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The Greatest Western Directors of All Time (And Their Highest Rated Film)

The Greatest Western Directors of All Time (And Their Highest Rated Film)

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There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to producing and releasing an excellent Western movie. Although the audience likely just knows the actors’ names, other crucial roles should be spotlighted. This includes producers, writers, cast directors, and more. Western directors are phenomenal. They have a huge role in producing the film, including directing the creatives of the film. Some directors also write the scripts or have the final say in them.

Western movies are a lot of fun to watch. Although these films are generally set at the same time with the same spirit, they tell unique stories of the American West. In one day, you can easily watch Western films about love, revenge, anger, desperation, tragedy, and more.

While you may not know their names, you may recognize the movies they directed. For instance, Delmer Daves is a fantastic screenwriter and director, but few people know his face even though they’ve probably heard or seen his films, including “3:10 to Yuma” and “The Hanging Tree.”

Another incredible Western director to look out for is Anthony Mann. One of his best Western films is “Winchester ’73,” released in 1950. He also directed “Devil’s Doorway” in the same year. (After you’re done reading about the best Western directors, check out 25 of John Wayne’s most iconic movie lines.)

To determine the greatest Western directors of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience reception for Westerns from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. Directors were ranked based on an index consisting of the average IMDb rating, average Rotten Tomatoes audience score, and average Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score for films in their Western filmography. Averages were calculated using the number of votes or reviews as a weight. Only directors with at least three Western films were considered. Data is current as of April 2024.

25. Andrew V. McLaglen

James Stewart in Shenandoah (1965)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.8/10 (57,967 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (48,291 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (40 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Shenandoah (1965)

24. Burt Kennedy

John Wayne in The War Wagon (1967)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.8/10 (35,254 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (23,688 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (54 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The War Wagon (1967)

23. Joseph H. Lewis

Joseph H. Lewis with Glenn Ford
Source: Glenn Ford with Joseph H. Lewis by opisthofulax / BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Source: Glenn Ford with Joseph H. Lewis by opisthofulax / BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.4/10 (4,260 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (1,481 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (8 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Terror in a Texas Town (1958)

22. Robert Aldrich

Ulzana's Raid
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.8/10 (25,528 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (10,868 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (35 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Ulzana’s Raid (1972)

21. Raoul Walsh

The Big Trail (1930)
Source: Courtesy of Fox Film Corporation

Source: Courtesy of Fox Film Corporation
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.8/10 (18,055 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (5,353 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (25 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Big Trail (1930)

20. Robert Altman

McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (50,775 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (94,917 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (272 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

19. Budd Boetticher

The Tall T
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (26,143 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (2,114 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (26 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Tall T (1957)

18. William A. Wellman

Henry Fonda in The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.6/10 (35,277 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (7,590 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (29 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)

17. Richard Brooks

Burt Lancaster in The Professionals (1966)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (21,923 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (6,100 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (40 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Professionals (1966)

16. Don Siegel

James Stewart and John Wayne in The Shootist (1976)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.2/10 (52,484 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (24,880 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (40 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Shootist (1976)

15. Henry Hathaway

John Wayne and Dean Martin in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (90,927 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (49,796 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (95 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

14. Jacques Tourneur

Jacques+Tourneur | Cat People (1942) Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Source: Cat People (1942) Directed by Jacques Tourneur by Cristian Fuentes 3396 / BY-ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)

Source: Cat People (1942) Directed by Jacques Tourneur by Cristian Fuentes 3396 / BY-ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (5,891 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (829 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (10 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Wichita (1955)

13. Henry King

The Gunfighter
Source:

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.4/10 (20,082 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (3,398 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (22 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Gunfighter (1950)

12. George Marshall

Destry Rides Again
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.4/10 (17,256 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (8,545 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (32 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Destry Rides Again (1939)

11. John Sturges

The Magnificent Seven
Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.4/10 (147,481 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (74,113 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (90 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Magnificent Seven (1960)

10. Delmer Daves

3:10 to Yuma
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.3/10 (42,082 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (14,273 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (61 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: 3:10 to Yuma (1957)

9. Arthur Penn

Little Big Man
Source: Courtesy of National General Pictures

Source: Courtesy of National General Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.3/10 (48,282 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (21,466 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (53 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Little Big Man (1970)

8. Martin Ritt

Paul Newman in Hud
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.6/10 (34,805 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (12,425 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (45 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Hud (1963)

7. John Ford

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.7/10 (330,812 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (126,488 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (296 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

6. Sam Peckinpah

The Wild Bunch (1969)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.6/10 (138,304 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (56,271 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (174 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Wild Bunch (1969)

5. Anthony Mann

Winchester '73
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.3/10 (76,971 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (19,626 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (91 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Winchester ’73 (1950)

4. John Huston

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.9/10 (155,651 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (45,980 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (97 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

3. Howard Hawks

Rio Bravo
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.7/10 (130,245 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (53,512 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (127 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Rio Bravo (1959)

2. Clint Eastwood

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 8.0/10 (570,384 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (245,381 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (203 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: Unforgiven (1992)

1. Sergio Leone

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
      • Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 8.5/10 (1,523,629 reviews)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 1% (454,130 votes)
      • Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 1% (233 reviews)
      • Highest-rated Western: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
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