The War Wagon (1967)

Ever since The Great Train Robbery (1903) was released, filmmakers have been churning out heist flicks set in the Old West. While crime may not pay, moviegoers are willing to fork over a fistful of dollars to see Wild West theives on the big screen — from The True Story of Jesse James (1957) to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) starring Brad Pitt. Armed with Colt 45s and a twinkle in their eyes, the stars of these pics don ten gallon hats and leather chaps as they make their way across the vast frontier, winning the hearts and hard-ons of fans everywhere. Who can resist a cool dude with a gun in his holster and a sex pistol in his jeans? Think Gregory Peck in William A. Wellman’s Yellow Sky (1948); William Holden in Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969); Paul Newman and Robert Redford in George Roy Hill’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969); and Clint Eastwood in his Oscar-winning pic Unforgiven (1992). Of course, we can’t forget Hollywood hotties John Wayne and Kirk Douglas in The War Wagon (1967). Based on Clair Huffaker’s book “Badman” (1957), the plot follows rancher Taw Jackson (Wayne) who is seeking revenge for being wrongly imprisoned by slippery businessman Frank Pierce (Bruce Cabot) who stole his land. In addition to a young Bruce Dern, the film features Howard Keel, Robert Walker Jr., and Kirk without his shirt! As you can guess, Mr. Douglas has impeccable pecs. Yee haw!