TopTenREVIEWS best Western movie director of all time is Clint Eastwood.

Top Western Directors

Click on an director for details and movie rankings

Directors are ranked according to overall movie critic score

1	Clint Eastwood	2.9876	29	1970s - 7 1980s - 7 1990s - 8 2000s - 7	1. Unforgiven (1992) 2. Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) 3. High Plains Drifter (1973) 4. Bronco Billy (1980) See all Clint Eastwood movie rankings
2	John Ford	2.9526	77	1910s - 4 1920s - 12 1930s - 24 1940s - 15 1950s - 15 1960s - 5 1970s - 2	1. Searchers, The (1956) 2. 3 Godfathers (1948) 3. Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962) 4. Fort Apache (1948) See all John Ford movie rankings
3	Sam Peckinpah	2.9094	14	1960s - 4 1970s - 9 1980s - 1	1. Wild Bunch, The (1969) 2. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) 3. Junior Bonner (1972) 4. Ballad of Cable Hogue, The (1970) See all Sam Peckinpah movie rankings
4	Anthony Mann	2.6825	34	1940s - 14 1950s - 15 1960s - 5	1. Man of the West (1958) 2. Man from Laramie, The (1955) 3. Bend of the River (1952) 4. Cimarron (1960) See all Anthony Mann movie rankings
5	Howard Hawks	2.6214	40	1920s - 7 1930s - 14 1940s - 10 1950s - 5 1960s - 3 1970s - 1	1. Red River (1948) 2. Barbary Coast (1935) 3. Rio Bravo (1959) 4. Rio Lobo (1970) See all Howard Hawks movie rankings
6	Michael Curtiz	2.5543	109	1910s - 4 1920s - 19 1930s - 42 1940s - 21 1950s - 19 1960s - 4	1. Dodge City (1939) 2. Comancheros, The (1961) 3. Virginia City (1940) 4. Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) See all Michael Curtiz movie rankings
7	John Sturges	2.5173	40	1940s - 8 1950s - 18 1960s - 10 1970s - 4	1. Magnificent Seven, The (1960) 2. Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) 3. Hour of the Gun (1967) 4. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) See all John Sturges movie rankings
8	William A. Wellman	2.4119	62	1920s - 13 1930s - 26 1940s - 12 1950s - 11	1. Ox-Bow Incident, The (1943) 2. Yellow Sky (1948) 3. Buffalo Bill (1944) 4. Track of the Cat (1954) See all William A. Wellman movie rankings
9	Henry King	2.3809	104	1910s - 38 1920s - 24 1930s - 17 1940s - 13 1950s - 11 1960s - 1	1. In Old Chicago (1937) 2. Gunfighter, The (1950) 3. Bravados, The (1958) 4. Jesse James (1939) See all Henry King movie rankings
10	George Marshall	2.3637	130	1910s - 26 1920s - 19 1930s - 38 1940s - 19 1950s - 21 1960s - 7	1. Destry Rides Again (1939) 2. Texas (1941) 3. Fancy Pants (1950) 4. Destry (1954) See all George Marshall movie rankings
11	Henry Hathaway	2.3573	60	1930s - 19 1940s - 15 1950s - 15 1960s - 8 1970s - 3	1. True Grit (1969) 2. Sons of Katie Elder, The (1965) 3. North to Alaska (1960) 4. 5 Card Stud (1968) See all Henry Hathaway movie rankings
12	John Huston	2.3473	37	1940s - 7 1950s - 9 1960s - 10 1970s - 6 1980s - 5	1. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948) 2. Misfits, The (1961) 3. Unforgiven, The (1960) 4. Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The (1972) See all John Huston movie rankings
13	Julian Ludwig	2.3310	1	1990s - 1	1. Unforgiven (1992) See all Julian Ludwig movie rankings
14	David Valdes	2.3310	2	1990s - 2	1. Unforgiven (1992) See all David Valdes movie rankings
15	Delmer Daves	2.2755	29	1940s - 9 1950s - 15 1960s - 5	1. Cowboy (1958) 2. Broken Arrow (1950) 3. 3:10 to Yuma (1957) 4. Jubal (1956) See all Delmer Daves movie rankings
16	King Vidor	2.2532	55	1910s - 7 1920s - 21 1930s - 12 1940s - 8 1950s - 6 1980s - 1	1. Northwest Passage (1940) 2. Duel in the Sun (1946) 3. Man Without a Star (1955) 4. Billy the Kid (1930) See all King Vidor movie rankings
17	Budd Boetticher	2.2347	21	1950s - 18 1960s - 2 1970s - 1	1. Ride Lonesome (1959) 2. Seven Men from Now (1956) 3. Tall T, The (1957) 4. Horizons West (1952) See all Budd Boetticher movie rankings
18	Michael D. Moore	2.2205	2	1960s - 1 1970s - 1	1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) See all Michael D. Moore movie rankings
19	George Roy Hill	2.2205	14	1960s - 6 1970s - 5 1980s - 3	1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) See all George Roy Hill movie rankings
20	Arthur Rosson	2.1975	48	1910s - 9 1920s - 29 1930s - 9 1940s - 1	1. Red River (1948) 2. Boots of Destiny (1937) 3. Burning Trail, The (1925) 4. Coming of the Law, The (1919) See all Arthur Rosson movie rankings
21	Andrew V. McLaglen	2.1918	26	1950s - 2 1960s - 11 1970s - 9 1980s - 4	1. McLintock! (1963) 2. Shenandoah (1965) 3. Chisum (1970) 4. Bandolero! (1968) See all Andrew V. McLaglen movie rankings
22	Fred Zinnemann	2.1910	40	1930s - 13 1940s - 13 1950s - 8 1960s - 3 1970s - 2 1980s - 1	1. High Noon (1952) 2. Oklahoma! (1955) See all Fred Zinnemann movie rankings
23	Stanley Donen	2.1696	26	1940s - 1 1950s - 12 1960s - 8 1970s - 3 1980s - 2	1. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) See all Stanley Donen movie rankings
24	Raoul Walsh	2.1556	104	1910s - 21 1920s - 18 1930s - 24 1940s - 21 1950s - 18 1960s - 2	1. They Died with Their Boots On (1941) 2. Big Trail, The (1930) 3. Pursued (1947) 4. Dark Command (1940) See all Raoul Walsh movie rankings
25	Don Siegel	2.1402	29	1940s - 4 1950s - 14 1960s - 2 1970s - 7 1980s - 2	1. Shootist, The (1976) 2. Flaming Star (1960) 3. Duel at Silver Creek, The (1952) 4. Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) See all Don Siegel movie rankings
26	Robert Aldrich	2.1281	26	1950s - 9 1960s - 9 1970s - 7 1980s - 1	1. Apache (1954) 2. 4 for Texas (1963) 3. Frisco Kid, The (1979) 4. Vera Cruz (1954) See all Robert Aldrich movie rankings
27	Arthur Penn	2.0881	13	1950s - 1 1960s - 4 1970s - 3 1980s - 4 1990s - 1	1. Little Big Man (1970) 2. Missouri Breaks, The (1976) 3. Left Handed Gun, The (1958) See all Arthur Penn movie rankings
28	Robert Stevenson	2.0638	38	1930s - 8 1940s - 9 1950s - 5 1960s - 11 1970s - 5	1. Old Yeller (1957) See all Robert Stevenson movie rankings
29	Martin Ritt	2.0418	22	1950s - 5 1960s - 7 1970s - 6 1980s - 3 1990s - 1	1. Hud (1963) 2. Hombre (1967) 3. Outrage, The (1964) See all Martin Ritt movie rankings
30	Robert Altman	2.0347	47	1950s - 12 1960s - 4 1970s - 12 1980s - 8 1990s - 6 2000s - 5	1. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) See all Robert Altman movie rankings
31	James Edward Grant	2.0178	2	1940s - 1 1950s - 1	1. Angel and the Badman (1947) See all James Edward Grant movie rankings
32	George Sherman	2.0055	103	1930s - 19 1940s - 46 1950s - 27 1960s - 10 1970s - 1	1. Pals of the Saddle (1938) 2. Big Jake (1971) 3. New Frontier (1939) 4. Night Riders, The (1939) See all George Sherman movie rankings
33	Cecil B. DeMille	1.9886	61	1910s - 32 1920s - 14 1930s - 8 1940s - 5 1950s - 2	1. Unconquered (1947) 2. Plainsman, The (1936) 3. North West Mounted Police (1940) 4. Union Pacific (1939) See all Cecil B. DeMille movie rankings
34	Sergio Leone	1.9840	7	1960s - 5 1970s - 1 1980s - 1	1. Fistful of Dollars, A (1964) 2. Fistful of Dynamite, A (1971) 3. Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, The (1968) See all Sergio Leone movie rankings
35	Edward Dmytryk	1.9693	53	1930s - 1 1940s - 24 1950s - 16 1960s - 8 1970s - 4	1. Broken Lance (1954) 2. Shalako (1968) 3. Alvarez Kelly (1966) 4. Warlock (1959) See all Edward Dmytryk movie rankings
36	Joseph Kane	1.9686	94	1930s - 31 1940s - 38 1950s - 21 1960s - 3 1970s - 1	1. Billy the Kid Returns (1938) 2. Flame of Barbary Coast (1945) 3. King of the Pecos (1936) 4. Lonely Trail, The (1936) See all Joseph Kane movie rankings
37	Fritz Lang	1.9685	45	1910s - 5 1920s - 10 1930s - 7 1940s - 9 1950s - 13 1960s - 1	1. Rancho Notorious (1952) 2. Western Union (1941) 3. Return of Frank James, The (1940) See all Fritz Lang movie rankings
38	Sydney Pollack	1.9634	20	1960s - 4 1970s - 6 1980s - 3 1990s - 4 2000s - 3	1. Jeremiah Johnson (1972) 2. Electric Horseman, The (1979) 3. Scalphunters, The (1968) See all Sydney Pollack movie rankings
39	Ang Lee	1.9563	12	1990s - 7 2000s - 5	1. Brokeback Mountain (2005) 2. Ride with the Devil (1999) See all Ang Lee movie rankings
40	James Mangold	1.9251	8	1990s - 4 2000s - 4	1. 3:10 to Yuma (2007) See all James Mangold movie rankings
41	Nicholas Ray	1.9074	21	1940s - 2 1950s - 15 1960s - 2 1970s - 2	1. Johnny Guitar (1954) 2. Lusty Men, The (1952) 3. Run for Cover (1955) 4. True Story of Jesse James, The (1957) See all Nicholas Ray movie rankings
42	Kathryn Bigelow	1.9061	9	1970s - 1 1980s - 2 1990s - 3 2000s - 3	1. Near Dark (1987) See all Kathryn Bigelow movie rankings
43	R.G. Springsteen	1.8976	68	1940s - 27 1950s - 29 1960s - 12	1. Marshal of Laredo (1945) 2. Apache Uprising (1966) 3. Johnny Reno (1966) 4. Stagecoach to Denver (1946) See all R.G. Springsteen movie rankings
44	Andr� De Toth	1.8957	22	1940s - 5 1950s - 13 1960s - 3 1980s - 1	1. Ramrod (1947) 2. Stranger Wore a Gun, The (1953) 3. Indian Fighter, The (1955) 4. Day of the Outlaw (1959) See all Andr� De Toth movie rankings
45	Tom Gries	1.8810	12	1950s - 2 1960s - 3 1970s - 7	1. Will Penny (1968) 2. Breakheart Pass (1975) 3. 100 Rifles (1969) 4. Journey Through Rosebud (1972) See all Tom Gries movie rankings
46	William Wyler	1.8759	61	1920s - 30 1930s - 13 1940s - 7 1950s - 7 1960s - 3 1970s - 1	1. Westerner, The (1940) 2. Big Country, The (1958) 3. Blazing Days (1927) 4. Border Cavalier, The (1927) See all William Wyler movie rankings
47	George Sidney	1.8589	45	1930s - 13 1940s - 16 1950s - 9 1960s - 7	1. Annie Get Your Gun (1950) 2. Harvey Girls, The (1946) See all George Sidney movie rankings
48	Martin Campbell	1.8442	11	1970s - 3 1980s - 1 1990s - 4 2000s - 3	1. Mask of Zorro, The (1998) 2. Legend of Zorro, The (2005) See all Martin Campbell movie rankings
49	Michael Crichton	1.8428	6	1970s - 3 1980s - 3	1. Westworld (1973) See all Michael Crichton movie rankings
50	Otto Preminger	1.8401	37	1930s - 4 1940s - 10 1950s - 13 1960s - 6 1970s - 4	1. River of No Return (1954) See all Otto Preminger movie rankings

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