National Day of the Cowboy

[Finarvyn]

I'm not sure who decided that today was the "National Day of the Cowboy" but I saw an article that showed a slideshow of 25 iconic cowboy characters from film and TV. I don't think they tried to rank them in any way, and in general it looks like they were attempting to avoid too much overlap (Chuck Conors gets two spots, but they only picked one of the Magnificent Seven and other M7 actors are in other spots for different roles) but I thought it was a fun list anyway.

It’s the National Day of the Cowboy! Here, to mark the occasion, are 25 iconic characters—from cowpokes and drifters to lawmen and gunslingers—who defined the Old West in its film and television heyday.

Shane (Shane; 1953) played by Alan Ladd
Blondie (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly; 1966) played by Clint Eastwood
Marshal Matt Dillion (Gunsmoke; 1955-75) played by James Arness
The Sundance Kid (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; 1969) played by Robert Redford
Bret Maverick (Maverick; 1957-62) played by James Garner
Will Kane (High Noon; 1953) played by Gary Cooper
Lucas McCain (The Rifleman; 1958-1963) played by Chuck Connors
Jason McCord (Branded; 1965-66) played by Chuck Connors
Victoria Barkley (The Big Valley; 1965-69) played by Barbara Stanwick
Pike Bishop (The Wild Bunch; 1969) played by William Holden
Paladin (Have Gun, Will Travel; 1957-63) played by Richard Boone
John Russell (Hombre; 1967) played by Paul Newman
Artemus Gordon (The Wild, Wild West; 1965-69) played by Ross Martin
Kid Shaleen (Cat Ballou; 1965) played by Lee Marvin
Mongo (Blazing Saddles; 1974) played by Alex Karras
Captain Wilton Parmenter (F-Troop) played by Ken Berry
Marshal Barry “Bat” Masterson (Bat Masterson) played by Gene Barry
Kwai Chang Kane (Kung Fu; 1972-75) played by David Carradine
Fred C. Dobbs (The Treasure of Sierra Madre; 1948) played by Humphry Bogart
Britt (The Magnificent Seven; 1960) played by James Coburn
Josh Randall (Wanted Dead or Alive; 1958-61) played by Steve McQueen
Will Sonnett (The Guns of Will Sonnett; 1968-69) played by Walter Brennan
Gil Carter (The Ox-Bow Incident; 1943) played by Henry Fonda
Gus McCrae (Lonesome Dove; 1989) played by Robert Duvall
Tom Doniphon (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; 1962) played by John Wayne

www.msn.com/en-us/movies/gallery/the-magnificent-25-legends-of-the-western/ss-AAovFq8?ocid=spartandhp#image=1

So ... what do you think?

[Deleted]

I think that John Wayne could be listed multiple times as could others. The list is not bad but you could nitpick a bit about who deserves to be in the top 25 as opposed to the top 200.

How does Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn (True Grit 1969 & Rooster Cogburn 1975 played by John Wayne) not make the list? This list of course does not include the female characters of which Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) and Eula Goodnight (Katharine Hepburn) should be on that list.

[Finarvyn]

Keep in mind that this list of "here are 25" may or may not be a "top 25" list. I have no idea what the author intended. It's clear that only one actor from a given source is given (e.g. only one of the Magnificent Seven, one from Gunsmoke, etc.) and other than Chuck Connors no actor is listed twice.

My own list would include Marshal Jim Crown from Cimarron Strip, and would have several John Wayne entries.

[Deleted]

Oh and let's not forget, Cheyenne Bodie (Cheyenne 1955-1963) played by Clint Walker (who by the way is now 90 years old)