5 Worst James Stewart Western Movies, Ranked

Across his expansive career, Jimmy Stewart went all over the place. Just when audiences thought they had this guy all calculated, he'd anchor a dark Alfred Hitchcock movie like "Rope" or "Vertigo." Jimmy Stewart's cinematic exploits also included iconic forays into the Western world. The best Jimmy Stewart Westerns are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his unforgettable exploits in this genre. If you needed someone in the mid-20th century to saddle up for a new Western, Stewart was a reliable and superb choice. 

Of course, whether it's Daniel Day-Lewis or Maggie Cheung, any actor whose around for a considerable amount of time will inevitably have some misfires in their filmography. Jimmy Stewart wasn't impervious to this reality, even when focusing exclusively on his Western movies. The worst Jimmy Stewart Western movies (ranked below from "highest" to lowest average rating on Letterboxd) unfortunately reflect that this actor's forays into this popular mid-20th century genre created inespcabale clunkers standing in contrast to his greatest Western masterpieces.

Even in these creative misfires, though, there are attributes of these five movies worth lauding, including the work Jimmy Stewart delivered within these confines. Just because a movie is subpar doesn't mean you can't appreciate an indisputable silver screen legend like Jimmy Stewart.

By 1968, the cinema world was changing. The year prior, "The Graduate" and "Bonnie and Clyde" had permanently upended what mainstream American films could look like. In 1968 proper, "Rosemary's Baby" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," among other projects, further moved the needle. As the best movies of the 1960s were shattering conventions, other corners of Hollywood clung to old-school genres and storytelling tactics. That included the 1968 Western "Firecreek," which followed passive lawman Johnny Cobb (Jimmy Stewart) being forced to contend with a group of baddies led by Bob Larkin (Henry Fonda) terrorizing his town.

Even someone as hesitant to reach for violence as Cobb can only take so much. Stewart had been doing Westerns for decades by the time he headlined this film, so it's no wonder there were some mothballs surrounding the title. Despite that reality, Letterboxd users still bestowed "Firecreek" with a 3.4 average rating. That's not an ideal moniker, but it's far from disastrous. The biggest problem brought up is that the script is incredibly rudimentary. Over 140 minutes of storytelling, that problem became too glaring for many Letterboxd users to ignore.

Still, "Firecreek" was a film that benefited from Stewart and Fonda's tremendous acting chops, with their exemplary work being a highlight of many Letterboxd reviews. Even with this and other virtues, it's easy to see why "Firecreek" doesn't stand out both among Jimmy Stewart's Western canon and 1968 cinema.

The greatest Gene Kelly movies exemplify why this "Singin' in the Rain" leading man is one of the most extraordinary figures to ever come out of Hollywood. His triumphs also extended to his directing career, though this creative avenue didn't have the most glorious ending. Exempting 1976's "That's Entertainment, Part II," cinema legend Gene Kelly was done with directing after the largely forgotten 1970 Western "The Cheyenne Social Club." It's an odd note for his filmmaking career to conclude on, given how his prior directorial efforts were focused on musicals, romantic-comedies, and farces. "Cheyenne Social Club" was still a comedy, but it's still peculiar to see Kelly helm a feature heavy on tumbleweeds and spurs.

This title concerned cowboy John O'Hanlan (Jimmy Stewart) discovering he's inherited a business that turns out to be a brothel. His initial plans to shut the place down go up in smoke when he must instead protect the brothel inhabitants form a vengeful family. Despite amassing so much talent behind and in front of the camera (Henry Fonda and Shirley Jones also starred in this movie), "The Cheyenne Social Club" only has a 3.3 average rating on Letterboxd. Most reviews claim it's serviceable largely because of its memorable lead performances. Of course Stewart and Fonda working under Gene Kelly would produce notable material. 

Otherwise, though, Letterboxd responses declare "The Cheyenne Social Club" largely forgettable and a strange note for Kelly to wind down his filmmaking exploits on.

Because Jimmy Stewart was so famous for playing ordinary everymen out of their depth, his Westerns tended to give him similar fish-out-of-water characters to inhabit. Thus, the plot of "Night Passage" will sound mighty familiar to anyone who has seen any of Stewart's prior works in this genre. Here, he plays Grant McLaine, who is tasked with guarding a railroad's payroll. While doing so, he discovers that one of the robbers is his brother. His sibling is now going by the moniker The Utica Kid (Audie Murphy) and now McLaine is dealing with being torn between familial and employment loyalties. So much for this being an easy job.

"Night Passage" is never brought up as one of the best Westerns of all time, reinforced by the generally mixed Letterboxd reception. With an average user rating of 3.2, "Night Passage" was greeted with a shrug by most on the site. Typical Letterboxd reviews linger on comparing it to other Jimmy Stewart Westerns (particularly those helmed by Anthony Mann) and how Stewart's chemistry with Audie Murphy isn't as memorable as, say, his rapport with Cary Grant. Still, Stewart's chops and the generally sturdy visuals kept most Letterboxd denizens from outright dismissing "Night Passage."

Perhaps this feature was just too familiar for its own good. 1950s Westerns weren't exactly known for narratively rewriting the wheel, but even then, "Night Passage" leaned too much on playing the hits.

After 1968, Dean Martin wouldn't have a ton of further movies to headline, though he still appeared in subsequent hits like "The Wrecking Crew" and "The Cannonball Run." Even as his career was winding down, Martin still got to anchor a movie with Jimmy Stewart and Raquel Welch memorably entitled "Bandolero!" This Andrew V. McLaglen directorial effort follows bandit Dee Bishop (Martin) being saved from hangman's noose via his brother, Mace (Jimmy Stewart). After their grand escape, which included kidnapping Maria Stoner (Raquel Welsh), Mace and Dee Bishop contemplate their future. Will they stay with the criminal life forever? Perhaps something more legal and proper is on the horizon for these crooks.

Naturally, though, problems arise preventing them from leaving this existence totally behind, particularly once various Mexico-originating criminals cause further problems. With an average Letterboxd rating of 3.2, the "Bandolero!" reviews on this site largely linger on the cringe-inducing treatment of women throughout this film. Like many classic Western movies that are unwatchable today, "Bondolero!" was outdated the moment it hit theaters. There's not much else here to distract from that glaring fault, as many Letterboxd write-ups lament the film's lack of verve or personality. 

The novelty of watching Dean Martin and Jimmy Stewart headline such a dark Western can't carry the entire movie. When not being perfunctory, "Bondolero!" registered to Letterboxd users as mostly unpleasant.

"The Rare Breed" is a fitting title for a Jimmy Stewart star vehicle given his rarity as a leading man. On the surface, Stewart should've just been a caricature, yet he held quiet versatility that ensured equal levels of conviction to "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Vertigo." He also had chemistry with many different Hollywood leads, from Jean Arthur to John Wayne and everyone in between. Alas, the snowy Western "The Rare Breed" wasn't nearly as idiosyncratic as its leading man. This feature saw Jimmy Stewart's Sam Burnett being hired to help get some rich people's bulls to Texas so they can properly breed.

Getting to that destination proves hazardous, despite Burnett guiding supposedly sublime cattle. Mirroring its dismal critic reviews, "The Rare Breed" only has a 3.1 average rating on Letterboxd. Most reviews here lament the feature's hinging on uninvolving plot devices like the mating habits of cattle. The wackier impulses scattered throughout, especially a romance subplot, were also largely criticized.

Granted, some Letterboxd folks found "The Rare Breed" passable thanks to their affinity for snowy Westerns and Jimmy Stewart's lead performance. However, even an actor as esteemed as Jimmy Stewart couldn't salvage a uniquely flawed effort like 1966's largely forgotten "The Rare Breed."