The 40 most popular 1930s western movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Stagecoach
1939 · 1h 36m
country: United States
A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo, and learn something about each other in the process.


Guilty Trail
1938 · 57m
country: United States
Banker Eason uses Yates to stage a fake holdup and in the ensuing chase and gunfight Eason kills Lawson. Sheriff Bob Higgins was in the chase and in the confusion thinks he killed him. Quitting as Sheriff he later finds Yates gold piece at the scene. But just as he is about to get a confession from Yates, Eason shoots Yates.


Destry Rides Again
1939 · 1h 34m
country: United States
Tom Destry, son of a legendary frontier peacekeeper, doesn’t believe in gunplay. Thus he becomes the object of widespread ridicule when he rides into the wide-open town of Bottleneck, the personal fiefdom of the crooked Kent.


Jesse James
1939 · 1h 46m
country: United States
After railroad agents forcibly evict the James family from their family farm, Jesse and Frank turn to banditry for revenge.


Dodge City
1939 · 1h 44m
country: United States
In this epic Western, Wade Hatton, a wagon master turned sheriff, tames a cow town at the end of a railroad line.


Fighting Fury
1934 · 1h 1m
country: United States
A lawman, his dog and his trusty white stallion fight a gang of outlaws.


The Plainsman
1936 · 1h 53m
country: United States
Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Buffalo Bill go up against Indians and a gunrunner.


Hello Trouble
1932 · 1h 7m
country: United States
After killing a friend in a gunfight, Jeff Douglas quits the Texas Rangers. He arrives at the Kenyon ranch just as Jonathan Kenyon apparently commits suicide. He and Janet Kenyon then become the new half owners. At first, he refuses to wear a gun and is believed to be a coward, but as trouble mounts, he straps it on once again.


Cimarron
1931 · 2h 3m
country: United States
When the government opens up the Oklahoma territory for settlement, restless Yancey Cravat claims a plot of the free land for himself and moves his family there from Wichita. A newspaperman, lawyer, and just about everything else, Cravat soon becomes a leading citizen of the boom town of Osage. Once the town is established, however, he begins to feel confined once again, and heads for the Cherokee Strip, leaving his family behind. During this and other absences, his wife Sabra must learn to take care of herself and soon becomes prominent in her own right.


Way Out West
1937 · 1h 4m
country: United States
Stan and Ollie try to deliver the deed to a valuable gold mine to the daughter of a dead prospector. Unfortunately, the daughter's evil guardian is determined to have the gold mine for himself and his saloon-singer wife.


Water for Canitoga
1939 · 1h 59m
country: Germany
In the spring of 1905, the water conduit project in the Canadian city of Canitoga is set to be completed. For years, the completion had been marred by sabotage. Engineer Oliver Montstuart commands the last blasting operation. But again, the explosive charge is too large and thus, further construction is forestalled again. When Montstuart confronts foreman Westbrook, the foreman threatens him with a knife. In self-defence, Montstuart shoots him. Now, he has to flee.


Call of the Wild
1935 · 1h 31m
country: United States
Jack Thornton has trouble winning enough at cards for the stake he needs to get to the Alaska gold fields. His luck changes when he pays $250 for Buck, a sled dog that is part wolf to keep him from being shot by an arrogant Englishman also headed for the Yukon. En route to the Yukon with Shorty Houlihan -- who spent time in jail for opening someone else's letter with a map of where gold is to be found -- Jack rescues a woman whose husband was the addressee of that letter. Buck helps Jack win a $1,000 bet to get the supplies he needs. And when Jack and Claire Blake pet Buck one night, fingers touch.


Sagebrush Trail
1933 · 54m
country: United States
Imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, John Brant escapes and ends up out west where, after giving the local lawmen the slip, he joins up with an outlaw gang. Brant finds out that 'Jones', one of the outlaws he has become friends with, committed the murder that Brant was sent up for, but has no knowledge that anyone was ever put in jail for his crime. Willing to forgive and forget, Brant doesn't realize that 'Jones' has not only fallen for the same pretty shopgirl Brant has, but begins to suspect that Brant is not truly an outlaw.


Union Pacific
1939 · 2h 15m
country: United States
One of the last bills signed by President Lincoln authorizes pushing the Union Pacific Railroad across the wilderness to California. But financial opportunist Asa Barrows hopes to profit from obstructing it. Chief troubleshooter Jeff Butler has his hands full fighting Barrows' agent, gambler Sid Campeau; Campeau's partner Dick Allen is Jeff's war buddy and rival suitor for engineer's daughter Molly Monahan. Who will survive the effort to push the railroad through at any cost?


The Cowboy and the Lady
1938 · 1h 31m
country: United States
Mary Smith decides after a lifetime of being a shut-in to do something wild while her father is out campaigning for the presidency, so she takes off for the family's home in West Palm Beach and inadvertently becomes romantically entangled with earnest cowboy Stretch Willoughby. Neither the dalliance nor the cowboy fit with the upper class image projected by her esteemed father, forcing her to choose.


The Herrgotts-Grenadiers
1932 · 1h 22m
country: Germany
In the middle of the mountains around the Lötschental is a lonely village that is exposed to the forces of nature. A state of excitement arouses when an international mining company discover a gold vein and acquired mining rights.


Allegheny Uprising
1939 · 1h 21m
country: United States
South western Pennsylvania area of colonial America, 1760s. Colonial distaste and disapproval of the British government is starting to surface. Many local colonists have been killed by American Indians who are armed with rifles supplied by white traders.


The Big Trail
1930 · 2h 2m
country: United States
Young scout Breck Coleman leads a wagon train along the dangerous trail to Oregon as he tries to get the affection of the beautiful pioneer Ruth Cameron and plans his revenge on the harsh scoundrels who murdered a friend of his in the past.


The Girl of the Golden West
1938 · 2h 1m
country: United States
A bandit disguises himself as an officer in an attempt to woo a saloon singer.


Frontier Marshal
1939 · 1h 11m
country: United States
Wyatt Earp agrees to become marshal and establish order in Tombstone in this very romanticized version of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.


The Last of the Mohicans
1936 · 1h 31m
country: United States
The story is set in the British province of New York during the French and Indian War, and concerns—in part—a Huron massacre (with passive French acquiescence) of between 500 to 1,500 Anglo-American troops, who had honorably surrendered at Fort William Henry, plus some women and servants; the kidnapping of two sisters, daughters of the British commander; and their rescue by the last Mohicans.


The Trail of the Lonesome Pine
1936 · 1h 36m
country: United States
A well-established tale of a long-running feud between two mountain clans.


Circle Canyon
1933 · 48m
country: United States
The simplified plot has two different gangs attempting to wrest control of valuable Oklahoma oil lands from an orphaned girl, who is aided in her fight by her adopted father Chris Morrell.


Wild Girl
1932 · 1h 18m
country: United States
Salomy Jane, a California mountain girl, is sought after by a number of men in the nearby small town of Redwood City. She is affected when two criminals are pursued by authorities: one for killing a hypocritical mayoral candidate, the other for robbing the stagecoach.


Wells Fargo
1937 · 1h 34m
country: United States
In the 1840s, Ramsey MacKay, the driver for the struggling Wells Fargo mail and freight company, will secure an important contract if he delivers fresh oysters to Buffalo from New York City. When he rescues Justine Pryor and her mother, who are stranded in a broken wagon on his route, he doesn't let them slow him down and gives the ladies an exhilirating ride into Buffalo. He arrives in time to obtain the contract and is then sent by company president Henry Wells to St. Louis to establish a branch office.


Three Godfathers
1936 · 1h 21m
country: United States
In a town called New Jerusalem, three bandits hold up a bank. After a gun battle with the townspeople, the three robbers retreat into the scorching Arizona desert. There, they happen upon an ill woman stranded with her child. As the mother dies, she begs the men to take care of her infant. The fugitives want to save the baby -- but to do so, they'll have to travel back to New Jerusalem, where they are wanted men. Remade as 3 Godfathers (1949).


Born to the West
1937 · 59m
country: United States
Dare Rudd takes a shine to his cattleman cousin Tom's girlfriend who asks Tom to hire Dare to head the big cattle drive. Dare loses the money for the drive to cardsharps, but Tom wins it back, but Dare must save Tom's life.


West of the Divide
1934 · 54m
country: United States
Ted Hayden impersonates a wanted man and joins Gentry's gang only to learn later that Gentry was the one who killed his father.


Barbary Coast
1935 · 1h 30m
country: United States
Mary Rutledge arrives from the east, finds her fiancé dead, and goes to work at the roulette wheel of Luis Chamalis' Bella Donna, a rowdy gambling house in San Francisco in the 1850s. She falls in love with miner Jim Carmichael and takes his gold dust at the wheel. She goes after him, Chamalis goes after her with intent to harm Carmichael.


The Lawless Frontier
1934 · 59m
country: United States
Tobin is after the bandit Zanti who killed his parents. He finds him just as Zanti is about to kill Dusty and kidnap Ruby. Saving the two, he goes after Zanti. He catches him but Zanti escapes the Sheriff's handcuff's and this time Tobin has to chase him into the desert.


Trailing North
1933
country: United States
As Powers is dying he tells Lee to look for a man with a girl named Mitzi. Heading north by dog sled as Curly the Kid, he finds her and her friend Lucky. But Flash is another friend and Lee is in trouble when his true identity becomes known.


The Call of the Desert
1930 · 48m
country: United States
Tod Walker takes Rex Carson's map to a gold mine and leaves him in the desert. Carson recuperates at Jean Walker's ranch and she takes a liking to him. But when her uncle Tod arrives, he claims Carson tried to jump his claim. She sides with her uncle and Carson, banished from the Walker ranch, sets out to get his claim back.


Blue Steel
1934 · 54m
country: United States
When Sheriff Jake sees a man at the safe and then finds the payroll gone, he trails him. Just as he is about to arrest him, the man saves his life. Still suspicious, he joins up with the man and later they learn that Melgrove, the towns leading citizen, is trying to take over the area's ranches by having his gang stop all incoming supply wagons. With the ranchers about to sell to Melgrove, the two newcomers say they will bring in provisions.


Ghost Patrol
1936 · 1h
country: United States
A Professor has an invention that will bring down planes causing them to crash and Dawson is forcing him to use it on those carrying money. When Tim arrives to investigate he is mistaken for a noted outlaw. So he assumes that identity to force Dawson to make him a partner. But just as a plane bringing Tim help is arriving, his true identity is revealed and while he is a prisoner, Dawson forces the Professor to start his machine.


Gold Diggers of '49
1935 · 8m
country: United States
Porky and Beans are prospectors during the Gold Rush. When a villain steals Porky's bag of loot, Beans races to get it back so he can marry Porky's daughter Little Kitty.


The Oklahoma Kid
1939 · 1h 25m
country: United States
McCord's gang robs the stage carrying money to pay Indians for their land, and the notorious outlaw "The Oklahoma Kid" Jim Kincaid takes the money from McCord. McCord stakes a "sooner" claim on land which is to be used for a new town; in exchange for giving it up, he gets control of gambling and saloons. When Kincaid's father runs for mayor, McCord incites a mob to lynch the old man whom McCord has already framed for murder.


Winds of the Wasteland
1936 · 54m
country: United States
The arrival of the telegraph put Pony Express riders like John Blair and his pal Smoky out of work. A race will decide whether they or stageline owner Drake get the government mail contract.


Thunder Trail
1937 · 58m
country: United States
A wagon train is robbed by a gang of bandits who kill everyone but a pair of young brothers. Years later, the brothers join force to bring the bandits' leader to justice.


Annie Oakley
1935 · 1h 30m
country: United States
Awkward Annie loves her sharpshooting rival in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.


Empty Saddles
1936 · 1h 7m
country: United States
Buck runs into trouble when he buys a deserted cattle ranch that he turns into a dude ranch.
The 1930s were the studio system at full power, with sound now fully integrated and the Production Code arriving mid-decade to sharply narrow what films could depict. It's the decade of the Universal monster cycle, screwball comedy, and the first Technicolor spectacles.
The Western built the visual language of American cinema, then spent decades dismantling its own myths. Its influence runs global — the Italian Spaghetti Western and the Japanese samurai film borrowed from it and fed straight back in.