Summary Western movies are known for their epic bar fights and saloon brawls, which often serve as moments of resolution for the cast of characters.
The best bar fights in Westerns involve iconic imagery, quick-draw gunfights, the use of furniture and bottles, and one man fighting against many.
Some notable Western movies with memorable bar fights include Blazing Saddles, Shanghai Noon, and Dodge City, each offering unique twists and subversions of genre tropes.
The Western genre is known for its epic bar fights and saloon brawls, but some movies stand out as having the best. Westerns frequently include shootouts and fights, but the bar fight is particularly memorable because of the iconic imagery of the Old West saloon. It’s in the bar that the cast of characters must often come together and resolve their tensions one way or another.
Westerns have been around since the dawn of cinema, and they have a particular hold on American filmmaking. Familiar genre tropes of Western movies include vigilantism, gun fights, and a lone male character out for revenge. Within the saloon brawl, some additional moments can be found across many Westerns. They include the quick draw of guns, the use of furniture and bottles in brawls, and one man fighting against many. A Western with a good bar fight must understand the tropes and how to subvert them.
Related 10 Best Fist Fights In Western Movies Westerns are known for their shootouts, but there are plenty of memorable fist fights included in the Western movies genre involving major stars.
10 Blazing Saddles (1974)
A cross-genre fight scene makes for meta hilarity in the Western spoof.
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Blazing Saddles Release Date February 7, 1974 Director Mel Brooks Cast gene wilder , Mel Brooks , Cleavon Little , Madeline Kahn , Harvey Korman Runtime 93 minutes
Mel Brooks’s best movies are known for their satiric adaptations of classic American films. For his take on the Western genre as a whole, Brooks worked with frequent collaborator Gene Wilder to make fun of the tropes that the genre is known for. Of course, this means the bar brawl is anything but ordinary. When the fight breaks out in Blazing Saddles, the action spills onto a neighboring movie set in a meta acknowledgment of the film’s fictional world. Before this, the fight consists mainly of the characters throwing pies at each other in a slapstick subversion of the usually tension-filled fight scene.
9 Shanghai Noon (2000)
An infusion of martial arts elevates the action in the Western comedy.
Shanghai Noon is a modern twist on the Western starring Owen Wilson and martial arts movie legend Jackie Chan. The latter plays an Imperial Guard from China who travels to Nevada while trying to rescue a lost princess. It’s here he meets Wilson’s character, and they attempt to save the princess together. Shanghai Noon delivers a combination of martial arts and classic Western gun-slinging in its action scenes, especially the bar fight. Chan shows off his abilities in fight choreography, elevating the brawl to another level with its unique style and exciting stunts.
8 Blood On The Moon (1948)
Mitchum and Preston duke it out in the psychological Western noir.
Starring Robert Mitchum, Blood on the Moon revolves around a dispute between cowherds and homesteaders in the Old West. Mitchum starred in several Westerns, including El Dorado and The Way West. His ability to play the rugged hero is exemplified in the fight scene in Blood on the Moon. The scene is a one-on-one battle between Mitchum and his co-star Robert Preston. The dramatic lighting and great performances show what a test of wills the fight is for the two men. Both are left bruised and bloody, but Mitchum lands the final blow.
7 My Name Is Nobody (1973)
A silly tactic gives the bar brawl a memorable moment.
My Name Is Nobody is an excellent blend of action and levity, and though there are comedic elements, it includes a fantastic saloon scene. In the film, Terence Hill’s character attempts to convince Henry Fonda’s aging gunslinger to come out of retirement for one last fight against a fearsome enemy. A young man with something to prove, Hill’s Nobody engages in a funny, but impressive bar fight where he continuously slaps his opponent’s face while grabbing his guns. This maneuver both confuses and outwits his enemy, as well as the bar patrons.
6 Desperado (1995)
Antonio Banderas bests numerous adversaries in an action-packed shootout.
Robert Rodriguez made Desperado to show a different kind of West than the one typically portrayed in the genre. Antonio Banderas plays the protagonist, El Mariachi, who gets involved in drug trafficking, culminating in an action-packed bar scene. Banderas is caught carrying weapons and a fast-paced gunfight ensues. Part of what makes this scene so exciting is the odds that Banderas is against. With many men against him, he dodges bullets and makes it out alive in an unforgettable scene.
5 Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Daniel Craig makes the most of his surroundings in a throwback to Western convention.
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Former James Bond actor Daniel Craig plays a memorable cowboy in Cowboys & Aliens. The film adds a sci-fi angle to the Western formula and sees Craig’s character and his allies fighting against aliens in the Old West. In the saloon brawl scene, Craig’s hero is up against a group of men who have come to arrest him. Using his fighting skills, he makes quick work of them, and the film utilizes the space well by incorporating many of the elements of a Western bar. In the end, he is arrested, but only because he is double-crossed.
4 The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Denzel Washington delivers a shorter saloon brawl than usual.
The Magnificent Seven Release Date September 23, 2016 Director Antoine Fuqua Cast Haley Bennett , Chris Pratt2 , Ethan Hawke , Sean Bridgers , Vinnie Jones , Matt Bomer , Byung-hun Lee , Denzel Washington , Peter Sarsgaard , Vincent D’Onofrio , Cam Gigandet Runtime 132minutes
The 2016 version of The Magnificent Seven is a modern take on a story that has been made several times. The 1960 original is a re-imagining of the 1954 film The Seven Samurai. In the film, seven men are hired by a group of townspeople to protect them from criminals who are terrorizing the town. Denzel Washington stars in his first Western movie and plays a pivotal role in the film’s saloon fight. The brawl is over in an instant after a slow build of tension. Washington shoots several men almost without looking and at the thought of going up against him, all the other patrons flee.
3 Unforgiven (1992)
Eastwood vs. Hackman, ’nuff said.
Clint Eastwood directs and stars in Unforgiven, taking on the role of a righteous vigilante once again. He brushes up against the law and the outlaws in the town and fights against them alone in a bar brawl. Entering the bar with a fearsome air, he holds a group of men at gunpoint but just wants the crooked sheriff, played by Gene Hackman. Their standoff lasts a long time, building tension, as Hackman and Eastwood’s characters air their grievances. Ultimately, Eastwood’s Munny takes down Hackman’s Sheriff “Little” Bill, but then has the rest of the townspeople to deal with.
2 Dodge City (1939)
Dancing leads to fighting with a huge number of participants.
Dodge City takes place in the titular Kansas location and stars Errol Flynn as a cowboy turned sheriff. Flynn’s character wants to make the town safe again, and have the citizens live by the law. The film’s bar scene bursts with energy, beginning with a dance number that quickly devolves into a fight between the many patrons of the bar. Chairs are thrown, curtains are torn down, and bottles are smashed over heads. The sheer number of people involved makes the scene unique, and all of its iconic moments make it a clear inspiration for many Westerns that came after.
1 For A Few Dollars More (1965)
The Man with No Name kicks off a fight with no guns.
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For a Few Dollars More is the second film in the Dollars Trilogy by Sergio Leone. It stars Clint Eastwood reprising his role and Lee Van Cleef joining him on his crusade against a band of outlaws. As the action grows, Eastwood’s “Man with No Name” picks a fight in a bar and handles it easily with his fists. He is only forced to show his gun-slinging abilities when he is ambushed from behind. It’s then that the hero shoots the three men almost instantly and finishes the fight by shooting another without looking. This bar fight cements Eastwood’s character as a fearsome cowboy and includes some fun stunts.