Top 10 Lawmen in Westerns
Better put your hands up, partner; these pistol-packing peace officers aren't messing around. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 lawmen in Westerns. For this list, we're looking at the lawmen who tamed the silver screen with their quick wits and fast trigger fingers. Of course, not everybody here is a hero. Some defend the law, others bend the law, but whether they're courageous or corrupt, they know how to keep the peace – and they've gotta be either memorable, important or iconic.
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Top 10 Lawmen in Westerns
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Better put your hands up, partner; these pistol-packing peace officers ain’t messing around. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 lawmen in Westerns. For this list, we’re looking at the lawmen who tamed the silver screen with their quick wits and fast trigger fingers. Of course, not everybody here is a hero. Some defend the law, others bend the law, but whether they’re courageous or corrupt, they know how to keep the peace – and they’ve gotta be either memorable, important or iconic. We’re including sheriffs and marshals on this list - however, since we’re focusing on film, TV characters like U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon won’t make the cut.
#10: Deputy U.S. Marshal Jed Cooper “Hang ‘Em High” (1968)
When you hang a man, you better make sure he’s not Clint Eastwood. After he’s mistaken for a cattle rustler and left for dead, Jed Cooper signs on to work as a U.S. Marshal. Of course, he isn’t worried about justice. This guy wants revenge. Steely-eyed and ticked off, Cooper hunts down his attackers one by one, and even though he’s supposed to bring them in alive, well, sometimes things get a little out of hand. After all, this is Clint Eastwood we’re talking about.
#9: Sheriff John Baxter “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964)
He’s a crime lord with a badge, and he just made a deal with the wrong dude. Even though he’s a slimy gangster, you have to feel sorry for Sheriff John Baxter. Embroiled in a Wild West gang war, he also has to deal with a domineering wife, a son who gets kidnapped, and a mysterious gunfighter who isn’t what he seems. Every-so-often he thinks he’s getting ahead, but in the end, the poor guy is always getting shafted by that man without a name.
#8: Marshals Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch “Appaloosa” (2008)
Everybody has a talent, and these guys are good at enforcing the law. Terrorized by a cutthroat cattle baron, the town of Appaloosa hires a pair of professional lawmen with plenty of guns and their own special contract. But Cole and Hitch aren’t just partners; they’re friends who watch each other’s backs…especially when it comes to vocabulary. Whether they’re chasing baddies or hashing out problems, these buddies stick together through thick and thin. It’s the best Old West bromance this side of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.
#7: Charlie Rakes “Lawless” (2012)
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He’s the best-dressed lawman on our list. He might also be the scariest. When local authorities can’t stop the Bondurant brothers from making moonshine, the government sends in Special Deputy Charley Rakes. With his slicked-back hair and penchant for perfume, Rakes seems a little obsessive about his clothes, but behind that bowtie is a sadist who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. Brutal, ruthless, and never without those fancy gloves, Rakes is a well-mannered monster and makes this atypical Western a must-watch movie.
#6: Sheriff Bart “Blazing Saddles” (1974)
He’s hip, handsome, and has his work cut out for him. Moments before execution, this convict is appointed sheriff of Rock Ridge, a town where the citizens aren’t exactly fans of civil rights. Fortunately, he knows how to get himself out of a jam. With his drunken deputy, Bart beats every baddie who comes his way, from a bull-riding giant to a seductress with a speech impediment. Played to comic perfection by Cleavon Little, this hilarious lawman is a whole lot cooler than Randolph Scott.
#5: Sheriff Ed Tom Bell “No Country for Old Men” (2007)
He seems laidback, but this West Texas lawman has a lot on his mind. Ed Tom Bell has been sheriff for a long time, but now he lives in a world he doesn’t recognize. After a drug deal goes south, Bell tries to save a country boy from a professional hitman, but his encounter with evil shakes him to the core. Far from a being your average Hollywood tough guy, Bell is a weary old man who knows there’s a heavy price for wearing a badge.
#4: Reuben J. ‘Rooster’ Cogburn “True Grit” (1969; 2010)
At first glance, he doesn’t look like your typical movie hero. A one-eyed drunk who needs to lose a few pounds, Cogburn is often as shady as the crooks he tracks down. But when teenage Mattie Ross hires to him to catch her father’s killer, this U.S. Marshal shows what he’s really made of. Perfectly portrayed on the big screen by both John Wayne and Jeff Bridges, Cogburn shoots first and asks questions later, but under all that grime and gristle, there’s a genuine Western hero. Just don’t mention his weight.
#3: ‘Little’ Bill Daggett “Unforgiven” (1992)
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Sure, he’s a lousy carpenter, but when it comes to facing down gunfighters, Little Bill is second to none. Sheriff of a small Wyoming town, Daggett can’t abide assassins, and whenever he speaks, his word is law. Unfortunately, he only seems to have two settings: way too lenient and way too brutal. One of Gene Hackman’s finest performances, this savage sheriff might stand for truth and justice, but even though he wears a badge, he isn’t really any better than the men he hunts down.
#2: Marshal Wyatt Earp “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” (1957)
One of the most famous real-life lawmen, Earp has appeared in books, TV shows, and movies like “Tombstone.” But while Kurt Russell certainly resembles the mustachioed marshal, our number two spot goes to Hollywood legend Burt Lancaster. In this classic flick, Earp is a diehard do-gooder who deals with everything from crazy cowboys to sexy cardsharps, all while keeping tabs on Doc Holliday. But when he’s forced to choose between love and family, this passionate peacekeeper ends up in the most infamous gunfight in U.S. history. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - Sheriff John T. Chance “Rio Bravo” (1959) - Jason McCullough “Support Your Local Sheriff!” (1969) - Sheriff Pat Garrett “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973) - Zeb Rawlings “How the West Was Won” (1963) - Dan Evans “3:10 to Yuma” (1957; 2007)
#1: Marshal Will Kane “High Noon” (1952)
This small-town marshal seems like the luckiest guy on Earth. He’s a beloved figure, newly married, and ready to start life anew…until he learns an old enemy is coming to town. But instead of running, Kane pins his badge back on. And that’s when his friends take off. Even his pacifist wife leaves him in the lurch, but this duty-bound lawman stands his ground and defends his town, even though he’s all alone. A character with courage and conviction, Will Kane is unquestionably the quintessential Western lawman. Do you agree with our list? Who’s your favorite Western lawman? For more awesome top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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