Ok, now we're on to something else. Who are your favorite movie or television western heroes? Hoppy? The Duke? Bat Masterson? The Westerner? Alias Smith and Jones? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Shane?
John "The Duke" Wayne, Chief Dan George, Eastwood, Audy Murphy as the characters they played. Jim Bridger, Jedediah Smith, John 'Liver-eatin' Johnson, Hugh Glass, William Clark as the men they were.
I would have to agree with Mat Dillon. James Arness made the landing at Normandy on D-Day. Real man, real hero. Of course Audie Murphey goes w/o saying. Pretty hard to top his real heroics.
Here are some to keep it going. TV Western Good Guys: Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates on Rawhide. Nick Barkley on The Big Valley. Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger. Richard Boone as Paladin on Have Gun, Will Travel. Movie Western Good Guys: Steve McQueen as Vin in The Magnificent Seven. John Wayne as John T. Chance in Rio Bravo. Clint Eastwood as Cooper in Hang'em High. Kevin Costner as Jake Hollis in Silverado.
The Rifleman, with Chuck Connors. I loved that Winchester 1892 (even though he couldn't actually have one in the 1880's). You just don't %&@$ with him. %&@$ = mess. What did you think it meant?
I forgot about Tom Selleck. I think he is probably the last of the real cowboy actors in the spirit of the Duke.
Eli Wallach in an obscure movie called "Ace High". Burt Lancaster as Bob Valdez in "Valdez is Coming". Jason Robards in "The Ballad of Cable Hogue". Everybody in "The Professionals".
