10 Best Fist Fights In Western Movies
Westerns are known for their shootouts, but there are plenty of memorable fist fights included in the Western movies genre involving major stars.
- Westerns often showcase shootouts, but fist fights and brawls are equally iconic and emotionally impactful.
- Fight scenes in Westerns represent more than just physical confrontations – they convey deeper emotions and philosophies.
- Some of the best Western fights include intense brawls with personal stakes, brutal duels, and unexpected subversions of audience expectations.
Westerns are known for showcasing some of the best shootouts ever seen, however, plenty of instances have consisted of conflicts in Westerns being resolved with bawled-up fists instead. Known worldwide for their depictions of just and honorable lawmen combating wild and dangerous outlaws during the American frontier, fist-fights, and brawls have become just as iconic in Westerns as their accompanying shootouts. Despite being one of Hollywood’s oldest genres, everything from classics to more modern Westerns have featured some brilliantly brutal brawls.
A common criticism of fight scenes in movies is that they often lack any strong emotional weight behind them. Even though most fights in Westerns end fairly quickly, they stand out because of what they often represent emotionally and philosophically. It never gets old seeing legendary actors and actresses in Westerns win a battle of wits and speed in the shootouts that have become synonymous with the genre, but it’s also refreshing when the filmmakers include a good fist fight or brawl as well.
10, Four Guns to the Border
Richard Carlson’s Four Guns to the Border follows a group of four bandits led by the persistent outlaw known as Cully as they plot and scheme their way into a town that Cully once called home. Cully and the town’s Sheriff Jim Flannery engage in an intense brawl during the movie’s climax – and while the Sheriff and his deputies are distracted, Cully’s gang raids the banks and stores. What makes this fist fight one of the best is the fact that Sheriff Flannery’s wife (and Cully’s ex-girlfriend) is an audience to the grudge match between the former friends.
9, Fury at Showdown
The fist fight in Fury at Showdown follows Brock Mitchell (John Derek), the protagonist, after he’s made a vow to abstain from violence. He’s forced to break it when some rough individuals threaten to kidnap his girlfriend. This leads to the fight which starts off in a saloon between Brock and Miley Sutton (John Smith) before the action spills out onto the street in front of the townsfolk. From there, the brawl intensifies, and sees the two men eventually trade blows whilst inside a buckboard wagon. This fight is worth remembering because it shows that sometimes it is necessary to abandon vows and traditions when others’ safety is at play.
8, Good Day for a Hanging
Good Day for a Hanging has one of the best fights in Western movies because of its subtext. Marshal Ben Cutler (Fred MacMurray) accepts crooked lawyer William P. Selby’s (Edmond Ryan) invitation to a fist fight outside a court after the attorney fails to sway a jury’s opinion regarding a supposed crime. While both men take a beating, the fight ultimately ends with Marshal Ben winning and seeing to it personally that Selby is met with absolute justice. The fight is among one of the best because it reinforces to its audience that no matter how dire, good prevails over evil in the end.
7, The Burning Hills
The fist fight in The Burning Hills is among the best because of its sheer brutality. After Trace Jordan (Tab Hunter) embarks on a quest to track down the men responsible for killing his brother, he devises unique ways of dispatching them. When he corners Jack, one of the killer’s sons, they engage in a bloody fist fight that sees Trace nearly meet his end via meat hook. However, his indomitable will to bring his brother’s killers to justice sees him overpower the man and drown him in one of the more realistic depictions of a Western fight scene.
6, The Legend of Tom Dooley
The Legend of Tom Dooley features one of the most tragic fist fights in Western movies. Former soldier and wanted murderer Tom Dooley (Michael Landon) and lawman Charlie Grayson (Jack Hogan) fight in front of a burning farmhouse. While it is relatively brief, the fight is impressive thanks to its sheer spectacle and depiction of violence. While the two men are engaged in combat, an innocent woman is accidentally stabbed by the outlaw’s knife – thus depicting the real consequences of violence often not seen in Westerns.
5, North to Alaska
Western legend John Wayne’s North to Alaska boasts one of the most comedic fight scenes in Western history. Not only does it see the beloved actor engage in a muddy fist fight with multiple assailants, but it also shows the townsfolk working together to help him. The cinematic achievement showcases one of the earliest displays of complex choreography in a Western. From Wayne bobbing and weaving punches from behind him without looking to Stewart Granger rolling between rushing goats and buckboard wagons, the scene has it all. This scene’s choreography, comedic gags, and subtle storytelling through its action make it one of the best in Westerns.
4, The Oklahoma Kid
Acting legends James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart square off in The Oklahoma Kid when The Oklahoma Kid and Whip McCord tussle. The brief fight has an undeniable cool factor as two legends duke it out in the middle of the street in front of scores of spectators, but it stands out because of The Oklahoma Kid’s exemplary display of bravery. Even when the odds of him winning are firmly stacked against him, he decides to go into McCord’s territory and challenge him for murdering his father. The emotional weight combined with the star power on display made the fight legendary and one of the toughest to top.
3, The Big Country
The Big Country‘s fist fight between James McKay (Gregory Peck) and Steve Leech (Charles Heston) occurs near the film’s climax and literally delivers quite a punch. Throughout the film, Leech constantly questions the soft-spoken and reserved McKay’s masculinity at every turn, and especially makes it a point to do so whenever women are around. After deciding he’s had enough, McKay privately accepts Leech’s challenge and agrees to fight the man on a deserted prairie. The fight is one of the longest in Westerns at a staggering six minutes and the usage of dissolves and shifting aspect ratios imply the men have been at it practically all night.
2, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The fist fight between Sundance Kid and Logan in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid that occurs fairly early in the film and is used as a means of settling a dispute regarding a gang’s leadership is quite memorable. Before Logan can mount a lethal attack, Sundance Kid kicks him in his groin, thus effectively ending the fight before it even begins. The scene is brilliant because it subverts the audience’s expectations of a long and drawn-out affair in favor of a more practical and realistic one. Moreover, the scene shows the audience that Sundance Kid is someone who doesn’t mind getting dirty to get ahead.
1, The Spoilers
John Wayne’s The Spoilers has the greatest depiction of a fist fight in Westerns, and its influence has been felt through many movies and shows long since its time. Occurring at the film’s climax, The Spoilers‘ fist fight has all the hallmarks of a good fight, it takes place inside a saloon, features a series of haymakers, and happens to decide the outcome of a ridiculous wager. Despite its relatively brief time, it is brutal, and the scene’s tight framing makes the audience feel like they too are inside the saloon witnessing the all-time scene in any Westerns.
