The script, cowritten by Wayne’s friend and costar Paul Fix, has some excellent dialogue which is occasionally “laugh out loud” funny. Our kids loved this one, which at times seems to presage Burt Kennedy’s comedic James Garner Western Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969). The latter film, incidentally, is also a good option for children.

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Angel and the Badman (James Edward Grant, 1947)

I include this title as it was one of my own childhood favorites. It’s a much quieter film than Tall in the Saddle, but I’ve always found this story about a gunslinger taken in by a Quaker family to be extremely compelling; in fact, it’s one of my all-time favorite films. John Wayne’s lovely romance with Gail Russell takes place against the background of her entire family warmly caring for him despite his being a stranger; we see their kindness work wonders not only on Wayne but on an ornery neighbor (Tom Powers). The film provides a good lesson in that regard, yet it never comes off as preachy. There are occasional outbursts of action punctuating the peaceful story which may help maintain younger viewers’ attention.

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Rio Grande (John Ford, 1950)

This classic “Cavalry Trilogy” film features John Wayne as a Civil War veteran heading a remote Rio Grande outpost. His life is turned upside-down with the arrival of his young son Jeff (Claude Jarman Jr.), a new recruit, and his long-estranged wife (Maureen O’Hara). Jeff makes friends with fellow troopers Travis (Ben Johnson) and Sandy (Harry Carey Jr.); it’s great to point out to kids that all three young men are doing all of their own “Roman riding” stuntwork! The thrilling climax, the successful rescue of a large group of children captured by Indians, is sure to be enjoyed by kids, especially as a child, Margaret Mary (Karolyn Grimes), plays a pivotal role.

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Cattle Drive (Kurt Neumann, 1951)

A couple years ago I devoted an entire column review to this film, another of my childhood favorites which helped make me the Western fan I am today. It was also one of the first films in which I saw lifelong favorite Joel McCrea. McCrea plays a cowpoke on a cattle drive who rescues wealthy and rude young Chester (Dean Stockwell) when he’s inadvertently left behind in the desert after his train makes a water stop. Chester gains a nickname, Chet, as he also learns good manners and acquires a work ethic as he matures while serving as a cowhand until he can be reunited with his widowed father (Leon Ames).

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Bend of the River (Anthony Mann, 1952)

I initially considered recommending Anthony Mann’s excellent Winchester ’73 (1950), which like Bend of the River stars James Stewart, but I ultimately chose my first and favorite Mann-Stewart film, which I’ve always considered “movie comfort food.” Although Bend of the River has moments as dark and bitter as its predecessor, I think Bend of the River is more accessible to younger viewers; the overall tone is more that of a family film, telling the story of pioneers traveling to settle in Oregon. Scenes with young Rock Hudson kindly carrying a young calf across his saddle seem straight out of a Disney film! There’s lots of excitement including a great escape out of a frontier town, with horses jumping onto a paddlewheeler as they flee.

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Hondo (John Farrow, 1953)

Hondo is based on a Louis L’Amour story and was written for the screen by James Edward Grant, who also wrote and directed Angel and the Badman. John Wayne plays the title role, an army dispatch rider who’s lost his horse and stumbles across an isolated ranch which is the home of Angie Lowe (Geraldine Page) and her young son Johnny (Lee Aaker). Hondo tries to get Angie and Johnny to leave the ranch with him for an army outpost, as there’s unrest among local Indians, but Angie insists her husband (Leo Gordon) will return soon… I’ll leave off with the plot description there and let unfamiliar viewers discover this wonderful film for themselves. Hondo develops a marvelous relationship with six-year-old Johnny — which includes an unusual method of teaching Johnny to swim!

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Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks, 1959)

I commented in the Twitter chat with my friend that while Rio Bravo is very long, at two hours and 21 minutes, “the best recommendation I can give it…is it was my most impatient child’s favorite movie when he was young.” (And probably still is!) This movie was so beloved by my children that they all agreed to name our dog Chance, after John Wayne’s Sheriff John T. Chance. Wayne’s sheriff, aided by a small number of friends (Dean Martin, Walter Brennan, Ricky Nelson, and Angie Dickinson), must fend off a murderous gang who want to break Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) out of jail. The camaraderie among Wayne and his pals is simply wonderful, and Nelson’s young gunslinger may add to appeal for teen viewers. Indeed, he plays a key role in the most exciting shootout in the movie!

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Ride Lonesome (Budd Boetticher, 1959)

I chose Ride Lonesome as the final title on this list as I think it’s simply a perfect Western, and at just 73 minutes it’s unlikely to lose young viewers’ attention. As the movie introduces young viewers to the classic Western trope of a group of disparate travelers who must unite to battle a dangerous outside force, wonderful humor is balanced with poignance and plenty of action. The great script was written by Burt Kennedy, director of the previously mentioned Support Your Local Sheriff! Costar James Coburn is so good that star Randolph Scott suggested that Kennedy write some additional dialogue to give Coburn more screen time. The moment where his pal, also wonderfully played by Pernell Roberts, tells Coburn he’s going to be his partner on a future ranch “’cause I like you” is both funny and touching. This one is a must-see.

Please feel free to add recommendations in the comments!

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– Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub

Laura can be found at her blog, Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, where she’s been writing about movies since 2005, and on Twitter at @LaurasMiscMovie. A lifelong film fan, Laura loves the classics including Disney, Film Noir, Musicals, and Westerns.  She regularly covers Southern California classic film festivals.  Laura will scribe on all things western at the ‘Western RoundUp’ for CMH.