This Is The Hardest Western Movie Quiz You’ll Try Today

Answers Below – No Peeking!

Think you’re a true fan of Western cinema? Test your knowledge with this ultimate trivia quiz covering classic Spaghetti Westerns, revisionist masterpieces, and neo-Western gems. Questions range from moderately tricky to downright fiendish – can you score a perfect 20/20?

20 Trivia Questions on Western Movies

Question 1: Who directed the iconic Western The Searchers (1956)?

A. Howard Hawks
B. Anthony Mann
C. John Ford
D. Delmer Daves

Question 2: Which actor won his only Academy Award for portraying Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969)?

A. Glen Campbell
B. Dennis Hopper
C. Kim Darby
D. John Wayne

Question 3: In Unforgiven (1992), who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as Sheriff Little Bill Daggett?

A. Morgan Freeman
B. Clint Eastwood
C. Richard Harris
D. Gene Hackman

Question 4: Which actor played the chilling villain Frank in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)?

A. Charles Bronson
B. Jack Elam
C. Jason Robards
D. Henry Fonda

Question 5: The Magnificent Seven (1960) is a remake of which Akira Kurosawa film?

A. Rashomon
B. Yojimbo
C. Throne of Blood
D. Seven Samurai

Question 6: In High Noon (1952), what time does the noon train arrive, bringing the killers back to town?

A. 11:00 a.m.
B. 12:30 p.m.
C. 10:30 a.m.
D. Noon

Question 7: Which Western features the famous line “Who are these guys?” spoken about pursuing lawmen?

A. The Wild Bunch
B. The Sting
C. Paper Moon
D. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Question 8: Which Coen Brothers neo-Western won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2008?

A. True Grit
B. Fargo
C. The Big Lebowski
D. No Country for Old Men

Question 9: Who directed the groundbreaking violence-filled Western The Wild Bunch (1969)?

A. Sergio Leone
B. John Ford
C. Clint Eastwood
D. Sam Peckinpah

Question 10: Which 1939 film marked John Wayne’s breakthrough starring role under John Ford’s direction?

A. Red River
B. The Quiet Man
C. Sands of Iwo Jima
D. Stagecoach

Question 11: In Clint Eastwood’s Pale Rider (1985), what does the mysterious gunslinger refer to himself as?

A. The Stranger
B. Marshal
C. Gunslinger
D. Preacher

Question 12: In the original 3:10 to Yuma (1957), who played the charismatic outlaw Ben Wade?

A. Van Heflin
B. Henry Fonda
C. Felicia Farr
D. Glenn Ford

Question 13: How many Academy Awards did Dances with Wolves (1990) win, including Best Picture?

A. 4
B. 11
C. 2
D. 7

Question 14: Who directed and starred as the titular character in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)?

A. John Wayne
B. Gene Hackman
C. Sam Peckinpah
D. Clint Eastwood

Question 15: In Open Range (2003), who directed and produced the film starring Robert Duvall?

A. Robert Duvall
B. Kevin Costner
C. Annette Bening
D. Michael Gambon

Question 16: Which actor’s portrayal of Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993) is widely regarded as definitive?

A. Kurt Russell
B. Dennis Quaid
C. Sam Elliott
D. Val Kilmer

Question 17: Who directed The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)?

A. Brad Pitt
B. Casey Affleck
C. Sam Rockwell
D. Andrew Dominik

Question 18: In Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), what is the name of the remote mining town?

A. Deadwood
B. Zinc Creek
C. Doctor’s Point
D. Presbyterian Church

Question 19: Which musician made a memorable acting appearance as Alias in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)?

A. Kris Kristofferson
B. James Coburn
C. Bob Dylan
D. Slim Pickens

Question 20: Which 2016 neo-Western features Jeff Bridges as an ageing Texas Ranger pursuing bank robbers?

A. Sicario
B. No Country for Old Men
C. Wind River
D. Hell or High Water

Answers

  1. C. John Ford – Ford helmed the 1956 epic starring John Wayne; Hawks directed Rio Bravo, Mann made Winchester ’73, and Daves filmed 3:10 to Yuma.
  2. D. John Wayne – Wayne earned Best Actor for his role; Campbell, Hopper, and Darby were supporting cast in the film.
  3. D. Gene Hackman – Hackman won for his brutal sheriff; Eastwood directed/starred as Munny, Freeman played Ned Logan, Harris was English Bob.
  4. D. Henry Fonda – Fonda’s rare villain role shocked audiences; Bronson was Harmonica, Robards Cheyenne, Elam Snakey.
  5. D. Seven Samurai – The 1960 remake adapts Kurosawa’s 1954 classic; the others are different samurai tales.
  6. D. Noon – The film’s real-time tension builds to the killers’ noon arrival; other times do not match the plot.
  7. D. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Paul Newman repeatedly asks about the persistent posse; the others lack this line.
  8. D. No Country for Old Men – It swept Oscars including Best Picture; True Grit remake got 10 nominations but no Best Picture win.
  9. D. Sam Peckinpah – Peckinpah revolutionised Western violence; Leone did Spaghetti Westerns, Ford classics like The Searchers.
  10. D. Stagecoach – Wayne’s Stagecoach role launched his stardom; Red River (1948) was later.
  11. D. Preacher – Eastwood’s anti-hero is called Preacher; other names do not fit the character.
  12. D. Glenn Ford – Ford starred as the outlaw opposite Heflin’s rancher; Fonda was in other Westerns.
  13. D. 7 – It won Best Picture, Director, and five others; totals for others are incorrect.
  14. D. Clint Eastwood – Eastwood directed and played Wales; Wayne starred in different films.
  15. B. Kevin Costner – Costner directed/produced/starring with Duvall; others were cast members.
  16. D. Val Kilmer – Kilmer’s “I’m your huckleberry” Doc is legendary; others played Earp brothers or Ike Clanton.
  17. D. Andrew Dominik – Dominik directed Pitt as Jesse; Affleck played Ford, Rockwell Charley.
  18. D. Presbyterian Church – Altman’s film centres on this fictional town; Deadwood is from the HBO series.
  19. C. Bob Dylan – Dylan acted and contributed songs; Kristofferson played Billy, Coburn Garrett.
  20. D. Hell or High Water – Bridges won Oscar nom for his role; others feature different lawmen.

How many did you get right? Share your score in the comments below and challenge your friends to beat it – true Western fans only!