I have about worn Google out on this.

Only A List actors and leading part. So Randolph Scott is out as well as the various character actors like Walter Brennan and Jack Elam etc.

At the moment and if only traditional westerns are the category then I think it is between James Stewart and Glenn Ford. If non traditional included then maybe Clint Eastwood.

Henry Fonda has made plenty and also Kirk Douglas.

However, does anyone have a definite answer?

By my count and without including made-for-TV movies:

Gary Cooper made 27 and appeared without credit in another 7 or 8

Charles Bronson made 24

Glenn Ford made 22

Henry Fonda made 21

James Stuart made 19

Burt Lancaster made 18

Lee Marvin made 18

Gregory Peck made 15

Alan Ladd made 14 and probably would have made more but he died at age 50

James Coburn only made 11 movies but he probably appeared in more TV Western shows then just about anybody else.

William Holden made 10

.

I can't believe this but I have searched high low lots of time, however, about 15 minutes after I posted on AR and an Australian guns/hunting site I got this.

In Google

How many westerns did Glenn Ford make or whatever actor and I guess you change westerns to gangster films etc.

and the following comes up close to the top. Looks like Glenn Ford. Clint is well down compared Ford and Stewart.

Figures are different to your s though, so who knows.


http://www.ranker.com/list/gle...yQtZ2ZP4_V0kTelNdYTA

I counted 22 for Glenn Ford and the Googled list was 25. BUT, they counted The Rounders which is about 1960's rodeo cowboys, The Americano which is about an American rancher in Brazil, and When the West Was Fun which was a TV documentary about western movies and actors and stared 49 well known actors and actresses playing themselves.

That list also shows only 23 for Gary Cooper while my list shows 27+. That's because the online list doesn't include many of his early roles that were bit parts or that went un-credited.

I think my numbers are more accurate.

Here's another one - Robert Mitchum. Your online list shows him with 24 but I would only give him 23. That still beats Glenn Ford. I docked him one because I wouldn't count The Sundowners as a Western. You can guess why.

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:

That list also shows only 23 for Gary Cooper while my list shows 27+. That's because the online list doesn't include many of his early roles that were bit parts or that went un-credited.

I would not count those as he is not the star

As a side note Kirk Douglas and Michael Douglas are the only parent/child or child/parent where both are A list. I suspect that is because they were very different and very suitable for their times. In fact it is difficult to imagine either of them being stars in their own pictures. Try to imagine Michael in either Spartacus or Gunfight at OK Corral

I would not include Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda as Jane was not an A Lister.

Y'all are on the wrong order of magnitude....Tom Mix was the star of or appeared in more movies than the total of the list above, but most were silent. He died driving his Cord in 1940 at age 60.

I knew of Tom Mix and should have excluded in my post as he was before all the others and as you say silent stuff.

What was a surprise is Clint Eastwood. Obviously with traditional westerns he is in the "nowhere" area but including all his others is below most.

As a side note has anyone else noticed how many traditional westerns have the cast and picture name in an orange/reddish colour?

Also, I reckon Joe Pesci in Goodfellas and Casino based himself on James Cagney and especially Cagney in White Heat.

On + off the subject but Ben Johnson is the only person to ever win both awards of "Best Cowboy of the Year" + an academy award. BTW I would have opted for Jimmy Stewart;an also splendid American with a very interesting + patriotic life.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
On + off the subject but Ben Johnson is the only person to ever win both awards of "Best Cowboy of the Year" + an academy award. BTW I would have opted for Jimmy Stewart;an also splendid American with a very interesting + patriotic life.

Agree. Not many modern actors would fit the following picture, at least in the real.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/w...rt_getting_medal.jpg

James Stewart made Brigadier general in the air force

I would recommend the book, Jimmy Stewart-Bomber pilot. An excellent read.