The 30+ Best Warren Oates Movies
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1Dixie Dynamite
Steve McQueen, Warren Oates, Christopher GeorgeDixie Dynamite is a 1977 American film directed by Lee Frost. Steve McQueen appears uncredited in a scene as a motorbike driver.
2James Taylor, Warren Oates, Laurie BirdIn this cult favorite road film, a mechanic (Dennis Wilson) and a driver (James Taylor) live only to race and maintain their 1955 Chevy. Heading east from California with no particular agenda, they give a girl (Laurie Bird) a ride, and en route she incites jealousy between the men by sleeping with them both. Meanwhile, the trio encounters an overbearing GTO driver (Warren Oates) who agrees to race them to New York, each side putting at stake their most prized possession: their car.
3William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert RyanThe Wild Bunch, a seminal Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, is a tale of an aging outlaw gang on the Mexico-US border. The gang's leader, Pike Bishop (William Holden), along with his second-in-command, Dutch Engstrom (Ernest Borgnine), navigates their crew through changing times and relentless law enforcement. As they attempt one last score, their loyalty and survival instincts are put to the ultimate test. This gritty and violent depiction of the Old West earned two Oscar nominations for its original screenplay and musical score in 1970.More The Wild Bunch
- #38 of 288 onThe 250+ Best Western Movies Of All Time
- #93 of 191 onThe Best Movies For Men
- #35 of 167 onThe Greatest '60s Movies, Ranked
4Warren Oates, Isela Vega, Gig YoungWhen a Mexican crime boss (Kris Kristofferson) learns that his aide, Alfredo Garcia, has impregnated his daughter, he offers a million dollars for Garcia's head. Eager to collect, a couple of bounty hunters (Helmut Dantine, Gig Young) track him to a Mexico City bar run by an American expatriate named Bennie (Warren Oates). Bennie denies knowing Garcia and attempts to bring in the head himself after learning from his girlfriend (Robert Webber) that Garcia has died in a car accident.
5Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Severn DardenThe Hired Hand is a 1971 American western film directed by Peter Fonda, with a screenplay by Alan Sharp. The film stars Fonda, Warren Oates, and Verna Bloom. The cinematography was by Vilmos Zsigmond, and Bruce Langhorne provided the moody film score. The story is about a man returning to his abandoned wife after seven years of drifting from job to job throughout the southwest. The embittered woman will only let him stay if he agrees to move in as a hired hand. Upon release, the film received a mixed critical response and was a financial failure. In 1973, the film was shown on NBC-TV in an expanded version, but soon drifted into obscurity. In 2001, a fully restored version was shown various film festivals, gaining strong critical praise, and it was released by the Sundance Channel on DVD. It is now considered a classic Western of the period.
6Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren OatesIn Badlands, Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen) is an aimless young man who meets and falls for teenage baton twirler, Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek). Based on the real-life Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of the 1950s, their story spirals into a violent journey across the Midwest badlands. This crime drama, directed by Terrence Malick in his directorial debut, was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. The film is noted for its cinematic beauty and its exploration of sociopathic disconnection, making it a standout entry in the New Hollywood era.More Badlands- #29 of 54 onThe Best Movies 'Loosely' Based On True Stories
- #24 of 63 onThe Greatest Directorial Debuts Of All Time
- #19 of 35 onThe Best Movies Based on Real Murders
7Ride the High Country
Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Mariette HartleyReduced to transporting gold from a distant mine to a small-town bank, retired lawman Steve Judd (Joel McCrea) recruits friend Gil Westrum (Randolph Scott), who has been performing in a traveling carnival. Unknown to Steve, the restless Gil and a young drifter intend to steal the next gold transport. On the way, the men help Elsa Knudsen (Mariette Hartley) to break free from her zealot father and join her fiance at the mine, not realizing the consequences that await them all.More Ride the High Country- #36 of 49 onThe Top 45+ Films Released In 1962
- #104 of 288 onThe 250+ Best Western Movies Of All Time
- #26 of 46 onThe Best 1960s Western Movies, Ranked
8Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren OatesIn the 1967 drama In the Heat of the Night, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a black police detective from Philadelphia, becomes embroiled in a murder investigation in a racially hostile southern town. He reluctantly teams up with Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the local bigoted sheriff, to solve the case. The film, directed by Norman Jewison, expertly blends elements of mystery and social commentary. It won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Steiger. Its exploration of racial tension remains relevant even today.More In the Heat of the Night- Dig Deeper...Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes
- #38 of 96 onThe Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture
- #11 of 167 onThe Greatest '60s Movies, Ranked
9Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren OatesIn the 1981 comedy film Stripes, John Winger (Bill Murray) is a man who loses everything - his car, apartment, and girlfriend. To escape his misfortune, he convinces his best friend Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis) to join the Army with him. Their unconventional attitudes often collide with their superiors, particularly hard-nosed Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates). The pair's hijinks lead them from basic training to an unexpected mission in Europe. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the movie weaves humor and adventure into a memorable tale of friendship and resilience.More Stripes- #161 of 262 onThe 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
- #78 of 399 onThe Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
- #263 of 769 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies
10Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta SwitRoger (Peter Fonda), his friend Frank (Warren Oates), and their wives (Lara Parker, Loretta Swit) are heading from San Antonio to the wilderness of rural Texas for some off-road motocross. What they find instead is a Satanic cult sacrifice, and they are unfortunate enough to be caught observing the ritual. Naturally, this doesn't sit too well with the cult members. Now Roger and Frank are on the run from what is apparently a very sizable Texan Satanist community.
11Ed Begley, Jr., Harry Dean StantonCockfighter is a 1974 film by director Monte Hellman, starring Warren Oates, Harry Dean Stanton and featuring Laurie Bird and Ed Begley, Jr. The screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford.
12Dillinger
Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Michelle PhillipsDuring the Great Depression, John Dillinger (Warren Oates), a ruthless, arrogant criminal, is the most wanted man in America. Along with his gang, which includes the likes of "Baby Face" Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss) and "Pretty Boy" Floyd (Steve Kanaly), he robs Midwestern banks and leaves a trail of devastation in his path. But Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson), an unrelenting federal agent, is hot on the trail of Dillinger's gang, and will stop at nothing to bring them to justice.More Dillinger- #32 of 59 onThe 55+ Best Movies Of 1973
- #17 of 22 onThe Best Gangster Biopics Of All Time
- #57 of 118 onThe 115+ Best R-Rated Gangster Movies
13Yul Brynner, Robert Fuller, Warren OatesThe residents of a Mexican village are intimidated by deranged rancher Lorca (Emilio Fernández), who assembles 50 gunmen to force the townspeople to construct a church in honor of his dead sons. Vigilante Chico (Julian Mateos), who previously teamed up with six other sharpshooters to protect the villagers in a time of need, learns of Lorca's harassment and decides to round up the old gang members, including Chris (Yul Brynner) and Vin (Robert Fuller), and ride in to save the town again.
14Dennis Hopper, Warren Oates, Peter BoyleOutlaw Kid Blue (Dennis Hopper) decides to give up robbing trains and go straight. Moving to the small town of Dime Box, Texas, under the name of Bickford Warner, he takes any honest work he can find. With the help of a preacher (Peter Boyle) and Reese Ford (Warren Oates), a friend he makes at the local factory, it seems that Bickford may finally be turning his life around. But for Bickford, hard work just may be too hard, especially when there are plenty of trains to rob.
15Ryan O'Neal, Jacqueline Bisset, Warren OatesComputer programmer Webster McGee (Ryan O'Neal) is so bored at his job that he begins a sideline career as a thief. When he steals incriminating documents from a local tycoon named Henderling (Charles Cioffi), Webster blackmails his victim into helping him up the social ladder. Soon he finds himself hobnobbing with the fast set and falling in love with with a beautiful socialite (Jacqueline Bisset). Everything would be great if a dogged insurance investigator (Warren Oates) weren't on to him.
16Millie Perkins, Jack Nicholson, Will HutchinsIn the American West, Willet Gashade (Warren Oates), a former bounty hunter, and Coley Boyard (Will Hutchins), his dimwitted partner, are approached by a secretive young woman (Millie Perkins) who offers them money to guide her through the desert but refuses to discuss why she is traveling. The group embarks on the journey and is eventually joined by Billy Spear (Jack Nicholson), a volatile gunslinger the woman has also hired. The only question is why.
17Johnny Whitaker, Celeste Holm, Warren OatesBest friends Tom Sawyer (Johnnie Whitaker) and Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) spend their days in their small Mississippi hometown causing havoc and having fun wherever they go. When the young Becky Thatcher (Jodie Foster) moves in to town, it throws an unexpected wrench into their friendship. But when one of Tom's friends finds himself in a jam, all three kids come together to help solve the problem in this musical retelling of the classic Mark Twain story.More Tom Sawyer- #171 of 188 onThe 180+ Top Kids Movies
- #51 of 93 onThe Best Kids Movies Of The 1970s
- #34 of 59 onThe 55+ Best Movies Of 1973
18Jeff Bridges, Sam Waterston, Elizabeth AshleyCattle rustlers Jack McKee (Jeff Bridges) and Cecil Colson (Sam Waterston) steadily steal cows from wealthy rancher John Brown (Clifton James). When his two hapless ranch hands (Harry Dean Stanton, Richard Bright) fail at capturing the thieves, Brown calls upon the services of Henry Beige (Slim Pickens), a cattle rustler turned detective -- although Beige does little more than sit around all day. But as they continue to get away with their crimes, McKee and Colson become a little too confident.
19Kristy McNichol, Eileen Brennan, Warren OatesMy Old Man is a 1979 television film directed by John Erman. The film is based on an Ernest Hemingway story that had previously been adapted for the 1950 film Under My Skin.
20Henry Fonda, Janice Rule, Aldo RayWild West outpost Hard Times comes under attack by the Man From Bodie (Aldo Ray), a villain who conducts a one-man rape, murder and arson campaign that leaves few survivors. One of the stranger's victims, saloon dancer Molly (Janice Rule), blames pacifistic mayor Will Blue (Henry Fonda) for not stopping the rampage. Fearful the man may come back, she teaches adolescent orphan Jimmy Fee (Michael Shea) how to shoot a gun. When the stranger does return, the survivors must band together to stop him.
21Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Valerie PerrineCharlie Smith (Jack Nicholson) barely scrapes by on his low salary, but his hectoring wife, Marcy (Valerie Perrine), is anxious to move up in the world, so he takes a new position as a border patrol agent alongside the hair-trigger Cat (Harvey Keitel). Soon, Charlie is a reluctant party to Cat's smuggling and other petty criminal actions, but when the corrupt agent sets his avaricious sights on a poor illegal immigrant (Elpidia Carrillo) and her newborn baby, Charlie's moral code returns.
22John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Lorraine GaryAfter Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, residents of California descend into a wild panic, afraid that they might be the next target. Among them are Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi), a crazed National Guard pilot; Sgt. Frank Tree (Dan Aykroyd), a patriotic, straight-laced tank crew commander; Ward Douglas (Ned Beatty), a civilian willing to help with the American war effort at any cost; and Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell (Robert Stack), who tries his hardest to maintain sanity amid the chaos.
23Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Hume CronynAfter a botched heist, Wild West bandit Paris Pitman Jr. (Kirk Douglas) hides his newly stolen money where no one will find it, then loses his entire gang in a blaze of bullets before being captured by the law and given a lengthy sentence in a desert jail. Paris believes that he can buy his way out of his predicament by offering some cash to the guards, but the upstanding Sheriff Lopeman (Henry Fonda) makes sure his men remain honest. Running out of options, Paris begins plotting a jailbreak.
24Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim HuttonDuring the end of the Civil War, Major Dundee guards Confederate prisoners, Union deserters and ordinary hard-bitten criminals in a remote fort. When Apaches attack the fort and make off with three children, Dundee must set up a posse including Confederates, who face a choice between joining up or being shot. The feud between Dundee and Tyreen is also heated up by a sultry Mexican widow.More Major Dundee- #114 of 288 onThe 250+ Best Western Movies Of All Time
- #36 of 46 onThe Best 1960s Western Movies, Ranked
- #27 of 46 onThe Best 60s War Movies
25Jenny Agutter, Warren Oates, Sam PeckinpahChina 9, Liberty 37 is an Italian-Spanish 1978 western film directed by Monte Hellman, starring Warren Oates, Jenny Agutter, and Fabio Testi. The film was shot in locations in Spain and Italy by cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno. Pino Donaggio composed the musical score. The film had a very sparse theatrical release in the United States, and did not play in some cities until as late as 1984.
26Harry Shearer, Warren Oates, Joanna CassidyAmerican Raspberry is a 1977 parody film that lampoons various films of the 1970s, much like The Groove Tube, Tunnel Vision, The Kentucky Fried Movie and Amazon Women on the Moon. It was filmed for Warner Brothers with a budget $30,000, but was rejected as being unreleasable. Cannon Pictures later acted as distributor during a brief showing in theaters in 1980.
27Blue Thunder
Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Candy ClarkFrank Murphy is a courageous and honorable Los Angeles police officer who is chosen to test run Blue Thunder, a high-tech experimental attack helicopter. While flying Blue Thunder, Murphy and his partner discover that the government intends to use the helicopter for corrupt crowd control and surveillance.More Blue Thunder- #330 of 399 onThe Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
- #16 of 72 onThe 70+ Best Movies From 1983, Ranked
- #53 of 73 onThe 70+ Best '80s Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked
28Cesar Romero, Telly Savalas, Warren OatesCrooks and Coronets is a 1969 British crime comedy film and/or heist movie written and directed by Jim O'Connolly. It starred Telly Savalas, Edith Evans, Warren Oates, Cesar Romero and Harry H. Corbett. The film was renamed as Sophie's Place for the US market.
29Dennis Quaid, Warren Oates, Pam GrierSinging honky-tonk tunes doesn't pay the family bills for Art Long (Dennis Quaid), so he decides to go where the money is: fighting. After winning his first bouts in a local Toughman contest, Art finds himself headed for the national championship. Winning would mean $100,000 and a new start. But does he have the skills to make it to the top? With his wife, Caroline (Carlene Watkins), and fight promoter James Neese (Warren Oates) by his side, Art's about to find out.
3092 in the Shade
Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Margot KidderWhen spoiled Tom Skelton (Peter Fonda) comes back home to Key West, Fla., he decides to put his wayward days behind him and start a business. Borrowing from his wealthy grandfather (Burgess Meredith), he opens a fishing guide service and immediately runs afoul of the competition. Blue collar guides Nichol Dance (Warren Oates) and Carter (Harry Dean Stanton) resent Tom, and try to pressure him into quitting. Tom retaliates by blowing up their boat, and the conflict only escalates from there.
