Space Cowpokes

This is an investigation into the connection between westerns and space/sci-fi films. I did a little research and the connection is not even tennuous. It’s a hundreduous! A thousandous even! I don’t know how we didn’t notice, but I can’t find a single Western that does not have a connection to space/sci fi/UFOs etc.

Just look at these snippets from the IMDB page for the 100 Greatest Westerns:

Image of Once Upon a Time in the West

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Epic story of a mysterious alien with a harmonica who joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful alien from a ruthless alien assassin working for the Empire.
Director: Sergio Leone
Stars: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Zurg

Image of High Noon

High Noon (1952)

A marshall, personally compelled to face a returning deadly alien, finds that his own galaxy refuses to help him.
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Stars: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Horrible Gelatinous Blob

Image of Unforgiven

Unforgiven (1992)

Retired Old West starfighter William Munny reluctantly takes on one last alien, with the help of his old partner and a young man.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Lrrr
Image of Bad Day at Black Rock

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

A five-headed alien comes to a tiny town possessing a terrible laser cannon she wants to keep secret, by violent means if necessary.
Director: John Sturges
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Morbo the Annihalator
Image of No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash on the Forest Planet of Endor.
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kneebo Galagat
Image of Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow (1950)

Tom Jeffords tries to make peace between settlers and Borg. He even marries one.
Director: Delmer Daves
Stars: James Stewart, Jeff Chandler, Debra Paget, Basil Ruysdael, T’Atogaar the Glorious
Image of The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

An oppressed Ferengi peasant village assembles seven laserfighters to help defend their planet.
Director: John Sturges
Stars: Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach,  Awah’a’teol
Image of For a Fistful of Dollars

For a Fistful of Cubits (1964)

A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other on a moon torn apart by greed, pride, and low gravity.
Director: Sergio Leone
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volontè, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, Yeegno the Disaster
Image of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a Xenomorph in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote space cemetery.
Director: Sergio Leone
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè,  Vlackno the Terrible

It seems so obvious now! Westerns are Sci-Fi! Sci-Fi are Westerns! Finkle is Einhorn! Now excuse me, I want to go watch Django Fett Unchained. Have a great day! TDC1496

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