what's the best western director?

I am not talking about only John Wayne westerns but all kind of westerns and their directors

please vote and add your reply

cya Jwfan

hi,
I voted on Sam Peckinaph, I know John Ford is also an great director, but different because I think that The Wild Bunch the greatest western is of all times.

Even It is not an John Wayne movie (sorry for that).

cya Jwfan

I have to go with John Ford on this one. He had such a love for the land, and you can see that in his films. The shots and locations are always perfect. He was such a great storyteller. The scenes in the Searchers almost play out like a silent film. You could watch it without the sound and still be able to follow the story.

Iv,e got to go with John Ford 100% ,id love to know who found monument valley ford said he found it

and the duke said he found it (i think the later what do you guys think?)

I think John Ford is the greatest ever director although Hawks comes a close second. The problem I have with Ford is his insistence in putting 1d characters into his movies for the sake of humour. But how can you criticise a man who made "Stagecoach", "The Searchers" and "The Quiet man" etc I must admit though that I prefer Hawk's humour in his movies to Fords although while Hawks was great, Ford was a genius.


B)

Oh yea, John Ford difently!
He was a very good director, and directed a lot of John Waynes best, in my opion.

I don't know that I would have liked him as a person, just because of everything I have read makes him sound like he was not the most agreeable person. In fact at times mean.

Stacy

To me this is a no brainer... :) John Ford.

Of course I'm bias I'm a huge Ford fan.


Kevin

John Ford had a way of getting his message out, and it showed, with Duke movies, and others. Have you ever seen How Green Was My Valley? It was great, and Ford did what many directors tried and failed, he told a story, and conveyed a message that had meaning. Not many have, but some come close. He was very demanding, but he got what he wanted in most cases.

Cheers,
Hondo B)

In my opinion, John Ford wins this poll hands down. Others have made great westerns movies, but Ford has done it over and over again without failure. He was an artist and could paint a scene on film. His use of natural lighting and texture of sky and land was a beauty to behold. He may have been a tyrant on the set, but he had the whole movie on film in his head befor the camaras starting rolling and it was gonna be his way in the end. You can't doubt the final product. He was the master. If you want to read a great book about him, look up Searching For John Ford. I can't remember the author of the book at this time, but the book gives you a look deep into the man who had these great visions and put them on film. dukefan1

It seems that I am the only one with Sam Peckinaph?

does nobody knows The Wild Bunch?

It is an great western, maybe for me the greatest in all times of course John Ford is great to maybe greatar but Peckinaph has a different directing style with close ups and the slowmotion at the shootout in The Wild Bunch

maybe you can tell me what you think about the wild bunch?

cya Jwfan

Peckinpah has at one time been called a "bastard of John Ford" because he kind of perverted the family theme, the dance scene of the repertoire Ford shots, etc. But that was meant as a compliment. I enjoyed Peckinpah's work, from Ride the High Country to The Getaway, but to compare it with the master John Ford, I have to quote from another film:
"You're good kid but as long as I'm around you're second best!"

hi jwfan,

i'm sorry but i have to go with ford firstly as i don't know any of the others and if i have seen any of their movies it didn't sink in and secondly as the others said the way the scenes came across they tended to stick in your mind.

cheers smokey

Hi Stacy

Your statement that John Ford seems to be an unpleasant man behind the camera is a pretty fair one and I for one would have little respect for his manners or lack of them for that matter but I would however like to defend some of his off screen antics.

1. Durring the filming of the Duke/Ford movie "The wings of eagles", Ford was told by the not too pay the actual Navy officers whom were extras in the movie but Ford made sure that they were all well paid for their role.

2. Ford fought for his country and freedom during the second world war risking his own life and limb while doing so which shows he was no coward and he obviously had some morals.

3. He dedicated a lot of his movies to unsung heroes of the second world war as well as the first.

Of course the man had so many negative aspects to his persona away from the camera but I just wanted to illustrate that he also had some positve aspects to his persona.

Thanks
cya

B)

Hi Robbie,
Thanks for the info on Ford! It is nice to know that he was a good man in other ways, I don't think John Wayne would have had anything to do with him if he hadn't of had some morals that were honorable.
Everything I have read always protrays him as not that nice, to bad they always have to focus on negatives!
Besides, he was part of John Wayne being who he is, how could anybody denie him that. And I did say part.
Thanks for the info!
Stacy :rolleyes:

By far hands down Ford was the director

Brian
Tulalip Wa :D

Lets see..Daa!has to be John Fordand only better when directing Ward Bond and John Wayne :P

Monique ;)

John Ford

John Ford was a real "Nut Case", but he was the best by far!!! Chilibill

:cowboy: Hands down, John Ford is the best Western director. T R K.

Hi there,

A small correction has to be made in your poll, Ennio Morricone is not a film director, he is a film composer. He did the music for the "Spaghetti" westerns in the 60's. I think you were refering to Sergio Leone, the director of those movies. (The Good,The Bad and The Ugly,Once Upon A Time In The West, and several others).

Oh and my vote is for John Ford

But Anthony Mann, director of several fine James Stewart western should be mentioned.

Hi


I find myself in a very small minority in voting for Howard Hawks.


Regards

Arthur

I seem to prefer Howard Hawks and John Wayne movies more than John Ford and John Wayne that's not to say that Ford did not direct some very good films with the duke.

so my vote would have to go to Howard Hawks by a small margin speaking as a movie watcher not a reviewer


Blacksnake

One director that hasn't been mentioned is Andrew McLaglen. He is a truely great western director that has directed at least a third of the Gunsmoke series which is impressive considering that the series lasted for over 20 years. And Duke and McLaglen have done 5 movies together. They were McLintock!, Hellfighters (not a western), The Undefeated, Chisum and Cahill: U.S. Marshal.

Cheers B)

P.S. I stand corrected. He is on the poll, but no one has talked about him. :huh:

Hi

And if you mention Andrew MacLaglen then you also have to mention Burt Kennedy as the two always seemed to go hand in hand among the modern directors.


Regards

Arthur

Arthur,

Just seen The War Wagon directed by Burt Kennedy. They do have similar styles in the movies they make. Have they done any projects together? Just interested in your comment.

Cheers B)

Originally posted by Hondo Duke Lane@Dec 16 2004, 09:45 PM
Arthur,

Just seen The War Wagon directed by Burt Kennedy.* They do have similar styles in the movies they make.* Have they done any projects together?* Just interested in your comment.

Cheers* B)
13125


Hdl
you seem to be a true fan--have to ask you have you ever been to old tucson before were he made a few moveies?I been there 2 time it is really cool :cowboy:

Hi Hondo

They came from the same stable working through television ad script writing.

I have Burt Kennedy thus:-

]KENNEDY – Burt 1923-2001
b. September 3 (Muskegon Michigan) d. February 15.

From the age of four this American director had appeared in vaudeville starring with his family in an act known as [/i]‘The Dancing Kennedy’s. After High School he served in the United States Army seeing service in the South Pacific during the Second World War, and winning in the process, Silver and Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. Returning to Hollywood after the war rather than pursue a career as a performer, he instead, opted to become a successful scriptwriter working on radio. His talent for taut scripts concentrating on action rather than dialogue brought him to the attention of John Wayne and he was hired to write scripts for Wayne’s production company Batjac. In 1956 he entered a very successful period writing westerns scripts, in collaboration with Andrew McLaglen and Bud Bottitcher, for Randolph Scott pictures. Four of his scripts Seven Men From Now and ‘The Tall T’ (both 1956), ‘Ride Lonesome’ (1959) and’ Comanche Station’ (1960), were considered to have been among Scott’s best westerns. During this period he also scripted ‘Six Black Horses’ (1962), an action western starring Audie Murphy and Dan Dureyea. In 1961 he switched from script writing to directing. His first effort ‘The Canadians’, a routine picture about the North West Mounted Police starring Robert Ryan, was a failure and he quickly retreated back to television to learn how to direct pictures. After writing and directing episodes of ‘Combat’, The Virginian’ and ‘Lawman’, in 1963 he returned to directing pictures, and his comeback films ‘Mail Order Bride’ (1964), and ‘The Rounder’s’ (1965), showed considerable improvement. With the western in the 1960s undergoing a substantial rethink, his work consisted in the main of treading an awkward line between comedy and heavy drama. His ‘Support Your Local Sheriff (1969) and the follow up ‘Support Your Local Gunfighter’ (1970) were both out and out comedies. His ‘Welcome to Hard Times’(1966), a curiously brutal picture. ‘The War Wagon' (1967), a picture pitting the different acting styles of John Wayne and Kirk Douglas against each other for a third time, a compromise between the two. In 1990 he worked as a co-writer on the Clint Eastwood project ‘White Hunter Black Heart’, and 1991, after again working in television, he briefly returned to direct his final picture, a comedy starring the American wrestling superstar Hunk Hogan in [/B]]‘Surburban Commando’[B]
The War Wagon (1967): The Train Robbers (1973)[I]



Hope this helps

Regards

Arthur

Hi - John Ford, with Howard Hawks a close second. - Jay ^_^

I know this poll is old, but I had to add my two cents. My choice without question it has to be "Pappy" Ford. And I'm not speaking of only his westerns, this is the genre he adored making most. But to me it's his running the viewer thru the gamut of emotions. Ford will make you humble, wonder, laugh and cry. And he does it so subtly.
Theres no doubt that he was the master, and in his prime untouchable!!
By the way for those interested in a wonderful book on John Ford, read Scott Eymans "PRINT THE LEGEND, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN FORD"..... I was entertained thorughly with his writing,and know that once you begin reading, you'll be hard pressed to put it down.....

Ethan

Why is Ennio Morricone listed as a director? He did the musical score for Sergio Leone's flms, but I don't think he was a director. I think that you meant Sergio Leone.

Originally posted by DukeToshiro@Apr 20 2005, 10:45 PM
Why is Ennio Morricone listed as a director?* He did the musical score for Sergio Leone's flms, but I don't think he was a director.* I think that you meant Sergio Leone.
16165

Welcome DukeToshiro to the John Wayne Message Board. Good eye. Don't know how that slipped by us. :headbonk: You'll find these members to be a friendly group that you'll find to be very knowledgeable about the Duke (in spite of some slips such as the one you spotted. Glad to have you with us - stick around and enjoy!
Cheers - Jay :D

John Ford, by far, his wonderful touch, style and feel for the western genre, was second to none. Not only the Duke films, but also, Cheyenne Autumn, Clementine, Two Rode Together,Drums, Wagonmaster, they were all made that special, by Fords direction.
I notice no one voted for Anthony Mann, he did the same for Jimmy Stewert, as did Sergio Leone, did with Clint.

While John Ford is clearly the greatest legend among directors of Westerns, you can't overlook the great work of Anthony Mann.

Mann's Westerns were groundbreaking in their own way, and he clearly was a master of the genre.

Hell, if I had been around back then and was producing a Western and already had a good script I would have considered myself extremely lucky to get either Ford or Mann! Or Howard Hawks for that matter!

But look at Anthony Mann's Westerns:

Winchester '73
Bend of the River
The Naked Spur
The Far Country
The Last Frontier
The Man from Laramie
The Tin Star
Man of the West
Cimarron

That's a pretty impressive track record.

It's a shame that Anthony Mann and John Wayne never did a film together - that could have been really interesting!

It can only be John Ford.

Emmanuel.

...............................

I'll try one of those black beers....THE QUIET MAN.

The Duke and Ford... A legendary combination that will never be seen again.

You have to give it to John Ford. He may not be the greatest western director of all time, but he definitely got the best out of John Wayne. Not to mention how prolific he was. He's made more well known westerns than anyone else.

Hey, who directed Wyatt Earp? 'Cause maybe we should vote for him! (just kidding! I liked the movie but he can't hold a candle to the Duke)

Out of those listed Ford made the most consistently enjoyable movies.

Does appear that John Ford is the leader of the pack.
For good reason too.

Whilst I like Hawks Mann's and Hathaway's work it has to be Pappy Ford with the magic ingredient Duke


Mike

I liked Hawks but undeniably Ford was best for Duke. There was a special on TV the other day that was great... John Ford Goes To War. A 2002 documentary about Ford's WWII movie company. It was really good.

Easy choice for me JOHN FORD I think he was the greatest. The Duke loved him and that's good enough for me. :shades_smile:

budd boecher[i dont know how to spell his name]should be on the list

budd boecher[i dont know how to spell his name]should be on the list

Check this out

Budd Boetticher (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0091430/)

As misplaced as my admiration is of him, I think that R.N. Bradbury is a darn good western director.

John Ford did make great westerns, but with the exception of The Searchers I don't think they all hold up today. Even that one has false notes though - a very callow Pat Wayne, Ken Curtis' hillbilly accent and clumsy battle scenes. Like Ben Johnson once said - there was a lot of shooting, but nobody getting shot. I forgot what film that was, but Ford barred using Ben for many long years for that remark.
My vote goes to Peckinpah was honorable mention to John Sturges - Magnificent Seven, Hour of the Gun, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Escape From Fort Bravo and others.




We deal in lead, friend

I voted for Hawks. I personally think Ford in some ways did more damage to John Wayne's career than help it. Ford was about Ford first and foremost. Duke helped others, a character trait that Ford lacked.
Duke would have won many more Oscars if he would have been directed by other directors and acted less often with the same actors(Ben Johnson excluded).

As misplaced as my admiration is of him, I think that R.N. Bradbury is a darn good western director.

I have to agree with Jim Bannigan.
Even though Ford made Duke the star,
and would get my vote for best western director.
From the very beginning I have always maintained,
RNB was were it all began.
Without his support, there would probably never have
been a career for Duke.

Duke would have won many more Oscars if he would have been directed by other directors and acted less often with the same actors(Ben Johnson excluded).
I think Duke's winning more Oscars has been discussed at length, and the consensus seems to be that his desire to take strong political stands not agreed with by the liberal Oscar crowd didn't help. Personally, I think he should have at least two other Oscars, for The Searchers and The Quiet Man, both John Ford-directed as well.

I think Duke's winning more Oscars has been discussed at length, and the consensus seems to be that his desire to take strong political stands not agreed with by the liberal Oscar crowd didn't help. Personally, I think he should have at least two other Oscars, for The Searchers and The Quiet Man, both John Ford-directed as well.

It was all due to politics, no doubt about that. And I also think that he deserved an Oscar for The Shootist.

ford barred ben johnson?more like be barred ford after a nasty remark at a dinner table johnson went to ford whispered someting to him and left i think i read this in harry carey jr -company of heroes-sounds like ben didnt need his garbage

The greatest director is john ford,a pure genuis and i put raoul walsh a close second.most of his fils are up there with john ford.i think john fords best years are between 1934 to 1956.the searchers was his last great film.

I voted for Hathaway ... I liked his 'relaxed' style