Everyone loves a cowboy - after all, who can resist the image of a hero on horseback riding into town, guns blazing, to sort out the bad guys? However, like builders, not all cowboys are cool. So to help y'all out, here's our all-time top 7 gunslingers…Yee ha!!
1 Clint Eastwood, A Fistful Of Dollars
The title of coolest of all cowboys goes to Clint Eastwood.
In 1964, Eastwood starred in this, his first Western – the opening film of a trilogy of ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ by Sergio Leone.
The part was perfect for Clint, with his smouldering good looks, he played an ultra-cool gunslinger, a man with no name and very few words.
With its amazing soundtrack, the film thrust Eastwood into premier league of cowboy actors.
2. John Wayne, too many films to mention..!
As a child, nothing made a rainy Sunday better than watching John Wayne shooting some baddies in his cowboy hat.
Staring in 83 westerns, John ‘The Duke’ Wayne was the rough, tough and no-nonsense Western idol. With his iconic walk and distinctive way of talking, he remains to many, the ultimate cowboy hero. Arguably his greatest films were Rio Bravo (1959), The Searchers (1956) and the Oscar-winning True Grit (1969)
3. Steve McQueen, The Magnificent Seven
In this classic, McQueen played Vin, one of (yes) seven gunslingers hired to help an oppressed Mexican peasant village defend their homes against bandits.
The on-screen rivalry between Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner as to who was the biggest star was legendary. McQueen would try to steal the show by constanly fiddling with his hat or shaking shotgun shells, while Brynner spoke his lines.
Brynner also refused to to quick draw his gun in the same scenes as Steve in case he was slower.
Our money would be on McQueen!
4 & 5. Paul Newman and Robert Redford,
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
Two cowboys for the price of one!
This early bromance film follows Newman and Redford as the ringleaders of the infamous Hole-In-The-Wall-Gang, who specialise in robbing trains.
After being chased by the authorities, they flee to Boliva hoping to find a better life in bank robbing! The film ends with the duo low on ammo and surrounded by Bolivian soldiers, and the final shot is a iconic freeze-frame of the two charging out of the building guns blazing under heavy fire to meet their fate…
6. Jon Voight, Midnight Cowboy
Slightly left-field, this one, as no guns or horses are involved.
Cowboy Joe packs up his stetson and moves from Texas to the bright lights of New York, to flog his bod as a male prostitute. Sadly, the newbie doesn’t have much luck with his high-class clients and everything starts getting a tad sordid. Fortunately, help is on hand in an unlikely pimp, Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman). The final scene of this film sees the two of them setting off for a better life in the sun but with a twist in its tail that will bring a tear to the of even the toughest cowboy.
7. Woody, Toy Story
Sheriff Woody is the ultimate good guy. Woody is Andy’s favourite toy but when new-kid-on-the-block Buzz Lightyear arrives, Woody fears he’ll be replaced by the futuristic spaceman.
Voiced by Tom Hanks, you can’t help but love this gangly cowboy doll and all his human misgivings.
Even though he doesn’t carry a gun, Woody is up there with the best of them for true grit and cowboy spirit.
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