The first motion picture to tell a story, have a plot, use close-ups, have actual cuts, and on and on, was The Great Train Robbery of 1903. The Western is as old as cinema itself.

By 1950, the Western had gone through quite an evolution. The series Western was on its last legs, with cowboy stars like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers moving (some would say defecting) to television. To combat TV, and to get people off their sofas and back into theaters, the studios tried a slew of processes and gimmicks — along with a shift towards more adult-oriented material. That was one thing TV couldn’t offer.

That’s a bit simplistic — there was certainly a post-war shift in attitudes, the influence of film noir and other factors, but you get the idea. The takeaway here is that a “50s Western” is a category unto itself — and once you’ve seen a stack of them, you’ll know what I’m talking about. And that’s exactly what I’m suggesting you do: watch a stack of them — big ones and small ones, classics and programmers.

There were hundreds, maybe thousands of Westerns stampeding out of Hollywood over the course of the decade. It would be foolish to head west without a trail boss, so I’ve put together a short list of recommendations (avoiding obvious ones like Shane and The Searchers). Most are available on DVD and/or Blu-ray.

The Gunfighter (1950)

Directed by Henry King

With Gregory Peck, Millard Mitchell, Karl Malden, Richard Jaeckel, Helen Westcott, Skip Homeier

In a lot of ways, The Gunfighter (along with Winchester ’73 from the same year) serves as a prototype for the 50s Western. Peck wants to hang up his guns and live a normal life with his estranged wife and son. But his reputation, and every punk kid with a pistol, won’t let that happen. This plotline is a bit of a cliché today, but it all started here. The direction, performances and camerawork are all note-perfect. King and Peck ended the decade with another superior Western, The Bravados (1958).

Bells of Coronado (1950)

Directed by William Witney

With Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Pat Brady, Grant Withers, Trigger

Toward the end of his run with Republic, Rogers appeared in a handful of films shot in TruColor. Bells Of Coronado isn’t necessarily the best one, though it’s wonderful — it’s the only one Republic released uncut on DVD. Roy’s after foreign agents this time around. William Witney was one of the pioneers of on-screen action, and by this time he was making fast, furious fight scenes like the rest of us would make a ham sandwich. It’s a shame that as the series Western was winding down (Republic released its last, Phantom Stallion, in 1954), they were better than ever.

Wagon Master (1950)

Directed by John Ford

With Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Ward Bond, Charles Kemper, Joanne Dru

Johnson and Carey lead a wagon train of Mormons west, encountering Kemper’s evil brood along the way. It’s a deceptively simple film, and a truly great one. Ford often named this as his personal favorite of his films. The DVD commentary by Carey and Peter Bogdanovich (incorporating old interviews with Ford) is priceless.

Westward the Women (1952)

Directed by William A. Wellman

With Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel, John McIntire

The story — Bob Taylor leads a wagon train of women West to marry lonely cowboys — could have been a stupid, offensive mess. But in the capable hands of William Wellman, working from Frank Capra’s story idea, it’s probably one of the most powerful, moving Westerns of the decade. The DVD includes a fascinating promotional short on the film’s trying location work.

Hondo (1953)

Directed by John Farrow

With John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate, Leo Gordon, James Arness

John Wayne in 3D was Hondo’s draw back in the gimmicky early 50s. Now, after being out of circulation for decade, it stands as a superior Western with excellent performances by all concerned. Michael Pate makes a strong impression as the Apache Vittorio. Try the Blu-ray, which preserves the original widescreen framing.

Silver Lode (1954)

Directed by Allan Dwan

With John Payne, Dan Duryea, Lizabeth Scott

In the documentary on the DVD of 7 Men from Now (1956), Clint Eastwood says, “In all those B movies, there’s a lot of great stuff that came up in that era that the big movies were afraid to try. Because they were small pictures, the studio didn’t really pay too much attention to ‘em and these guys would slide in all kinds of interesting things.” Silver Lode is a great example, packing anti-McCarthy commentary into a solid, gripping 80-minute cowboy movie. That it works so well as both is a testament to all concerned, especially director Allan Dwan and cinematographer John Alton.

The Man from Laramie (1955)

Directed by Anthony Mann

With James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp

James Stewart and Anthony Mann made a handful of Westerns that took the genre to places some wish it’d never gone — brutality, revenge and redemption are common themes in these films. The Man From Laramie was their last collaboration, and in many ways it’s the best, King Lear on horseback. The Western would never be the same. Essential.

7 Men from Now (1956)

Directed by Budd Boetticher

With Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, Lee Marvin

The first of what would be called the Ranown Cycle, a series of tough, terrific Westerns starring Randolph Scott, directed by Budd Boetticher and usually written by Burt Kennedy. It’s almost impossible to recommend just one, so the first one gets the nod. Once you’ve seen this one, you’ll seek out the rest.

The Fastest Gun Alive (1956)

Directed by Russell Rouse

With Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, Broderick Crawford

Gunslinger Broderick Crawford hears there’s someone in town that’s quick with a gun, and he won’t leave until the guy comes forward and takes him on. Glenn Ford is the fast-draw shopkeeper who refuses to pick up his guns. A tense, taut Western with a clever, satisfying ending. The next year, Ford would appear in 3:10 To Yuma, a great film.

Fury at Showdown (1957) - Not yet on DVD

Directed by Gerd Oswald

With John Derek, John Smith, Nick Adams, Carolyn Craig

Shot in five days on a shoestring budget — and it puts much bigger films to shame. John Derek returns to the family ranch after time in prison, and finds it very hard to put down his gun. The relationship between Derek and his younger brother (Nick Adams) is very well handled. Remember, it was shot in a week! Gerd Oswald’s direction is brilliant — low-budget filmmaking at its best.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Directed by John Sturges

With Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, John Ireland, Jo Van Fleet

Director John Sturges (quoted in the excellent book Escape Artist): “Burt told me he didn’t think I was much of a director at all. He thought Gunfight was nowheresville — until he saw it. Then he decided I was one of the greatest directors of all time.” Burt’s right, it’s a flawed film. But it’s put together with such skill, and propelled by so much star power, that it emerges as a great Western. Charles Lang’s VistaVision and Technicolor photography and Dimitri Tiomkin’s score are both top-notch. Not to be missed.

The Big Country (1958)

Directed by William Wyler

With Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker, Burl Ives

Many of the giant-screen roadshow epics of the 50s and 60s collapse under their own weight — especially since we can’t see them in the picture palaces they were designed for. The Big Country is an exception, placing an emphasis on character. Burl Ives is riveting in this one (and snagged an Oscar for it). The score by Jerome Moross is one of the genre’s (and maybe Hollywood’s) best. By all means, go the Blu-ray route with this one.

No Name on the Bullet (1959)

Directed by Jack Arnold

With Audie Murphy, Charles Drake, Joan Evans, Virginia Grey

World War II’s most decorated soldier, Audie Murphy, became one of Universal’s biggest cowboy stars. Director Jack Arnold made some terrific films for the studio — Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), etc. It’s a shame Universal didn’t pair them up sooner, or again. Murphy plays a hired killer who rides into a town and prompts his victims into drawing on him first. When he rides into Lordsburg, paranoia sets in. Who is he here for? This is one of the most psychological of the 50s Westerns, building tension with each character Murphy encounters. It’s Jack Arnold’s best Western. Maybe Murphy’s, too.

Rio Bravo (1959)

Directed by Howard Hawks

With John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond

Some movies are magic. This is one of them. Wayne is a sheriff keeping a local hooligan (Claude Akins) in jail against the wishes of said hooligan’s powerful brother. But it’s relationships, not plot, that matter here. Howard Hawks introduces us to some wonderful characters, played by an incredible cast, and we more or less hang out with them for two hours and 20 minutes. Watching it again and again becomes like visiting with old friends. And as the posters pointed out, “Dean and Ricky sing, too!”

Toby Roan watches a lot of cowboy movies. His blog, 50 Westerns from the 50’s, proves that point.