The Most Beautiful Women From Classic Hollywood Westerns ~ Fact Docs

Ever since the very first wave of silent films hit theaters in the late 19th century, some of

the most beautiful women who have ever walked the earth have graced the big screen

The western first rose to popularity during this early silent film era between 1894 and

1927 However, when talkies became all the rage after the advent of cinematic sound in

1927, most of the prominent studios in Hollywood abruptly abandoned the genre, leaving it

instead to smaller studios and producers to explore

In the 1940s through the early 1970s, however, the western experienced a surge of

popularity once again. The so-called spaghetti-westerns, popularized by films like Italian

director Sergio Leone''s A Fistful of Dollars and The Good The Bad and The Ugly took the

Western to unprecedented heights Not only did Leone's films give a massive boost to the

career of Clint Eastwood, but the films in that genre elevated the status of countless

actresses who were every bit as beautiful as they were talented.

Westerns are known for being full of tropes and familiar motifs. While some might criticize

this, it's arguably one of the major reasons why the genre has proven to be so endearingly

popular over the decades You got the lone wolf protagonist - typically a rugged cowboy or

sheriff - whose sole duty is to put bad guys either in the ground or behind bars. And every

western lead worth his salt needs their loyal steed and trusty firearm Lastly, any wild west

hero has to have someone to save. And in westerns, that person typically is some kind of

doll-eyed girl with a tragic past. Either that, or she's a dazzling brothel worker with a heart

gold and an excellent shot

Now, we could argue about whether or not the portrayal of women in westerns has been

historically problematic, but that sounds like a topic for an entirely different kind of video.

Join Facts Verse as we take a look back at some of the most beautiful, seductive, sexy, and

sultry women from classic Western films. We'll be discussing old-school Hollywood hotties

like Katy Jurado, Raquel Welch, Jean Arthur, and Barbara Stanwyck.

So, if you fancy yourself a die-hard western lover and also happen to have a soft spot

For the gorgeous women who often found themselves at the wrong end of a dastardly

scoundrels gun, this is one facts-packed Article that you won't want to miss.

Barbara Stanwyck

Throughout her six-decade acting career, Stanwyck appeared in pictures covering just about

every conceivable film genre. She shined in comedies like The Lady Eve and Ball of Fir

and was the archetypical noir beauty in flicks like 1944s Double Indemnity and 1946s The

Strange Love of Martha Ivers, But her best-known roles which proved to be the bread and

butter of her career were in westerns, She appeared in dozens of classics under a wide array

of esteemed directors such as Fritz Lang, Frank Capra, and Cecil B- Demile She made 85

films in the 38 years before she turned to television. She was not only drop-dead gorgeous,

but she was also tough as nails. Whenever she pointed a gun at someone, you knew she

meant business. Beyond that, she could ride a horse like nobody's business.

In 1935, Barbara starred in the George Stevens directed western Annie Oakley – a

romanticized biography about a legendary sharpshooter. Four years later, in 1939,

Stanywyck appeared in Cecil B. Demile's acclaimed western Union Pacific. She ended up

winning a Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival for that performance

In 1941, Stanwyck shared the screen with Joel McCrea and Brian Donleavy in The Great

Man's Lady - a film about an elderly pioneer woman who tells her tale through a series of

flashbacks A few of her other most noteworthy Western credits include 1947s California,

1950s The Furies, and 1953s The Moonlighter.

Katherine Ross

Born in 1940, this Los Angeles native joined the Screen Actors Guild after attending Santa

Rosa Junior College for a year. She got her start acting appearing in theatrical

stage productions, and made her film debut in the 1965 Civil War-themed drama film

Shenandoah

In 1969, Ross played the female lead, Etta Place, in one of the most influential Westerns

of all time, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. That same year she starred in the Western

Tell Them Willie Boy is Here. The film was based on the true story of a Chemehuevi-Palute

Native American boy Willie Boy who has a run-in with the law in Banning, California, in

1909 Both of these films earned Ross a BAFTA Award for Best Actress Ross went on to

appear in films like The Stepford Wives and Richard Kelly's cult-classic science-

fiction Film Donnie Darko. Most recently she has made appearances in films like 2017s The

Hero and 2019s Attachments.

Ross is now 82 years old and has since retired from acting If your enjoying this video so far,

take a moment to show us a little support by giving it a like and subscribing to the Facts

Verse channel And don't go anywhere just yet. We've still got quite a few classic Western

beauties to cover.

Amanda Blake

Born on February 20, 1929, Blake discovered that she was interested in acting while she

was attending Pomona College in Claremont, California. After throwing herself into her

craft and participating in community theater productions, she went on to do Summer Stock

theater in New England. Eventually, she made her way out to Hollywood where she was

discovered by MGM, She made her film debut in 1950s Stars in My Crown and proceeded

to appear in more than a dozen films and TV shows in the early '50s Her big break came

when she landed the role of Miss Kitty Russell, the proprietor of The Long Branch Saloon

in the 1955 Western series Gunsmoke. She would hold that role for the next 19

years, Between 1955 and 1974, Blake made very few films, but she made numerous

appearances on TV shows like The Red Skelton Show, Tattlestales, Alfred Hitchcock

Presents, and The Love Boat.

In 1987, just two years before her death, Blake reprised her role as Kitty Russell in the

television film Gunsmoke: Return To Dodge City Blake died of liver failure caused by viral

hepatitis on August 16, 1989.

Katy Jurado

Born in 1924, Jurado was best known for playing Helen Ramirez in the classic Western

High Noon When she was cast in this role, she was already a well-known actress in Mexico

who had appeared in numerous films in what was known as the Golden Age of Mexican

Cinema High Noon was Jurado's second Hollywood film. At the time, it was very rare for a

Hollywood movie to include a Latina actress in its cast – especially one who would play a

fully developed character integral to the film's

plot Ramirez was not only a crucial member of the High Noon cast of characters, but she

was also a successful independent businesswoman. Jurado made history when she became

the first Latin American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for her

performance in 1954s Broken Lanch In addition to High Noon, she was also known for her

roles in films like Vera Cruz, El Bruto, One-Eyed Jacks, and Nosotros Los Pobres She

passed away in 2002 at the age of 78.

Claudia Cardinale

This Italian actress, born in 1938, starred in several critically acclaimed European films

in the 60s and 70s She was born in La Goulette, a neighborhood in Tunis. In 1957, she won

the Most Beautiful Girl in Tunisia competition She soon landed a film contract with the help

of her mentor and eventual husband, Franco Cristaldi. While she is famous for her roles in

films like Fellini's 8 ½ and The Leopard Cardinale's biggest western film was Sergio

Leone's 1968 epic spaghetti Western Once Upon a Time in The West

Cardinale is now 84, but she has yet to retire from acting. According to IMDB, she has 128

credits to her name. Most recently, she's appeared in films like 2020s Rogue City and 2018s

Nonnas on the Run. Her film The Island Of Forgiveness is currently in post-production and

is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2022

Jane Russell

Born in 1921, Russell was known for being one of the most prominent sex symbols in

Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s She grew up in the Midwest, but after she moved to

California, she was given her first film role in Howard Hughes's 1943 western The Outlaw

During the film's production, Hughes became obsessed with Russell's bust – even going as

far as to design a custom-made brassiere to seamlessly accentuate her curves

Some even that Hughes's creation was an early prototype of the push-up bra Russell,

however, wasn't very pleased with the eccentric director's invention, apparently threw it

across her trailer and instead padded her regular bra to create the same seamless effect that

Howard was going for After The Outlaw, Russell shifted her focus to music She returned to

film in the 1950s, most notably starring in 1953s Gentleman Prefer Blondes, but afterward,

she once again returned to music.

In the 1960s, she made several more film appearances

before transitioning into television Russell spent the remainder of her days living in the

Santa Maria Valley along California's central coast before dying of a respiratory illness on

February 28, 2011.

Raquel Welch

Born in 1940, Welch first gained attention for her role in the 1966 science fiction film

Fantastic Voyage. She then won a contract with 20th Century Fox Later that year, she

appeared in the cult classic One Million Years BC. Even though she only had a few lines of

dialogue in the movie, images of her donning a doe-skin bikini ended up becoming some of

the best-selling posters of the period. Because of that, she was transformed into an

international sex symbol.

In 1968, she appeared in the Andrew V McLaglen western Bandolero! The following year

shestarred alongside Burt Reynolds and Jim Brown in the Tom Gries-directed Western 100

Rifles Her last major western was 1971s Hannie Caulder.

In 1995, Empire Magazine named Welch one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History

Likewise, Men's Health ranked her number 2 in its list of the Hottest Women of All Time in

2011 At 81, Welch is still active in Hollywood. Most recently she appeared in the 2017

film How To Be A Latin Lover.

we'd love to hear from you.

Who do you think was the most beautiful actress to appear in a classic Western? And did you

know that Howard Hughes helped elevate Jane Russell's acting career when he cast her in

his 1943 western The Outlaw? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, take a moment to show us a little support by giving this Article a comment

As always, thanks for Visiting . We'll see you soon with more Articles covering all of

your favorite classic Hollywood films, movies, and stars.