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WINCHESTER '73 (1950) Starring Jimmy Stewart is a good one. I couldn't get into Stewart in at first, but he grows on  you. He spends most of the film looking for the man who took his Winchester rifle. Well, that is not the only reason he's chasing him. This film also has a young Shelly Winters, Tony Curtiss, and Rock Hudson. Dan Duryea plays his character well. This is suppose to be a pivitol film for the Western genre. Check it out you'll like it.

I liked the beginning of this movie. The shooting contest was great. After that, I thought it became very "average." I am a big Jimmy Stewart fan, but I didn't think this was one of his best movies. Here are my recommended Stewart films:

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE

ANATOMY OF A MURDER

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON

REAR WINDOW

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

There are a lot of other good ones, but those are my favorites.

Stewart is, in my opinion, the greatest American film actor.  Anatomy of a Murder and It's a Wonderful Life are probably his two best performances.

Winchester '73 is a terrific film, and has a place in film history.  The producers couldn't afford Stewart's acting fee, and he thus became the first actor to take a piece of the gross.  Stewart made zillions and actors have been grabbing part of the gate ever since.

Ken Begg wrote:

> Stewart is, in my opinion, the greatest American film actor.

I think he is definitely one of the greatest. He's right up there with:

* Spencer Tracy
* Marlon Brando
* Paul Newman
* Dustin Hoffman
* Robert DeNiro
* Al Pacino
* Gene Hackman

It's just a shame that Stewart ended his career with movies like AIRPORT '77.

I guess even the mighty can fall . . .

Well, I've seen IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, REAR WINDOW, and some of MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. Memorable actor for sure. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE is on my list of films to view.

I didn't like the way WINCHESTER 73 played around with Wyatt Earp. Making him a crusty old guy in Dodge City when that was before his days in Tombstone. I was surprised to see Shelly Winters as the woman. The film is also filmed in a place that I visited around Easter time just outside Tucson, Arizona. All the location shots were very familiar even after 50 years. The old west town there burnt down, but they rebuilt it. Its called Old Tucson Studios. When you go don't forget to go to Big Jakes restruant inside of Old Tucson Studios for some of the best ribs you can buy.

Well, of the people on your list, only Newman and Tracy could do comedy as well as dramatic roles.  And neither as well as Stewart did.  Actors seldom have that versatility any more.  So I'm sticking with Stewart.

Here's probably the strongest part of my argument:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Destry Rides Again
Philadelphia Story
It's a Wonderful Life
Winchester '73
Harvey
Rear Window
Vertigo
Anatomy of a Murder
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Those are his outright classics, and each (except for Philidelphia Story and Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) is built around his performance.  To those you can add at least a couple of dozen extremely fine movies.

Ken Begg wrote:

> Well, of the people on your list, only Newman and Tracy could
> do comedy as well as dramatic roles.  And neither as well as
> Stewart did.  Actors seldom have that versatility any more.  

I think you are forgetting Dustin Hoffman, who was hilarious in movies like THE GRADUATE and TOOTSIE. And Paul Newman in SLAPSHOT. And Gene Hackman who was very funny in THE BIRDCAGE and HEARTBREAKERS. Etc., etc.

I can't really say that Stewart was an extremely versatile actor. 99% of the time he played basically the same role: the mild-mannered, likeable, "every man."

But he's still one of my top 5 favorites.

I'd say that Dustin Hoffman probably has the overall highest talent level of the group, followed by Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, and the Stewart coming in as a close #4.

Also with Stephen McNally, Millard Mitchell, Charles Drake, John McIntire, Jay C. Flippen, and Will Geer as Wyatt Earp.

This would be Tony Curtis' 9th film and Rock Hudson's 6th.

Another great western. It would be remade some years later with Tom Tryon and Dan Duryea in the cast.