The Westerner (1940), Blood on the Moon (1948), Firecreek (1968), Tom Horn (1980), Backlash (1956), San Antonio (1945), The Outcast (1954), Trail Street (1947) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Range War movies.
Storyline: Cole Harden just doesn't look like a horse thief, Jane-Ellen Matthews tells Judge Roy Bean as she steps up to the bar. Cole says he can't take it with him as he empties all of his coins on the bar to buy drinks for the jury. He notices two big pictures of Lily Langtry behind the bar. Sure, Cole has met the Jersey Lily, whom the hanging judge adores, even has a lock of her hair. Hanging is delayed for two weeks, giving Cole time to get in the middle of a range war between cattlemen and homesteaders and to still be around when Lily Langtry, former mistress of Edward VII who became an international actress, arrives in Texas.—Dale O'Connor <daleoc@interaccess.com>
Plot Keywords: opening action scene, fast draw, gunshot wound, fistfight, brawl, saved from hanging, colt 45 ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: When a shady-looking stranger rides into town to join his old friend it is assumed he is a hired gun. But as the new man comes to realise the unlawful nature of his buddy's business and the way the homesteaders are being used, the two men draw apart to become sworn enemies.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Plot Keywords: new mexico, texas, stampede, shot to death, dying words, woman slaps a man, face slap ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Farmer and family man Johnny Cobb moonlights as a two dollar a month Sheriff with a homemade badge in the quiet little town of Firecreek. When a gang of freebooters passes through, their leader Larkin, who is suffering from a minor wound, agrees to spend the night. The gang members prove to be vicious, sadistic sociopaths who take advantage of the frightened townspeople, humiliating them for their own perverse amusement. Although Larkin disapproves of their behavior, his leadership role is tenuous, and he is reluctant to test it by exercising control over his men. The mild-mannered Cobb faces a series of challenges from the gang's antisocial behavior. Things come to a head when Meli, an Indian woman with a mixed race child, incurs an attempted sexual attack by one of gang. Arthur, a simpleton stable boy, comes to her aid and accidentally kills the attacker. Cobb locks up Arthur to keep him safe, but when the Sheriff leaves town to visit his wife, who is struggling in labor, there is no one to control the gang. Cobb decides the time has come to act.—duke1029
Plot Keywords: prison, preacher, pitchfork, native american, midwife, mental retardation, lynching ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A renowned former army scout is hired by ranchers to hunt down rustlers but finds himself on trial for the murder of a boy when he carries out his job too well. Tom Horn finds that the simple skills he knows are of no help in dealing with the ambitions of ranchers and corrupt officials as progress marches over him and the old west.—Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>
Plot Keywords: apache, arizona territory, arizona, gunshot, opening action scene, winchester rifle, repeating rifle ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Jim Slater's father (whom he never knew) died in the Apache ambush at Gila Valley, and Jim is searching for the one survivor, who supposedly went for help but disappeared with a lot of gold. In the process, he gets several people gunning for him, and he keeps meeting liberated woman Karyl Orton, who may be on a similar mission. Renewed Apache hostilities and an impending range war provide complications.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: based on novel, based on book, revenge, 1870s, arizona, u.s. cavalry, apache indian ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Clay Hardin is a San Antonio rancher who has been run off his land by cattle rustlers. There's a range war going on and Hardin is determined to get the man behind it all, Roy Stuart. Hardin has been hiding out in Mexico, biding his time and decides the time has come for him to return. He's managed to get hold of one of Stuart's tally books that clearly shows he was selling cattle that didn't belong to him. Stuart and his partner Legare will go to any lengths to stop Hardin before he can put the evidence before a court. Beautiful dance hall performer Jeanne Starr arrives in San Antonio under contract to Stuart and Legare but she is clearly smitten with the handsome Hardin. When the army is called away, Hardin and his supporters are left on their own to defend themselves.—garykmcd
Plot Keywords: reprisal, vindication, retribution, post civil war, range war, musician, shootout ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Following an absence of eight years, Jet Cosgrave (John Derek) returns to his hometown of Colton, Colorado. His quest is for the recovery of his rightful heritage, the great Circle C Ranch, from his uncle, Major Cosgrave (Jim Davis), and to that end, he brings with him nine hired gunmen, headed by "Dude" Rankin (Bob Steele). His accusation that his uncle stole the ranch by a will forged after the death of his father brings instant reprisals. Judy Polsen (Joan Evans), one of a poor family of ranchers, falls in love with Jet after saving him from a bushwhacking by two Circle C gunmen, The Kid (Ben Cooper) and Bert (Harry Carey Jr.). She then vouches for him to her father, Chad Polsen (Frank Ferguson) and her brothers Boone (Slim Pickens), Asa (Nicolas Coster) and Zeke (Robert 'Buzz' Henry),—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: ranch, fistfight, brother sister relationship, branding, blacksmith, ambush, swindler ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The Liberal Kansas area is in trouble. The town is without a Marshal and the nearby farmers are unable to grow crops due to the summer drought and trail riders that run cattle over their land. Bat Masterson arrives to bring law and order and his Deputy accidently finds a variety of wheat that will withstand the drought. But the farmers are giving up and leaving and Bat must convince tham to stay. He wants them to continue farming and also help round up the local gang of outlaws.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: based on book, dancehall girl, mayor, jail, saloon, cattleman, jealousy ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: To get the Delaney ranch Cole's henchman Anders has started a phony range war between the cattlemen and sheepmen. After killing Delaney, he tries to kill his daughter Jill and then Roy who was sent to investigate the war. But the failed attempts gives Roy the information he needs.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: b western, song in title, violence, vindication, reprisal, retribution, female villain ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A proper English gentleman, traveling in the American West, inadvertently stops an Indian attack on the stagecoach in which he is a passenger. When the stage gets to the nearest town, the raucous Fractured Jaw--which is being plagued by unruly cowbys, bandits and marauding Indians--the story spreads, and he is appointed sheriff.—frankfob2@yahoo.com
Plot Keywords: psychotronic film, range war, inventor, englishman, native american chief, undertaker, native american ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Sheriff Jorden of Gunlock (John Agar) is planning to hang Sam Hall (Richard Boone), who shot three farmers found on cattle land, at sundown. At the casino, betting is 8 to 3 he won't make it. The cattlemen are set to rescue Sam. The farmers hope to lynch him before he can be rescued, and Hall schemes for escape with his girl Nellie Mason (Colleen Gray). But Sheriff Jorden is most concerned with finding out who hired Hall: a leading suspect is the Sheriff's future brother-in-law.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: based on novel, bartender, texas, 1880s, retribution, reprisal, vindication ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Eddie Dean, under orders as a U.S. Land Office agent, is trying to prevent a range war from being started between homesteaders and ranchers when a caravan of the so-called 'Nesters', start to take over land acquired by the homesteaders by a government lease. Quirt Thayer, working both sides against the middle, has his gang join with the ranchers seeking revenge against the settlers for raids on the ranchers by Quirt's henchmen. Eddie uses his friendship with Mary King, daughter of the leading rancher, to pin the guilt on the correct culprits.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: actor shares first name with character, western music, vindication, schemer, lynch mob, frame up, false accusation ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: It's 1883 in the Wyoming Territory. Sam Brassfield owns and operates the Teton cattle ranch alongside his foreman and housekeeper, husband and wife Ed and Ruth Winters, and his right hand man, a Mexican named Johnny Quatro, who likes his señoritas a little too much. He took in his now young adult nephew and niece, Webb and June Carter, upon the unfortunate circumstances concerning their parents, Webb who is learning to be ranch hand, his hotheadedness which often gets in the way. Sam is trying to do ranching differently, having a closed range of his own land as a more sustainable method. He erecting fences to keep other cattle out does not sit well with many of his neighboring ranchers, especially his former mentor, Clay Mathews, a Texas cattle baron who wants that open range all the way from Texas to the Canada border. Sam believes Clay's self interest is driven by he having purchased too many cattle for what his own land can support, he wanting eventually to oversupply the market with his inferior product at the end of the season to make millions. Sam also believes Clay is behind the cutting of his wire fences. One other smaller neighboring ranch which has split priorities is that owned and operated by the Travers siblings. Henry Travers, an alcoholic, is a man with no backbone who is easily manipulated by the strongest voice, in this case being Clay. On the other side is Henry's sister, Sharleen Travers, who does most of the work on the ranch in Henry's uselessness, and who is in a relationship with Sam. Clay has hired muscle in the form of Vince Bodine to carry out his dirty work, Vince who, beyond carrying out Clay's wishes, seems to enjoy the role as the heavy for being the heavy's sake. Clay and Vince have come up with a way to inflict maximum pain on Sam's neighbors making it look like Sam is behind it all in an effort to gain those neighbors' support. As the fight seems to become more and more personal between Sam and Clay, another factor influencing what happens in the matter is the visit to the region of President Chester A. Arthur, and which side gets his ear.—Huggo
Plot Keywords: 1880s, gambling, cowboy, president, betrayal, cattleman, wyoming ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Josie Minick is a widow, who is forced to fend for herself. Josie living in a cattle country, finds herself in odds and war with the cattlemen of the town, when she decides to make a sheep farm her livelihood.—Kelly
Plot Keywords: barn, cattle ranch, murder trial, pool cue, rancher, range war, character name in title ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Ken not only has to fight with his brother Wally over the girls, he has to try and stop the conflict between the cattlemen and the sheep men. It gets worse when Butch kills Judy's father.
Plot Keywords: actor shares first name with character, stock footage, violence, vindication, land grab, bushwhacker, ambush ...
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