It is sad but true-westerns seem to have gone out of style. There are of course the old classics, but nothing new and significant in this genre has been released in some time. I am a huge fan of westerns in general and especially those with my favorites like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall.

Now I know, the Duke is gone, so alas there can be no more John Wayne Westerns, and both Eastwood and Duvall are aging, so who is the next great american cowboy?

In the past few years, there have been some honorable mentions that even made it on my top ten list below, so perhaps this genre is making a come back. I certainly hope so. The conflict between cowboy and indian, or that of the sheriff and the outlaw is a classic contrast that is as attractive today as it was perhaps fifty years ago.

10. High Noon (1952) with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, need I say more?

9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) starring Brad Pitt.

8. Gone with the Wind (1939) starring Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh, a triumphant saga of life during the Civil War era.

7. Cold Mountain (2007) with Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger, a tragic tale of lost love.

6. The Unforgiven (1992) starring Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman was a refreshing return to the old style genre of the classic western.

5. Rio Bravo (1959) a classic with legends John Wayne, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson.

4. Dances with Wolves ( 1990) winner of 7 Academy Awards, starring Kevin Costner and Mary McDonnell.

3. Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee (2008) a made for TV movie that details the tragic tale of the Native Land Acquisition.

2.Open Range (2003) starring Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner with Annette Benning. One of the best gun fight battles I have ever seen in the climax of this film!

1. Lonesome Dove (1989) with Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall, this movie is a classic, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

I know I probably left out quite a few that should be recognized. Please know that I meant no offense. I could have easily made this my top 50 list, it just would have made this thing entirely to long. I'm not claiming that these are THE best 10 western movies ever-just MY best 10. Keep in mind that their all relatively recent except for a few classics, because I can only choose what I know. I am sure there are a lot of classic westerns that I just have not seen yet.

I mentioned my favorites were John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall. My all time favorite is of course, the Duke. 'They broke the mold when they made him' is actually a quote from a line said by Kevin Costner speaking about Robert Duvall's character in 'Open Range' and I think as cowboys go, Duvall and Wayne are the epitome of the American Cowboy. Eastwood is and will always be considered among the best in the field, but his character spectrum is much more versatile than either Wayne or Duvall. He is Dirty Harry, after all. And even though Duvall played Sonny in The Godfather, he will always be associated with 'Gus' or 'Boss' from his western accomplishments.

I only included one John Wayne movie in my top ten because I felt it wouldn't have been fair for the other movies to pit the Duke against them in the best of the best battle. Rio Bravo is my number one John Wayne movie, but I absolutely loved, McClintock, The Cowboys, Sons of Katie Elder, Rooster Cogburn, The Shootist, Angel and the Bad Man, and so many others. The mold truly was broken with John Wayne.

With Clint Eastwood, I will say that The Unforgiven is my current favorite western with Clint in it, but I also loved, Hang Em' High and Fistful of Dollars as well as others.

I love the idea of the cowboy- an honest, hard working man with high morals. A man who is unafraid and willing to fight for what is his. A man that will stand up to injustice and do everything in his power to right a wrong. A man that can be hard as nails and tenderhearted at the same time.

 If you have some suggestions for westerns that you think I would like or that you think should have made my list, let me know in the comment section below.