Top 10 Comedy Westerns of All Time! A WORD ON WESTERNS

The Top 10 Comedy Western Movie votes were compiled from filmmakers, historians, actors, actresses, film buffs and western movie fans. Over 50 comedy westerns received votes, so there are certainly many more titles than most fans realize. This unofficial list of the Top 10 comedy westerns may have some surprises for you. During this time of Lockdown and Social Distancing, we thought it would be fun to do a countdown to the #1 comedy western for this special episode of A WORD ON WESTERNS.

Comedy in western movies goes back to almost the beginnings of film. Since the first movie with a dramatic narrative in 1903, “The Great Train Robbery,” was a western, it seems logical that parodies and satires of the nascent genre would be acceptable, and understood, by the growing number of patrons at Nickelodeons and screening venues. “The Great Train Robbery” was a huge success, so naturally, it spawned a sequel. Sort of…. from the same producer came “The Little Train Robbery,” a precursor to Our Gang comedies, with kids recreating on toy trains a holdup with candy and toys as treasured booty.

The huge popularity of G.M. Anderson in dozens of Bronco Billy one and two reelers and stern cowboy icon William S. Hart in a series of serious western sagas led to more westerns being spoofed. None were more popular than Douglas Fairbanks satirizing cowboy heroes as an effete Easterner out West, outsmarting the evil villains through clever, if sometimes foolish, bravery. Doug’s comic, energetic optimism in the face of overwhelming odds in films like “Wild and Woolly” (1917) and “The Knickerbocker Buckaroo” (1919) helped make him one of the biggest stars of the silent era.

Pure western comedy was also available from Buster Keaton in “Go West” and Charlie Chaplin in “The Gold Rush,” both features from 1925. One could argue that many of cowboy superstar Tom Mix’s films were comedies. Instead of the dour seriousness of Hart’s hero, Tom’s cowboy was breezy, self-assured and his films filled with inventive, daredevil stunts.

But, for our list of the Top 10 Comedy Westerns, we will limit the titles to the talkie era.

We hope you enjoy our video presentation. Below is a list of the Top 10.

1. BLAZING SADDLES
2. McLINTOCK!
3. CAT BALLOU
4. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF
5. PALEFACE
6. RUSTLERS' RHAPSODY
7. THREE AMIGOS
8. WAY OUT WEST
9. DESTRY RIDES AGAIN
10. TEXAS ACROSS THE RIVER

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Over 50 western comedies received votes. Including some that surprised me, like “The Hallelujah Trail” (1965), for me just an overblown misfire, 3 hours of boredom, from a favorite director, John Sturges, never know for comedy. Based on the number of votes, it gets an Honorable Mention, as do the Martin & Lewis comedy, “Pardners” (1956) and “City Slickers” (1991), a modern western comedy starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance in his Oscar winning role as trail boss Curly. Keep those votes of your favorites coming in and maybe we’ll do the Top 20 Western Comedies. Thanks for joining us.

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