Can You Match the Quote to the Western?

By: Gavin Thagard
Estimated Completion Time
8 min
Can You Match the Quote to the Western?
Image: Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)/ Arturo González Producciones Cinematográficas/ Constantin Film/ PEA/ United Artists

About This Quiz

The names of the film's stars run across the screen as the opening credits pass. Music plays in the background. Then the film begins with a vast landscape, perhaps a cowboy riding across a prairie, and that's when it happens: that iconic line. It's edged in your head. This is your favorite Western, after all, and you can quote it from start to finish.

Even if the height of the Western genre has faded just like the days of the Old West, films in the genre still hold an iconic spot in cinema, with many of the genre's most celebrated movies sketched in the minds of moviegoers across multiple generations. These films can be heroic and inspirational, brutal and savage or even thought-provoking and simple. No matter how they're shaped, it's often the dialogue that leaves viewers with something to reflect on long after the movie has ended.

How well do you know the most iconic quotes from some of the greatest Westerns ever created? Whether it's the traditional Westerns made by directors like John Ford or the Spaghetti Westerns created by directors like Sergio Leone, this quiz covers them all. If you think you know your Westerns, take a shot at this quiz and find out if you have a perfect aim.

Question 12 -  Rio Bravo
Warner Bros.
"All right, quit. Nobody's trying to stop you. You wanna quit, quit! Go back to the bottle, get drunk. One thing, though. The next time someone throws a dollar into a spittoon, don't expect me to do anything about it. Just get down on your knees and get it." Is this a quote you're familiar with?
"Johnny Guitar"
"Rio Bravo"
"Near Dark"
"Open Range"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Throughout "Rio Bravo," the way John Wayne's character, John T. Chance, wears his hat tells a lot about his character. When his hat is worn up, he's supposed to look friendly, but in the darker scenes, his hat is worn down to look more menacing.

Advertisement

Question 18 - Blazing Saddles
Warner Bros.
Are you familiar with the satirical comedy that this line is from: "You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know, morons."?
"Blazing Saddles"
"McCabe & Mrs. Miller"
"The Proposition"
"Shanghai Noon"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gene Wilder was cast to play The Waco Kid out of necessity because the original actor, Gig Young, was suffering from alcohol withdrawals during filming. At first, it seemed like Young was really into character, as The Waco Kid was an alcoholic himself, but eventually, the ambulance had to be called to take care of him.

Advertisement

Question 21 - The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Malpaso Company/ Warner Bros.
Outlaws in Westerns like to get down to business. Which movie proves that with the quote: "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?"
"The Magnificent Seven"
"The Outlaw Josey Wales"
"The Claim"
"Forsaken"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Clint Eastwood, who directed "The Outlaw Josey Wales," shot the film in autumn, which he felt was the best time to shoot his style of Western. The dying leaves and cooling weather gave his Westerns a more grim and dark appearance.

Advertisement

Question 5 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Campanile Productions/ Newman-Foreman Company/ 20th Century Fox
"Kid, there's something I ought to tell you. I never shot anybody before." This might be one of the most honest quotes in any Western. Do you know where it comes from?
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
"Django Unchained"
"The Magnificent Seven"
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It took the creators of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" quite a while to convince their bosses that Robert Redford was right for the part of The Sundance Kid. But after other stars turned down the role, Redford was given the part, and he certainly produced, even winning the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor.

Advertisement

a fistful of dollars
Jolly Film/ Constantin Film/ Ocean Films/ Unidis
The quote "Get three coffins ready" shows that things are going to get deadly in which Western?
"Near Dark"
"The Salvation"
"A Fistful of Dollars"
"Maverick"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If "A Fistful of Dollars" had been filmed in the United States, Clint Eastwood couldn't have starred in the Western because of his contract with the show "Rawhide." Luckily, the film was shot in Europe, which didn't violate the contract.

Advertisement

Question 10 - Tombstone
Hollywood Pictures/ Cinergi Pictures/ Buena Vista Pictures
"I'm your Huckleberry" is a classic line delivered in which Western?
"Tombstone"
"True Grit"
"The Wild Bunch"
"Open Range"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Though George Cosmatos is credited with directing "Tombstone," it was actually the film's star, Kurt Russell, who made most of the major decisions on the film. In fact, Russell had to sacrifice much of his own character's dialogue to work both sides of the camera.

Advertisement

Question 11 - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Warner Bros.-First National/ Warner Bros.
Identify the movie where Dobbs expresses his fear of getting rich by saying: "Do you believe that stuff the old man was saying the other night at the Oso Negro about gold changin' a man's soul so's he ain't the same sort of man as he was before findin' it?"
"Giant"
"3:10 to Yuma"
"Lone Star"
"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Director John Huston made a cameo in one of the scenes of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." The scene was directed by Humphrey Bogart, who played Dobbs in the film, and Boggart wasn't easy on his director, making him run the scene over and over.

Advertisement

Question 6 - Once Upon a Time in the West
Euro International Film/ Paramount Pictures/ Rafran Cinematografica/ Finanzia San Marco/ Euro International Film/ Paramount Pictures
When asking about a horse, the man named Harmonica says, "You brought two too many." Are you familiar with the film?
"A Fistful of Dollars"
"Blazing Saddles"
"The Outlaw Josey Wales"
"Once Upon a Time in the West"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After the success of his "Dollars" trilogy, Sergio Leone went back to the Western genre with "Once Upon a Time in the West." He wanted Clint Eastwood to get on board with the film by playing Harmonica, but Eastwood turned him down.

Advertisement

Question 7 - High Noon
Stanley Kramer Productions/ United Artists
"If you're honest, you're poor your whole life. And in the end, you wind up dying all alone on some dusty street." What's the name of the movie where this bitter truth is told?
"Tombstone"
"High Noon"
"Rio Bravo"
"Shane"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When "High Noon" was released in 1952, it was believed that the film was a response to the Red Scare that had engulfed Hollywood. After all, the film followed a man who decided to do what was right despite being threatened, which was similar to the situation writer Carl Foreman found himself in during that time.

Advertisement

Question 25 - Open Range
Touchstone Pictures/ Beacon Communications/ Tig Productions/ Buena Vista Pictures
Commodities are hard to find in the West, evident by the line "My friend and me got a hankerin' for Switzerland chocolate and a good smoke." What's the movie?
"Open Range"
"Dead Man"
"Forsaken"
"The Alamo"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By 2003, when "Open Range" was released, the traditional Western had all but died out, as anti-heroes rose to prominence and the good guy faded. However, "Open Range" recaptures some of the traditional Western style, bringing fans back to the days of John Ford and Anthony Mann.

Advertisement

Question 13 - True Grit
Skydance Productions/ Mike Zoss Productions/ Scott Rudin Productions/ Paramount Pictures
Are you familiar with this quote? "I won't rest until Tom Chaney's barking in hell."
"Bone Tomahawk"
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
"Appaloosa"
"True Grit"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"True Grit" was remade and released in 2010 from a film of the same name released in 1969. While the more recent film starred Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld, the original movie starred John Wayne and Kim Darby.

Advertisement

Question 23 - The Magnificent Seven
The Mirisch Company/ Alpha Productions/ United Artists
After saving a village from bandits, a gunfighter declares, "The old man was right. Only the farmers won. We lost. We always lose." Is this a quote you can match to the correct film?
"The Missing"
"Legends of the Fall"
"Brimstone"
"The Magnificent Seven"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When "The Magnificent Seven" was released in 1960, it was pitched as an original idea. However, the story for the film was actually taken from Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai," which had been released six years prior.

Advertisement

Question 2 - Unforgiven
Malpaso Productions/ Warner Bros.
After being criticized for shooting an unarmed man, Bill Munny replies, "He should have armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend." Can you identify the movie?
"The Wild Bunch"
"Tombstone"
"True Grit"
"Unforgiven"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By 1992, when "Unforgiven" was released, Clint Eastwood had already begun directing many of his own movies. However, "Unforgiven" is easily one of his greatest films, as it won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. As the star of the film, Eastwood was also nominated for Best Actor during the Academy Awards.

Advertisement

Question 17 - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Paramount Pictures
Sometimes fable is better than fact, evident by the line "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend" that appears in which Western?
"The Homesman"
"Shanghai Noon"
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
"Red Hill"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Doniphon, John Wayne's character in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," was supposed to be 30 years younger than Wayne was at the time of shooting. It's believed that the film was shot in black and white, despite technicolor being available, to hide Wayne's age.

Advertisement

Question 32 -  Shane
Paramount Pictures
In the West, a gun is the most important tool for either a lawman or an outlaw. Are you familiar with the movie that discusses the importance of a gun with this quote: "A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that."?
"McCabe & Mrs. Miller"
"Winchester '73"
"Shane"
"Johnny Guitar"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By the time "Shane" was released in 1953, Jean Arthur was already a veteran in the film business, with a filmography that stretched back to 1923. "Shane" would end up being her final film appearance, as she retired following the movie.

Advertisement

Question 1 - The Searchers
C.V. Whitney Pictures/ Warner Bros.
In a classic Western based on a novel, Captain Clayton says, "Yeah, and I figure on getting myself unsurrounded" while being ambushed by Native Americans. What's the Western?
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"
"The Searchers"
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
"High Noon"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Searchers" follows a Civil War veteran in search of his niece after Native Americans abduct her. The man's niece, Debbie, was played by Natalie Wood, who was still in high school when the film was shot. One of the star actors, John Wayne, occasionally picked her up from school during days she was on set.

Advertisement

Question 4 - The Wild Bunch
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
Which Western proves that even outlaws have a code with the following line: "When you side with a man, you stay with him. And if you can't do that, you're like some animal, you're finished."?
"Dances with Wolves"
"High Noon"
"The Wild Bunch"
"Rio Bravo"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The idea for "The Wild Bunch," which features a group of aging outlaws who attempt to complete one last job, came from Roy N. Sickner. Before developing the idea, Sickner had worked on commercials as the Marlboro Man, which served as inspiration for the film.

Advertisement

Question 8 - Dances with Wolves
Tig Productions/ Orion Pictures
How well do you know the movie that captures the humanity of Native Americans in the West with quotes like: "Nothing I have been told about these people is correct. They are not thieves or beggars. They are not the bogeymen they are made out to be."?
"Stagecoach"
"Red River"
"Dances with Wolves"
"Open Range"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Instead of writing a screenplay, the creator of "Dances with Wolves," Michael Blake, turned his idea into a novel. He believed that producers would be more willing to get behind a novel than a screenplay because the idea was more fleshed out.

Advertisement

Question 19 - 310 to Yuma
Relativity Media/ Tree Line Film/ Lionsgate
The West can be brutal, and sometimes it's best to walk away. Dan Evans knows that when he says, "When you think about it, which I have been lately, is they weren't paying me to walk away. They were paying me so they could walk away." Can you identify the movie this quote's from?
"Prospect"
"3:10 to Yuma"
"Meek's Cutoff"
"Hostiles"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite being set in the United States during the 19th century, "3:10 to Yuma" stars two foreign actors: Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Crowe is from New Zealand, while Bale is from Wales.

Advertisement

Question 26 - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Virtual Studios/ Scott Free Productions/ Plan B Entertainment/ Warner Bros.
"Don't that picture look dusty?" are the last words of one of the main characters in which Western?
"Blackhorn"
"Jonah Hex"
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
"Priest"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There have been plenty of stories about Jesse James and his escapades in the West, but no film captures the outlaw quite like "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." The film tells the story of James' last days as he tries to revive his gang amid betrayal and chaos.

Advertisement

Question 34 - How the West Was Won
Cinerama Releasing Corporation/ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
When discussing how Mike King thinks he owns the railroad, a character in which movie says, "Oh? I don't think he knows that."?
"How the West Was Won"
"Fort Apache"
"High Plains Drifter"
"Lonely Are the Brave"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Since there are multiple segments taking place over several generations in "How the West Was Won," three directors were used to create the film. Those directors were John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall.

Advertisement

Question 33 - Silverado
Delphi III Productions/ Columbia Pictures
In what movie does Stella believe people should stand up for themselves when she says, "Some people think because they're stronger or meaner, they can push you around. But it's only true if you let it be. The world is what you make of it."?
"Little Big Man"
"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"
"The Naked Spur"
"Silverado"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the most recognized parts of "Silverado" was its sound and score, which were both nominated at the 58th Academy Awards. However, the film "Out of Africa" won the awards in both categories.

Advertisement

the good the bad and the ugly
Produzioni Europee Associate/ United Artists/ Produzioni Europee Associate
One of the most famous lines from which Spaghetti Western is: "There are two kinds of people: those with guns and those who do the digging", but where is it from?
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"
"A Fistful of Dollars"
"For a Few Dollars More"
"Buddy Goes West"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was the third film in Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy. These films helped establish an entirely new Western genre, known as the Spaghetti Westerns because Italians directed them.

Advertisement

Question 9 - Django Unchained
A Band Apart/ Columbia Pictures/ The Weinstein Company/ Columbia Pictures
After his partner gets sick watching a man get ripped apart by dogs, the title character of what movie says, "I'm just a little more used to Americans than he is"?
"Shane"
"The Outlaw Josey Wales"
"Django Unchained"
"Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to Quentin Tarantino, the scene with the dogs was supposed to be much longer and include even more violence. However, Tarantino didn't want to traumatize the audience completely, so the scenes were shortened.

Advertisement

Question 20 - Lone Star
Castle Rock Entertainment/ Sony Pictures Classics
Match the quote to the movie: "No telling if there's been a crime, but this country's seen a fair amount of disagreements over the years."
"The Horse Whisperer"
"The Keeping Room"
"Maverick"
"Lone Star"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Considered a Neo-Western, "Lone Star" is set in the present day instead of in the Old West, like most movies in the Western genre. However, the film still follows traditional Western themes, such as taking place in the American West and the struggle for justice.

Advertisement

Question 16 - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Annapurna Pictures/ Mike Zoss Productions/ Netflix
In a comedic take on the Western genre, a wanted man holds up his poster and declares, "Misanthrope? I don't hate my fellow man, even when he's tiresome and surly and tries to cheat at poker. I figure that's just a human material, and him that finds in it cause for anger and dismay is just a fool for expecting better." What's the film?
"The Magnificent Seven"
"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
"The Horse Whisperer"
"Wild Wild West"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," there's a scene where Scruggs is playing poker, and he holds a decent hand consisting of Aces and Eights. However, according to superstition, this is the "Dead Man's Hand" because it's believed to be the hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was killed.

Advertisement

Question 35 - Pale Rider
The Malpaso Company/ Warner Bros.
"Starting fresh always sounds good when you're in trouble." Have you seen the Western where this quote comes from?
"High Plains Drifter"
"Pale Rider"
"Seven Men from Now"
"The Big Country"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Clint Eastwood found trouble of his own when filming "Pale Rider," as he suffered a dislocated shoulder during an accident on set. The injury was the result of his horse throwing him off after falling through a thin layer of ice.

Advertisement

Question 15 - Giant
Warner Bros.
Do you know the film where Leslie tries to establish herself on her husband's ranch when she says, "I can't be just a guest in my husband's house"?
"Giant"
"Blazing Saddles"
"McCabe & Mrs. Miller"
"Near Dark"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was a rising star at the time, and James Dean was one of the three leading actors in "Giant," which would end up being his last leading role. Dean was killed in a car crash a year before the film was released.

Advertisement

Question 29 - Hostiles
Waypoint Entertainment/ Le Grisbi Productions/ Bloom Media/ Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
How well do you know the revisionist Western that this quote is from: "Sometimes I envy the finality of death. The certainty. And I have to drive those thoughts away when I'm weak."?
"The Keeping Room"
"Blackthorn"
"Dead Man"
"Hostiles"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Hostiles" is a revisionist Western that was directed by Scott Cooper and stars Christian Bale, but it's not the first time these two teamed up on a film. They had previously worked on "Out of the Furnace," though "Hostiles" received more praise than their former movie.

Advertisement

for a few dollars more
Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)/ Arturo González Producciones Cinematográficas/ Constantin Film/ PEA/ United Artists
When referring to the dishonesty of a local sheriff, Monco says, "I think you people need a new sheriff." Do you know the movie this quote appears in?
"The Killer Inside Me"
"For a Few Dollars More"
"The Kid"
"A Million Ways to Die in the West"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Since Sergio Leone switched producers between his first and second film in the "Dollars" trilogy, he had to rename his main character as well. However, the original producers believed they owned the rights to the character either way, but an Italian court decided that the character's persona was public domain.

Advertisement

Question 24 - The Hateful Eight
Shiny Penny/ FilmColony/ The Weinstein Company
Have you seen the movie where a bounty hunter discusses a letter from Abraham Lincoln by saying: "The only time black folks are safe is when white folks is disarmed. And this letter had the desired effect of disarming white folks."?
"Blackthorn"
"The Rover"
"The Hateful Eight"
"The Lone Ranger"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Occasionally, Westerns rely heavily on plot and ignore the characters that drive the story, but that certainly isn't the case for "The Hateful Eight." The plot revolves around a bounty hunter delivering a fugitive to justice, but the cast of characters add complexity around every turn.

Advertisement

Question 27 -  Appaloosa
New Line Cinema/ Axiom Films/ Groundswell Productions/ Warner Bros. Pictures
Can you identify the film that captures how unpredictable life can be when a character states, "But life has a way of making the foreseeable that which never happens, and the unforeseeable that which your life becomes"?
"The Keeping Room"
"Dead Man"
"Maverick"
"Appaloosa"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ed Harris was a seasoned actor but had only directed one movie when he stepped onto the set of "Appaloosa." His second film didn't disappoint, as it vividly captures a love triangle that rivals any in the Western genre.

Advertisement

Question 31 - The Salvation
Zentropa Entertainments 33/ Forward Films/ Spier Films/ Danish Film Institute/ Nordisk Film & TV Fond/ Film i Väst/ Nordisk Film/ Warner Bros./ IFC Films
Match the quote to the film: "Yeah, I was a soldier once, and it taught me a lesson. Don't get into a fight you know you're gonna lose."
"The Killer Inside Me"
"The Salvation"
"The Lone Ranger"
"The Dark Tower"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Directed by Kristian Levring, a Danish director, "The Salvation" twist the Western genre slightly by telling the story of Danish immigrants coming to the United States during the 19th century. To add to its Danish roots, the film also stars Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.

Advertisement

Question 22 -  Bone Tomahawk
Caliber Media Company/ RLJ Entertainment
How well do you know the film this line is from: "Say goodbye to my wife, I'll say hello to yours"?
"Bone Tomahawk"
"Appaloosa"
"Red Hill"
"In a Valley of Violence"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most films, especially period pieces, take months of filming to complete, but that wasn't the case for "Bone Tomahawk." Working with a tight budget, shooting on the film was finished in only 21 days.

Advertisement

Question 30 - Blackthorn
Nix Films/ Eter Pictures/ Manto Films/ Alta Films/ Magnolia Pictures
It's hard to know what really matters in the West. Which film expresses the importance of friendship with this quote: "Friendship is the most valuable thing a man can have. It's worth more than money, land, horses or cattle. It might be the only thing you never forget."?
"Blackthorn"
"The Claim"
"Legends of the Fall"
"The Quick and the Dead"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's widely accepted that Butch Cassidy was killed in 1908 in a shootout in Bolivia, but there is speculation that he survived the ordeal. "Blackthorn" tells the story of Cassidy surviving the shootout and retreating to a village where he lived for the next 20 years.

Advertisement

You Got:
/35
Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)/ Arturo González Producciones Cinematográficas/ Constantin Film/ PEA/ United Artists