Best Western Films Poll results; Best Songs of 1957 Poll results; Best Songs of 1958 Poll launch and Best Film Noirs of All Time poll launch on Monday Morning Diary (July 8)

The Best Western Films polling, which attracted 104 ballots, most showcasing the complete 20 permitted choices, is the most successful poll we’ve ever conducted on this page. One of the most iconic films in American cinema – John Ford’s 1956 “The Searchers” – prevailed over Ford’s 1939 “Stagecoach,” 64-57. Sergio Leone’s epic spaghetti western “Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Ford’s 1946 “My Darling Clementine,” and Fred Zinnemann’s 1952 “High Noon” rounded out the Top 5 in a contest where over 250 films received votes, according to exhausted Voting Tabulator Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr. This is the fifth time “The Searchers” has won polls we’ve run on this page, having previously triumphed for Best Film of 1956; Best Lead Actor of 1956 (John Wayne); Best Director of 1956 (John Ford) and Best Film in John Ford Birthday poll. The film also placed in the Top 10 of our Greatest Films of All Time poll.

(It is hoped many will make a hard copy of these fantastic results for reference purposes!)

The Searchers (1956; John Ford) 64

Stagecoach (1939; John Ford) 57

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968; Sergio Leone)) 54

My Darling Clementine (1946; John Ford) 52

High Noon (1952; Fred Zinnemann) 51

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962; John Ford) 49

Red River (1948; Howard Hawks) 48

Unforgiven (1992; Clint Eastwood) 46

The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1966; Sergio Leone) 42

The Wild Bunch (1969; Sam Peckinpah) 41

Shane (1953) 39

Rio Bravo (1959) 38

McCabe and Mrs Miller (1971) 35

Winchester 73 (1950) 34

Ride the High Country (1962) 28

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) 28

The Naked Spur (1953) 27

Johnny Guitar (1954) 26

The Man from Laramie (1955) 25

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) 24

The Gunfighter (1950) 23

3:10 to Yuma (1957) 22

Fort Apache 22

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 21

Blazing Saddles 19

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 18

Man of the West (1958) 18

The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948) 18

Forty Guns (1957) 17

Ride Lonesome (1959) 17

Tombstone (1993) 17

Brokeback Mountain 16

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) 16

The Magnificent Seven (1960) 16

Wagonmaster 15

Rio Grande 13

A Fistful of Dollars (1964) 12

Day of the Outlaw 12

For a Few Dollars More (1965) 12

Dead Man 11

Destry Rides Again 11

Little Big Man 11

The Tall T 11

True Grit (1969) 11

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid 10

The Shootist 10

Dances with Wolves 9

First Cow 9

High Plains Drifter 9

The Professionals 9

True Grit (2010) 9

The Great Silence 9

Seven Men From Now 9

Hud 8

Duck, You Sucker! 8

Django Unchained 7

Pursued 7

The Furies (1950) 7

The Gold Rush (Chaplin) 7

The Rider (2017) 7

The Wind (1928) 7

El Topo 6

Heaven’s Gate (1980) 6

Lone Star 6

Open Range 6

Silverado (1985) 6

The Westerner (1940) 6

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) 5

Django (1966) 5

Hell’s Hinges (1916) 5

Meek’s Cutoff (2010) 5

One-Eyed Jacks (1961) 5

The Big Country (1958) 5

The Long Riders (1980) 5

The Shooting (1966) 5

Westward the Women 5

Yellow Sky 5

Duel in the Sun 4

Hombre 4

No Country For Old Men (2007) 4

The Great Train Robbery (1903) 4

The Hateful Eight 4

Way Out West (1937) 4

Bad Day at Black Rock 3

Bend of the River 3

Bone Tomahawk 3

Broken Arrow 3

Chisum (1970) 3

Devil’s Doorway 3

Giant 3

Hang ’em High (1968) 3

How the West Was Won (1962) 3

Jeremiah Johnson 3

Lean on Pete 3

Lonesome Dove (1989) 3

Pale Rider 3

Rancho Notorious 3

Rio Conchos (1964) 3

Support Your Local Sheriff 3

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 3

The Ballad of Cable Hogue 3

The Big Gundown 3

The Big Sky 3

The Big Trail 3

The Cowboys 3

The Iron Horse (1924) 3

The Quick and the Dead 3

The Return of Frank James 3

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada 3

There Will Be Blood (2007) 3

Track of the Cat 3

Ulzana’s Raid 3

3:10 to Yuma (2007) 2

Antonio das Mortes 2

Appaloosa 2

Back to the Future 3 2

Big Jake 2

Bugs Bunny Rides Again (1948) 2

Cat Ballou 2

China 9 Liberty 37 2

Cimarron 2

Colorado Territory 2

Comanche Station 2

Dark Command 2

Death Rides a Horse 2

Dodge City 2

Drip-Along Daffy (1951) 2

El Dorado 2

Gunfight at the OK Corral 2

Gunman’s Walk (1958) 2

Hondo 2

Hostiles 2

My Name is Nobody 2

My Pal Trigger 2

Navajo Joe 2

Nevada Smith (1966) 2

Ride the Whirlwind 2

Run of the Arrow 2

Silver Lode 2

Station West 2

The Ballad of Little Jo (1993) 2

The Beguiled (1971) 2

The Harder They Fall (2021) 2

The Hired Hand 2

The Kid Brother 2

The Last of the Mohicans (1992) 2

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean 2

The Mark of Zorro 2

The New World (2005) 2

The Plainsmen 2

The Proposition 2

The Unforgiven 2

The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) 2

Three Godfathers 2

Vera Cruz 2

Westworld (1973) 2

Will Penny 2

Young Guns 2

3 Bad Men (1926) 1

A History of Violence 1

Ağıt 1

Along Came Jones (1945) 1

American Astronaut, 1

Apache (1954); 1

Asedillo (71) 1

Bad Company 1

Black God White Devil 1

Blindman 1

Blood on the Moon 1

Broken Lance 1

Buck and the Preacher 1

Buffalo Bill and the Indians 1

Calamity Jane 1

Canyon Passage 1

Cattle Annie and Little Britches 1

Cheyenne (1947) 1

Comin’ at Ya! (1981) 1

Day of Anger 1

Days of Heaven 1

Drag-A-Long Droopy (1954) 1

Drums Along the Mohawk 1

Face of a Fugitive 1

Go West (1940) 1

Greed (1924) 1

Hare Trigger 1

Heart o’ the Hills (1919) 1

Heartland 1

Hell or High Water 1

Hell’s Heroes (1929) 1

Hellfire (1949) 1

High in the Saddle 1

Junior Bonner 1

Killers of the Flower Moon 1

Last Train from Gun Hill 1

Law and Order (1932) 1

Le Goût de la violence (1961) 1

Legends of the Fall 1

Lemonade Joe 1

Lo voglio morto (1968) 1

Lonely Are the Brave 1

Lusty Men The 1

Mad Dog Morgan (1976) 1

Massacre (1934); 1

Maverick (1994) 1

My Name is Trinity 1

Near Dark (1987) 1

News of the World (2020) 1

No Name On The Bullet 1

North-West Passage (Vidor) (1940) 1

Oklahoma! 1

Old Henry (2021) 1

Paint Your Wagon 1

Posse (1975) 1

RAMROD 1

Rancho Deluxe 1

RAWHIDE 1

Ride ’em cowboy 1

Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) 1

Ride the crooked Trail 1

Ride With The Devil (Lee) (1999) 1

Rio Lobo 1

Run for Cover 1

Salt Of The Earth (1954) 1

savage pompas 1

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 1

Seyyit Han 1

Soldier (98) 1

Son of Paleface (1952) 1

Stars in My Crown (1950) 1

The Alamo 1

The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017) 1

The Battle of Elderbush Gulch (1913); 1

The Bravados (1958) 1

The Broken Star (1956) 1

The Charge at Feather River 1

The Covered Wagon (1923); 1

The Daughter of Dawn (1920); 1

The Frisco Kid 1

The Good the Bad the Weird, 1

The Hanging Tree 1

The Hills Run Red 1

The Homesman (2014) 1

The Horse Whisperer 1

The Last Outlaw (1936) 1

The Lusty Men 1

The Magnificent Seven (2016) 1

The Man from the Alamo 1

The Misfits (1961) 1

The Nightingale (2018) 1

The Paleface (1922) 1

The Paleface (1948) 1

The Power of the Dog 1

The Revenant (2015) 1

The Silent Man (1916) 1

The Stars in My Crown 1

The Sundowners (1960) 1

The Tin Star 1

The Valley of Gwangi (1969) 1

The Vanishing American (1925) 1

The Virginian (1929) 1

The Walking Hills 1

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap 1

Thunderhoof 1

Trigger Junior 1

Tumbleweed (1953) 1

Two Mules for Sister Sarah 1

Union Pacific 1

Until They Get Me (1917) 1

Utu (1983) 1

Vamos a Matar Compañeros! (1970) 1

Walker 1

Warlock (1959) 1

Western Union 1

Wichita 1

Wild and Woolfy (1945) 1

Wild Bill 1

Young Billy Young (1969) 1

Young Buffalo Bill 1

104 ballots cast.

The final vote, a pivotal moment in the 1957 Best Song poll, was cast by none other than esteemed author William B. Jones. His ballot, with the timeless Elvis Presley hit in the #1 position, propelled “Jailhouse Rock” to the top, surpassing Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” (315-304), which had led most of the way, according to Voting Tabulator Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr. These results mark the first #1 finish for the iconic Presley, with a total of 38 ballots cast!

1 Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley 315

2 You Send Me – Sam Cooke 304

3 That’ll Be the Day – Buddy Holly & The Crickets 290

4 Bye Bye Love – Everly Brothers 272

5 Peggy Sue – Buddy Holly & the Crickets 251

6 Rock & Roll Music – Chuck Berry 237

7 Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis 220

8 Lucille – Little Richard 212

9 Walkin After Midnight – Patsy Cline 204

10 School Days – Chuck Berry 197

11 All Shook Up – Elvis Presley 194

12 At the Hop – Danny and the Juniors 186

13 Not Fade Away – Buddy Holly & the Crickets 185

14 Wake Up Little Susie – The Everly Brothers 182

15 Everyday – Buddy Holly 179

16 I’m Walkin’ – Fats Domino 177

17 Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On – Jerry Lee Lewis 163

18 Round Midnight – Miles Davis 128

19 Little Darlin’ – The Diamonds 114

20 Susie Q – Dale Hawkins 99

21 Book of Love – The Monotones 93

22 Got My Mojo Working – Muddy Waters 87

23 Louie Louie – Richard Berry & the Pharoahs 86

24 Chances Are – Johnny Mathis 84

25 Get a Job – The Silhouettes 81

26 Diana (Paul Anka) 78

27 Tonite, Tonite – The Mello Kings 74

28 Matchbox – Carl Perkins 68

29 Maybe – The Chantels 43

30 Rockin Pnemonia And Boogie Woogie Flu – Huey ” Piano” Smith. 42

31 Blue Christmas-Elvis Presley 40

32 Honeycomb (Jimmie Rodgers) 40

33 Who’s Sorry Now – Connie Francis 40

34 Words of Love – Buddy Holly and the Crickets 40

35 Searchin’ – The Coasters 38

36 Blue Train – John Coltrane 36

37 Jingle Bell Rock-Bobby Helms 36

38 Maybe Baby – Buddy Holly and the Crickets 36

39 Stood Up – Ricky Nelson 36

40 Whispering Bells – Del Vikings 36

41 Reet Petite – Jackie Wilson 35

42 Twenty Flight Rock (Eddie Cochran) 35

43 America – Chita Rivera & Girls (West Side Story OBC) 33

44 Boom Boom ( Out Go the Lights)- Little Walter 31

45 Mr. Lee – The Bobbettes 31

46 C.C. Rider-Chuck Willis 30

47 Give My Love to Rose – Johnny Cash 30

48 Love Letters in the Sand (Pat Boone) 30

49 Mona – Bo Diddley 30

50 Stormy Weather – Lena Horne 30

51 To The Aisle – Five Satins 30

38 ballots cast.