10 Best Westerns That Are Under 90 Minutes Long

May 1, 2024, 12:20 p.m.

Movies

10 Best Westerns That Are Under 90 Minutes Long

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Summary Short Western movies under 90 minutes packed intense action, suspense, and powerful themes into limited runtimes.

Films like Bad Day at Black Rock and Three Hours to Kill showcased the genre in its purest form with excellent pacing.

Even at under 90 minutes long, Western classics like High Noon and Westworld tackled serious subjects and had a lasting impact.

While it’s always fun to take in an incredible Western movie about cowboys, gunslingers, and outlaws, not everybody has the time for a three-hour epic and would much rather enjoy shorter movies under 90 minutes long. Western runtimes, along with most other genres, have become much longer over the past few decades, but during the genre's heyday, it was much more common to find short Western adventures that did not take up the entire evening. With excellent pacing, plenty of action, and just as much shooting and fighting, shorter Western movies packed a lot into their restricted runtimes.

The best Western movies that clocked in at under 90 minutes included some of the greatest Westerns ever made, as the limited runtime meant every second had to count. Without wasting time on overlong setups or tiresome exposition, short Western movies represented the genre in its purest form and even included different subgenres like science fiction Westerns. Although there was great merit in long, sprawling, multi-hour Western movies, other times, a swift, no-nonsense, less than 90-minute adventure was exactly what the Wild West doctor ordered.

10 Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

Runtime: 81 minutes

The neo-Western Bad Day at Black Rock told the story of a one-armed stranger (Spencer Tracey) who came into a small desert town and uncovered an evil secret that had corrupted the entire community. As a crime drama that contained revisionist Western elements, Bad Day at Black Rock highlighted American discrimination against the Japanese during World War II and was a powerful indictment of racism and McCarthyism. With a compelling sense of justice, this suspenseful Western highlighted the destructive consequences of silence and deceit.

Bad Day at Black Rock deserved to be remembered among the best Westerns of its era as its deeply layered and nuanced story addressed pressing contemporary concerns. Tracey gave one of his very best performances as John J. Macreedy, the mysterious man who was stopped at every turn from uncovering the truth about the secretive town of Black Rock. At just 81 minutes long, Bad Day at Black Rock packed a lot of melodramatic tension into its swift runtime.

9 Three Hours To Kill (1954)

Runtime: 77 minutes

Viewers won’t need three to kill to enjoy the incredible Alfred L. Werker Western Three Hours to Kill, which, at just 77 minutes long, packed plenty of action into its short runtime. A fascinating Western whodunnit, Three Hours to Kill, told the story of Jim Guthrie (Dana Andrews), who, three years before, was framed for murder and split town before he was due to be lynched for a crime he didn’t commit. As a wanted fugitive, tensions were high when Jim returned to his town to find the man who really committed the crime.

With a scar around his neck from his close brush with death, Jim in Three Hours to Kill was a compelling Western hero on a quest to clear his name and bring the culprit to justice. An influential Western drama, Three Hours to Kill, inspired Roger Corman’s famous Western The Gunslinger, made just two years later (via Sense of Cinema.) With a strong cast and incredible pacing, Three Hours to Kill was a compelling anti-lynching movie that utilized its brief runtime well.

8 Old Yeller (1957)

Runtime: 84 minutes

Old Yeller Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Set in the late 1860s, Old Yeller follows young Travis Coates as he bonds with a stray dog named Old Yeller, who becomes a beloved member of the family. Facing hardships and dangers on the Texas frontier, Travis learns valuable lessons of loyalty and courage. When tragedy strikes and rabies threatens their community, Travis must make a heart-wrenching decision about his beloved companion's fate, shaping his understanding of responsibility and loss. Director Robert Stevenson Release Date July 10, 1959 Cast Dorothy McGuire , Fess Parker , Jeff York , Chuck Connors , Beverly Washburn , Tommy Kirk Runtime 83 minutes

The Walt Disney Western drama Old Yeller told the timeless tale of a boy and his dog that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. It is a touching story about a teenager who grew to love a stray yellow dog that everybody else thought was a good-for-nothing mutt; however, before long, there was nobody who did not appreciate the kind canine called Old Yeller. While Old Yeller was not a traditional outlaw and gunslinger style Western, as a story set in the 1860s, it featured plenty of cowboys and beautiful Wild West scenery.

Old Yeller's death was truly one of the saddest scenes in cinematic history, as the talented dog actor Spike played his part to perfection.

The powerful bond between a boy and his dog was central to Old Yeller's story, and more than 65 years after its first release, it has remained a memorable touchstone in popular culture. Full of heartfelt vulnerability, Old Yeller's death was truly one of the saddest scenes in cinematic history, as the talented dog actor Spike played his part to perfection. At just 84 minutes long, Old Yeller was an emotional rollercoaster that stayed with audiences long after the credits rolled.

7 Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942)

Runtime: 82 minutes

For Western lovers looking for a quick classic adventure, look no further than Wild Bill Hickok Rides, which, at just 82 minutes long, was full of shoot-'em-up action. With classic Hollywood icons like Constance Bennett and Bruce Cabot among the cast, Wild Bill Hickok Rides told the story of a casino-owning saloon entertainer called Belle Andrews who enlisted the help of the soldier Bill Hickok to deal with the criminal activities that have taken over her establishment. Based on the real folk hero Wild Bill, Wild Bill Hickok Rides was an underappreciated 1940s Western gem.

As an entertaining Western B-movie, Wild Bill Hickok Rides was an action-packed, fast-paced picture with a talented cast that wasted no time in delivering high-thrills Wild West excitement. With fast-talking dialogue, plenty of shoot-ups, horse galloping, and lynch mobs, Wild Bill Hickok Rides was chock-full of enjoyable Western tropes and clichés. While it didn’t break down any boundaries within the Western genre, Wild Bill Hickok Rides was plenty of fun with a streamlined runtime.

6 The Hired Gun (1957)

Runtime: 64 minutes

Clocking in at just over an hour, The Hired Gun was a swift Western movie that stood as one of the most underrated Western movies of the 1950s despite its incredibly short runtime. Directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Rory Calhoun and Annie Francis, The Hired Gun was the story of a woman who broke out of jail before her hanging and the man hired to bring her back. A fast-moving, well-acted Western, The Hired Gun contained aspects of crime, detective, and whodunnit genres all packed into its reduced runtime.

While it’s true that most viewers could figure out the mysteries within the narrative of The Hired Gun after watching the opening few minutes, the best stories were always about the journey and not the destination. With beautiful shots, effective cinematography, and good performances, there was a lot to enjoy about this dark story of a damned woman. With a unique tone and exciting concept, the biggest fault of The Hired Gun was that it was too short, and its characters weren’t given enough time to develop and make it the best version of this story.

5 Taggart (1964)

Runtime: 85 minutes

Taggart was a little-known low-budget Western about vigilante justice and a son who sought revenge for the murder of his parents. With a talented cast, Taggart starred Tony Young as Kent Taggart, the vengeful son who, in turn, killed the son of his parent’s killer, Ben Blazer, which set in motion the bloodied story of this action-packed Western. With solid direction from R. G. Springsteen, Taggart featured one dangerous situation after another as it contained the perfect balance of action and drama.

At just 85 minutes in length, Taggart was based on a novel by Louis L'Amour, who was known for his many acclaimed frontier Western stories. Taggart featured good characters, strong performances, and a compelling villain played by Dan Duryea, although it doesn’t quite match up to the very best Westerns from this era. Nevertheless, Taggart was a lot of fun and worth checking out for those looking for a quick Western fix.

4 Westworld (1973)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Westworld was a 1973 sci-fi Western movie written and directed by Michael Crichton, the creator of Jurassic Park, which also served as the basis for the later HBO series of the same name. While the television adaptation of Westworld delved much further into its concept's philosophical and psychoanalytical ramifications, the original Westworld movie was an action-packed adventure based around a Western-themed amusement park. At just 88 minutes long, Westworld was a clever subversion of Western tropes that tackled contemporary fears around technology.

With Western legend Yul Brynner cast as a robotic cowboy known as the Gunslinger, Westworld created a fascinating cinematic world that played into many old Western B-movie tropes. The fact that Westworld was revived after 43 years on television was a testament to the strength of its concept and the depth to which it could be explored. With such a fantastic premise and so much worldbuilding, Westworld was an impressive feat for a movie under 90 minutes long.

3 Smoke Signal (1955)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Smoke Signal starred Dana Andrews and Piper Laurie in a Western movie that showcased the changing attitudes toward depicting Native Americans in Old West feature films. As the story of a cavalry defector named Brett Halliday who faced court martial for treason for assisting Ute tribe members flee a dangerous river, unlike most ‘cowboy and Indian’ stories, this showcased the hero working alongside the indigenous population. Despite the themes of acceptance in Smoke Signal, Halliday’s acts positioned him as a traitor, and he was held prisoner.

Smoke Singal was directed by Jerry Hopper, who made a name for himself primarily as a television director on series like The Addam’s Family, Gilligan’s Island, and Perry Mason. At just 88 minutes long, Smoke Signal was a lesser-known Western that rarely got discussed among the best Westerns from the 1950s despite its politically correct messaging. With plenty of thrills and a then uniquely positive depiction of Native American tribes, Smoke Signal deserved to be remembered as a trailblazing film.

2 The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Runtime: 75 minutes

The Ox-Bow Incident Director William A. Wellman Release Date May 21, 1943 Cast Henry Fonda , Dana Andrews , Mary Beth Hughes , Anthony Quinn , William Eythe Runtime 75 Minutes

As an incredible black-and-white Western movie, The Ox-Bow Incident was an early example of a psychological drama with a much darker tone than the more upbeat and fantastical Western movies seen throughout the 1940s. The Ox-Bow Incident was an acclaimed Western that was even nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, which it lost out on to Casablanca in a solid year for movies. With a powerful story about men divided on whether to lynch a man, The Ox-Bow Incident effectively tackled heavy themes.

Looking back on The Ox-Bow Incident today, it's easy to see that this was a Western far ahead of its time, but sadly, it was not a commercial success during its original release. The complex and profoundly psychological story at the heart of The Ox-Bow Incident was just too dark for contemporary audiences, but this was also why it still gets spoken about with such reverence today. At just 75 minutes long, it’s impressive how much The Ox-Bow Incident achieved with its limited runtime.

1 High Noon (1952)

Runtime: 85 minutes

High Noon Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Fred Zinnemann Release Date June 9, 1952 Cast Gary Cooper , Thomas Mitchell , Lloyd Bridges , Katy Jurado , Grace Kelly , Otto Kruger Writers Carl Foreman , John W. Cunningham

While Western legend John Wayne famously hated High Noon, it has been cited as a favorite by several former U.S. presidents.

The fact that High Noon clocked in at just 85 minutes was an astonishing achievement, as, for such a short film, it stood as one of the greatest Western movies ever produced. While High Noon was a controversial movie in 1952 due to perceived political themes relating to McCarthyism and blacklisting in Hollywood, this willingness to tackle serious subjects was also part of the reason it has maintained its appeal more than 70 years later. Although Western legend John Wayne famously hated High Noon, it has been cited as a favorite by several former U.S. presidents (via The Independent.)

High Noon told the story of Marsal Will Kane (Gary Cooper), who was forced to decide between leaving town with his wife (Grace Kelly) or staying to face a gang of killers. Taking place in real-time, High Noon was a compelling Western that addressed powerful themes relating to duty and the order of the law. An iconic film with an impressive legacy and cultural influence, High Noon was an early example of the revisionist Western genre that was beginning to take a more realistic look at the previously almost mythical portrait of the Old West in movies.

Sources: Sense of Cinema, The Independent