The age of streaming giants may mean we’re lucky enough to be living in a golden age of film and TV, but it can also get pretty costly to keep up with them all. For lovers of the Western genre, the likes of Netflix, Max, Hulu, and all the others do have a great selection of Westerns to watch — the caveat, of course, being that you have to be a paid subscriber to enjoy them.
As an alternative to streaming platforms, YouTube offers a wide range of free movies to watch. The downside is that you may have to sit through a few ads, but YouTube has many phenomenal classic Westerns if you do a bit of digging across various channels. Who has time for that, though? That is why we have put together a list of some of the best classic Westerns you can watch for free on YouTube.
‘McLintock!’ (1963)
A delightful classic Western comedy, McLintock! starred the great John Wayne, a legendary actor famous for his roles in many iconic Westerns. As a notable novelty, it also starred one of Wayne’s sons, Patrick Wayne, alongside the likes of Maureen O’Hara and Stefanie Powers. Wayne plays G.W. McLintock in the film, an aging rancher whose wife abandons him for a life of being a socialite. However, his land is often coveted by various groups, which leads him to face a range of personal and professional challenges.
If you’ve seen one John Wayne Western, it’s no stretch to suggest that you’ve seen them all. While McLintock! ventures into familiar territory, the emphasis on comedic elements over outright drama makes it one of Wayne’s most memorable frontier forays. It almost borders on slapstick at times, but the chemistry among the expansive cast on-screen, along with a marvelous performance by Maureen O’Hara, strikes a delicate balance. Watch here.
‘Johnny Guitar’ (1954)
A bold and unconventional Western starring the legendary Joan Crawford, Johnny Guitar remains one of the most beloved experiments of the era in the genre. Here, Joan Crawford plays Vienna, a saloon owner who is dealing with confrontations from a mob led by her rival Emma (Mercedes McCambridge). When her old partner, the titular Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), comes back to town, the two are forced to confront their own personal past while dealing with the threat of Emma.
Directed by Nicholas Ray, Johnny Guitar is one of those movies that came to be championed through reappraisals by critics and genre fans. The movie’s vivid color cinematography is enough to draw many in, but it is Crawford’s amazing performance that really entrances viewers. Moreover, the film’s subtle subtext exploring paranoia and mob mentality was ahead of its time. Watch here.
‘Broken Arrow’ (1950)
A landmark Western of its time that still stands as one of the best of the 1950s, Broken Arrow stars James Stewart as Tom Jeffords, a frontiersman caught in the middle of a conflict between settlers and the Apache. The two groups are upholding a fragile alliance, which has become tenuous due to continued prejudice on both sides, with Tom the only man fighting for peace and the Apache people.
Directed by Delmer Daves, Broken Arrow was one of the first Westerns to present a more empathetic view of Indigenous people; in that regard, it would become highly influential on many Westerns that followed. Broken Arrow remains an important turning point in Hollywood Western storytelling, but it is not just notable for that, as James Stewart gives a phenomenal performance here in an utterly gripping story. Watch here.
‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance’
Hands down, The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance is one of the most revered Westerns ever made, which has both John Wayne and James Stewart at their best. The two act as rivals, both with the same goal of hunting down the outlaw Liberty Valance, played by Lee Marvin.
John Ford’s movie is considered his late masterpiece, an introspective Western that examines myth-making in the Old West and reflects on themes of heroism and justice in a groundbreaking way for its time. Its famous line about “printing the legend” has since become a cinematic ethos. The fact that the movie is free on YouTube is proof that the platform offers some of the best and most influential Westerns. Watch here.
‘Hang Em High’ (1968)
While many of Clint Eastwood’s films are available only through paid streaming services due to his popularity, one of his more memorable 60s Westerns is free to watch. Hang Em High came off the heels of Eastwood’s phenomenal Dollars Trilogy, where he would play Jed Cooper, a man wrongly lynched who survives the hanging and seeks vengeance.
Directed by Ted Post, whose name runs throughout this list, Hang ’Em High helped solidify Eastwood as a star beyond the initial success he saw working with Sergio Leone on the Dollars Trilogy. Beyond Eastwood, the movie offered an intriguing blend of Western and courtroom drama and delivered a darker, more reflective Western; it brilliantly bridges classic big-Hollywood style with the genre’s evolution in the 60s. Watch here.
‘From Hell to Texas’ (1958)
From Hell to Texas sees a ruthless cattle baron named Hunter Boyd send his men out to capture a ranch hand named Tod, whom he believes murdered his son. Tod is mercilessly pursued, and despite protesting his innocence, is tracked down and gravely injured. After collapsing near a river, Tod is taken in by a kind rancher and his daughter, Juanita, who takes a liking to him. After providing him with food and shelter, the men pursuing Tod soon bring trouble to their home.
Though not as acclaimed as other Westerns of its time, From Hell to Texas was still a solid film. This one starred Don Murray and Diane Varsi as Tod and Juanita, respectively, with the former giving a compelling performance prior to his roles in films like Kid Rodelo and The Plainsman. Famously, Dennis Hopper would appear in From Hell to Texas in one of the earliest roles in his filmography, as he played the role of Tom Boyd. Like other Westerns directed by Henry Hathaway, you can expect a well-rounded encapsulation of the genre with all boxes checked. Watch here.
‘Yuma’ (1971)
A TV film that was once featured as ABC’s Movie of the Week, Yuma was no less enjoyable despite its smaller budget. It featured Clint Walker as Dave Harmon, a former U.S. Army lieutenant. Harmon is sent to the town of Yuma as its new U.S. Marshal after his wife was assaulted, and she and his son were murdered. Baying for revenge, Harmon’s only lead on the perpetrators is that they were wearing army uniforms.
Considering that Ted Post of Hang ’em High and Magnum Force fame directed this made-for-television Western, you can expect a level of craft that surpasses the expectations that come with such a distinction. Clint Walker (Cheyenne) does a fine job playing the stoic Dave Harmon, balancing ruthlessness with compassion as any rugged Marshal should. It’s a modest Western that deserves your attention if you’ve already breezed through all the classics of the genre. Watch here.
‘Death Rides a Horse’ (1967)
A gritty film by Italian director Giulio Petroni, Death Rides a Horse is one of the best revenge Westerns you will find. It tells the story of a young boy named Bill, who witnesses his father, mother, and younger sister being brutalized before being killed by a ruthless gang of men. Bill bides his time for 15 years, learning to become an expert marksman. After memorizing the specific traits of each man who slaughtered his family, he returns to exact revenge on each of them.
John Phillip Law and Lee Van Cleef both shine in their roles as Bill and Ryan, with Ennio Morricone’s score giving it an appropriately atmospheric feel compared to its contemporaries. Mario Brega even plays a smaller role here as Paco, only a few years removed from his recurring appearances in the beloved Dollars Trilogy. This Western deserves your attention if you want to see Lee Van Cleef in his most intimidating performance yet, or simply want a gritty revenge film. Watch here.
‘Something Big’ (1971)
Another great Western comedy, Something Big was a film led by the legendary Dean Martin. A very cheeky film, it showcased Martin’s comedic talents as he played an aging bandit named Joe Baker. Joe is awaiting the arrival of his fiancée, the beautiful Dover McBride. Determined to complete one last score, but wanting this one to be “something big,” Joe has his work cut out for him, since his own associates could be a handful.
Featuring a race against time and a particularly large Gatling gun, Something Big is a surprisingly comedic effort from the same director of McLintock!, Andrew V. McLaglen. It’s easy to tell that Dean Martin is having a blast anytime he’s on-screen, and though it may draw some polarized contemporary responses, it’s more than entertaining based on its own merits. Just be aware that it’s an inherently silly Western compared to some of the other films here. Watch here.
‘Ride Lonesome’ (1959)
A great film known for its CinemaScope widescreen production and lush color, Ride Lonesome tells a gritty tale of a bounty hunter named Ben Brigade. Brigade gets swept up in defending a settlement where he and his prisoner take shelter while transporting the man to Santa Cruz. As things play out, it soon emerges that Brigade has a hidden agenda. After helping the residents at the settlement, a widow decides to accompany the brigade on its journey. Along the way, he commissions two outlaws to help him, unaware that the men are also hiding a secret of their own.
With one of the slimmest runtimes in this collection, Ride Lonesome manages to pack in some incredible character interactions and chemistry in just 73 minutes. Instead of highlighting the grandiose nature of its setting, Ride Lonesome opts to trade that for terrific writing and arguably some of the best pacing in the genre. Director Budd Boetticher brought the best out of this impressive cast, which includes Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, and, of course, Lee Van Cleef. Watch here.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
