One of the key reasons that the Western genre became such a prominent aspect of the cinematic landscape during the “Golden Age of Hollywood”was that it was built off the backs of iconic stars who audiences became well acquainted with over the course of many films. While traditional Western sequels were actually rather few and far between, audiences could walk into a new film starring Gary Cooper, Yul Brennar, James Stewart, John Wayne, or Steve McQueen, expecting them to play some sort of ruthless gunslinger with a heart of gold. There’s certainly value in actors knowing what they are good at, but it’s also interesting to see films that feature less traditional stars in the leading roles. Among its many underrated qualities, the 1981 WesternBarbarosa featured a star-making performance from the legendary musician Willie Nelson.
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