The Western Films That Built Today’s Billion-Dollar Studio Corporations

Year: 1969
Starring: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan
Est. Production Cost: $6 million*

By the late 1960s, studios had somewhat begun to cool on Westerns as a profitable genre. But Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch proved to be the rare exception to that trend, grossing almost double its budget back within its first few months of release.

The Wild Bunch (1969) @classicsman70 / Twitter.com

Made on a relatively big budget for its time the film ended up being the 17th highest-grossing movie of 1969. Though it didn’t grab the number one spot, it did help Warner Brothers regain its foothold in the industry.

The Wild Bunch has been recognized for its influence and cultural significance. The National Film Registry of the U.S. selected the movie for preservation in 1999. The Library of Congress now holds the film, as it has been deemed “culturally, historically, and aesthetically” important. The AFI listed it as #80 of the 100 Best American Films of all time.

Year: 1956
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood
Est. Production Cost: $3.75 million*

Based on the 1954 novel of the same name, The Searchers proved to be a massive hit for Warner Brothers. Upon its release in the mid-1950s it grossed just south of $5 million – a huge amount of money back in 1956. It has since grossed several more millions for the Warners and is widely considered a classic.

The Searchers @hazelflag / Twitter.com

C.V. Whitney also deserves a mention, as he designed the iconic sets for the film. This was the first movie from such a “distinguished turfman,” as one review called him. The film took place in the staked plains in Northwest Texas. However, the actual filming occurred in Monument Valley in both Arizona and Utah.

John Wayne held the starring role as an uncle trying to find his missing niece, played by Natalie Wood. According to famed movie critic Roger Ebert, Wayne’s character was “one of the most compelling characters the director Ford and Wayne ever created.”

Year: 1969
Starring: Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin
Est. Production Cost: $6 million*

There are fewer Westerns more notorious than 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman in prominent roles, this wasn’t simply just another Western, but a Hollywood blockbuster. 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) @Movieclips / Youtube.com

Newman stars as the enigmatic Butch Cassidy, leader of the Hole in the Wall gang, while Redford is his right-hand man, the gunslinging Sundance Kid. Audiences were thrilled to see the two stars and shuffled straight into theaters. The studio was more than pleased with its $102.3 million return.

In 2006, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made it into the Library of Congress. The AFI also had nothing but praise, ranking it as #73 on its list of the best “100 Movies” from American filmmakers. AFI also ranked the heroes as #20 on its list of “Best 100 Heroes.” 

Year: 1939
Starring: Claire Trevor
Est. Production Cost: $531,000*

It may be hard to imagine it now, but in 1939 John Wayne was still relatively unknown. When he partnered with John Ford for the role of Ringo Kid in Stagecoach, he was 32 and still waiting to catch his big break. This movie adaptation of a short story by Ernest Haycox proved to be the start of something amazing for both Ford and Wayne. 

Stagecoach (1939) @Kevin / Pinterest.com

Many critics have praised the story of a group of strangers traveling along a dangerous trail for being more than your bog-standard Western. Even viewers who aren’t fans of the genre can appreciate the complex characters and witty, clever script.

Robert B. Pippin, a famous American philosopher, was very impressed by Stagecoach. He stated that the entire film was a “mythic representation” of characters striving for “politically meaningful equality.” In 1995, Stagecoach was deemed worthy of preservation in the Library of Congress. Though controversial by today’s standards, there is no denying its influence.

Year: 1959
Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson
Est. Production Cost: $1.25 million*

1959’s Rio Bravo is the Western that just keeps on giving. Producers were able to bring John Wanye together with 1950s icon Dean Martin for an epic tale that resulted in one of the biggest box office takes of the late 1950s.

Rio (1959) @JonSanRW0 / Twitter.com

The film’s massive success arguably boosted financiers to back the already-famous Martin for his most ambitious venture, the formation of Reprise Records the following year. Perhaps not-so-ironically, both Rio Bravo and Reprise Records were backed by executives at Warner Brothers.

Fans of another classic movie, To Have and Have Not, starring Lauren Bacall, would recognize the dialogue in the film. Feathers’ lines were often inspired by the lines from that 1944 film. Later, Rio Bravo had a comic book adaptation in June of 1959. Dell Comics published the Four Color adaption in June of 1959.

Year: 1952
Starring: Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Grace Kelly
Est. Production Cost: $750,000*

This 1952 feature was released to much fanfare, largely because it starred a plethora of names like Gary Cooper, and the future Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly. High Noon has it all, from beautiful women to a conflicted town marshal faced with a ruthless band of killers. What’s not to love? 

High Noon (1952) @The Paramount Vault / Youtube.com

Originally released by the beloved but sadly short-lived studio United Artists – which was eventually bought by MGM, the film has since gone one to reap millions as a classic Western film. Ironic that it likely was more profitable for the studio after its original financier went bankrupt than it did during its original release.

This was another Western selected for preservation in the Library of Congress. High Noon might have been controversial when it was released (because of the political themes throughout the film), but that didn’t stop it from raking in awards. It won four Golden Globes and four Oscars out of seven nominations. 

Year: 1971
Starring: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois
Est. Production Cost: $1 million*

McCabe and Mrs. Miller is largely regarded as a Western that isn’t really a Western at all. Warren Beatty and Julie Christie starred in this 1971 classic, though it was arguably overlooked at the time of its release.

McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) @Pulpcurry / Twitter.com

Following a second life on home media (and notably, on streaming through HBO Max, Robert Altman’s twist on the Western has since been reevaluated as a forgotten classic. Though investors at the time mostly made their money back thanks to Leonard Cohen’s soundtrack, these days this film is considered utterly priceless.

The reviews spoke for themselves. The Los Angeles Times heralded the film as a new and refreshing take on the genre, with The New York Times praising director Robert Altman’s steady, psychological direction.

Year: 1992
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Morgan Freeman, Frances Fisher
Est. Production Cost: $14.4 million*

Riding the financial success of 1990’s Dances With Wolves, Clint Eastwood further resurrected the Western with 1992’s Best Picture-winning hit Unforgiven. The film was a haunting, violent drama that featured Eastwood as Munny, a vigilante outlaw who is hired by a group of brothel workers to find out who disfigured their fellow worker.

Unforgiven @Roku / Twitter.com

Acting-wise, Eastwood is also at his finest, with Common Sense Media calling his performance “hauntingly memorable.” Though Eastwood had already been directing films for years by this time, the financial success of Unforgiven pushed studios to invest in bigger and bigger projects for Eastwood. Today, he is one of the most reliably profitable directors in the world.

Clint Eastwood dedicated the movie to his mentors, which included directors Sergio Leone (the pioneer of Spaghetti Westerns like the Fistful of Dollars movies) and Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dirty Harry, The Shootist). The Library of Congress added Unforgiven to its collection in 2004.

Year: 1962
Starring: Caroll Baker, Walter Brennan, Lee J. Cobb, Andy Devine, Henry Fonda
Est. Production Cost: $15 million*

How the West Was Won marked an end of an era for MGM as one of the last profitable epics of its kind that the studio would release. The star-studded cast includes Carroll Baker, Henry Fonda, Debbie Reynolds, John Wayne and more.

How the West Was Won (1962) @historylvrsclub / Twitter.com

Given its high production cost ($15 million in 1962 would be around $128 million in today’s money), MGM desperately needed this film to be profitable in order to remain competitive. Thankfully, the film delivered exactly what they needed: a box office take of more than $50 million – a massive hit for the time period.

In addition to the box office earnings, How the West Was Won did very well at awards ceremonies. It was one of just two dramas ever made on Cinerama, a curved-screen tri-projector process. With Spencer Tracy as the narrator, the film was listed as #25 on AFI’s list of the best 100 Film Scores. 

Year: 1958
Starring: Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker
Est. Production Cost: $650,000*

Though the majority of its commercial and film library now belongs to Comcast, United Artists took great pride in churning out ambitious, edgy films that were arguably ahead of their time.

The Big Country (1958) @classicsman70 / Twitter.com

Cast in point: 1958’s The Big Country. Gregory Peck plays James McKay, a sailor that finds himself in a whole heap of trouble when visiting his fiancee in the wild, wild, west. Director William Wyler reportedly ran up productions costs by repeatedly asking the actors to do the scenes again and again – arguably diminishing the film’s chances to make a profit.

Criticism of the director’s finicky decision-making aside, there is no denying that The Big Country was an award-winning movie. Ives won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and he also took home a Golden Globe. The film itself was nominated for an Oscar for the music, which was composed by musician Jerome Moross.  

Year: 1962
Starring: John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien
Est. Production Cost: $3.2 million*

An early hit that put the Viacom-owned Paramount Studios on the map, 1962’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one of the most revered Westerns in all of cinema. Combining the talents of both John Wayne and James Stewart, producers harnessed the top talent of the 1960s to back their box office smash hit.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) @ClassicMovieHub / Twitter.com

The plot focused on the funeral of a Texas man and one of the attendees, Senator Ranse Stoddard. Cue the flashback of the young Stoddard 25 years prior being brutally robbed by Liberty Valance. This feature proved popular with audiences, bringing in ticket sales of over $8 million, much to the delight of everyone involved.

When the film came out, it was beloved by critics. As the years went on and Ford made more movies, critics were less positive, comparing the films to Ford’s earlier work. Recently, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance has been less-negatively received, making several AFI lists for 100 Heroes and Villains, Top 100 Movie Quotes and more.

Year: 1948
Starring: John Wayne, Henry Fonda
Est. Production Cost: $2.1 million*

John Ford created a ton of Westerns in his time, but Fort Apache is worth a special mention. The 1948 number was the first installment in the “cavalry trilogy” which would go on to feature She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande. 

Fort Apache (1948) @TVandFilmStars / Twitter.com

While the film was not seen as a financial success at the time, it did secure John Wayne’s status as a soon-to-be highly bankable star, whose mere presence in a Western would later bring studios massive industry successes.

Fort Apache also deserves applause for being one of the first Western movies to actually present not only an authentic depiction of Native Americans, but also a sympathetic view. Natives weren’t just the classic “bad guys” in “Cowboys and Indians” movie tropes. Fort Apache was, as the New York Times stated, a “pro-Indian Western.”

Year: 1974
Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens
Est. Production Cost: $2.6 million*

Mel Brooks certainly hit the right chord with Blazing Saddles, which went down in history as one of the 1970s most financially lucrative (and hilarious) Western. The film took in a whopping $119.6 million at the box office against a budget of only $2.6 million – a massive profit margin for the studios. penny.

Blazing Saddles (1974) @70sFilm / Twitter.com

Brooks co-wrote the screenplay with several other notable comedians, including stand-up legend Richard Pryor. By all accounts, this isn’t a traditional Western but a satirical look at the genre and all the stereotypes it held dear.

Blazing Saddles satirized the racism that Hollywood accounts of the Wild, Wild West often obscured in their “Cowboys and Indians” movies. The hero of Blazing Saddles was an African American sheriff, who was in charge of an all-white town. The anachronisms in the movie are deliberate, designed to further heighten the satirical appeal.

Year: 1960
Starring: Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson
Est. Production Cost: $2 million*

In 1960, United Artists released The Magnificent Seven – and the Western was truly never the same. Yul Brynner starred alongside some of the biggest names of the silver screen inclufing Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Steve McQueen to deliver John Sturges’ stunning vision of the West.

The Magnificent Seven (1960) @MHG / Pinterest.com

Based on Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven didn’t end up dominating the box office (though it was a success for the studio) at the time. But its later reevaluation as a genre classic has made it profitable even all these decades later – and even resulted in a 2016 Hollywood reboot.

Before the Hollywood remake, however, The Magnificent Seven would get three sequels of its own. Return of the Seven was released in 1966. The Guns of the Magnificent Seven came out three years later, and in 1972, The Magnificent Seven Ride closed out the four. None of the sequels were as successful as the first movie.