Classic Western Films Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Classic Western Films Quiz
Image: John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Getty Images

About This Quiz

There's nothing like the big open sky, towering red rock desert formations and the sound of a galloping horse. If you fancy yourself an aficionado of gun-slingers, ponies and the occasional whiskey, all set against the gorgeous scenery of the American West, then you'll love this quiz about classic (and not-so-classic) Western films!  Whether you're a die-hard Sergio Leone fan or have no idea where the phrase "Spaghetti Western" comes from, challenge yourself and learn something new. 

Did you know that former United States president Harry S. Truman's favorite film was a Western? Do you know which one? Do you know how many Westerns have won the Academy Award for Best Film? Perhaps you're more interested in the famous four-legged friends of our cowboy heroes. Sure, you may know the name of the Roy Rogers horse in his films, but do you know what name his horse was given at birth?

From the turn of the 20th century to modern times, the genre has captured our attention and imagination. Find out how much you know about classic Western films by taking this quiz!

What filmmaker spawned the Spaghetti Western genre?
Sergio Leone
Clint Eastwood
John Huston
Steven Spielberg
James Stewart and John Wayne starred in "The Man Who Shot" what title character?
The Angry Farmer
Liberty Valance
Jesse James
Buffalo Bill
What film takes its name from a classic Western folk song?
"Home on the Range"
"My Darling Clementine"
"Back in the Saddle Again"
"Crawdad Song"

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What classic Western did John Wayne not star in?
"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"
"Rio Grande"
"Broken Arrow"
"True Grit"
Who co-stars with Roy Rogers in "Don't Fence Me In?"
Kirk Douglas
Trigger, the palomino
James Stewart
Clint Eastwood
In "Little Big Man," Dustin Hoffman's character is raised by what tribe of Native Americans?
Apache
Sioux
Cheyenne
Chumash

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How many times has the classic Western novel "Riders of the Purple Sage" been adapted for screen?
Three
Five
Four
One
In "Bad Day at Black Rock," what is the protagonist missing?
An arm
A leg
A cowboy hat
An eye
What movie made John Wayne a star?
"The Quiet Man"
"True Grit"
"Stagecoach"
"Randy Rides Alone"

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"The Wild Bunch" is considered a Western classic but was also condemned for what reason?
Portrayal of Native Americans
Sexist language
Violent imagery
Terrible musical score
Who wrote the famous score for "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?"
Elmer Bernstein
Henry Mancini
Ennio Morricone
John Williams
"The Magnificent Seven" is a remake of what film?
"The 400 Blows"
"Cinema Paradiso"
"Seven Samurai"
"The Seventh Seal"

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Charles Bronson's character plays what instrument in "Once Upon a Time in the West?"
Guitar
Accordion
Harmonica
Triangle
In "The Searchers," John Wayne's character is a veteran of what war?
The Civil War
The Spanish-American War
The Mexican-American War
The French and Indian War
What Academy Award did "Unforgiven" win in 1993?
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor
All of the above

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What unexpected actor starred in the 1954 Western "Johnny Guitar?"
Tony Curtis
Joan Crawford
Desi Arnaz
Lucille Ball
Where is "High Noon" set?
Texas
New Mexico
South Dakota
Arizona
What does a rival throw on the protagonist in "Shane," taunting him to, "smell like a man"?
Cologne
Horse manure
Whiskey
Chewing tobacco

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Where were the real Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid believed to have died?
Wyoming
Mexico
Bolivia
New Mexico
What is the protagonist's ranch called in "Red River?"
The Not-Red River
The Red River
The Red River D
The Blue River
In what year is "No Country for Old Men" set?
1898
1980
1972
1965

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"They Died With Their Boots On" was a dramatized biography of what famous Westerner?
General Custer
Billy the Kid
Buffalo Bill
Jesse James
Humphrey Bogart stars in what famous Western?
"The Man From Laramie"
"Broken Arrow"
"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"
"True Grit"
What does the title of "Winchester '73" refer to?
An Army regiment
A rifle
A location and date
A type of train

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"Dodge City," released in 1939, is set in what real-life town?
Dodge City, Colorado
Dodge City, Alabama
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City, Nevada
What Western snagged Jack Palance an Academy Award?
"The Lonely Man"
"City Slickers"
"Shane"
"Arrowhead"
"The Plainsman" is a 1936 film directed by what screen legend?
Victor Fleming
George Cukor
Cecil B. DeMille
John Ford

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The film,"Cat Ballou," is what genre?
Comedy
Musical
Western
All of the above
What Rat Packer starred in "Rio Bravo?"
Frank Sinatra
Dean Martin
Joey Bishop
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Robert Altman directed what classic non-Western?
"True Grit"
"McCabe & Mrs. Miller"
"Steel Magnolias"
"MASH"

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