Western Movie Channel

From LoveToKnow Movies

Encore Westerns is often referred to as the Western Movie Channel (WMC).

About Encore Westerns

Encore Westerns is part of the Encore Movieplex of channels and airs contemporary as well as classic western films. Encore's parent company, Liberty Media, has deals with the following major movies studios with rights to air their films:

Sony Pictures
Revolution Studios
Columbia Pictures
Universal Studios
Disney

These five major film studios distributed vast numbers of western films, here's a breakdown of what the Western Movie Channel on Encore has to offer:

Sony Pictures Westerns

Since Sony Pictures acquired MGM studios in 2004, the company's film library has grown significantly in size. Here's a list of some of the major western films offered by Sony and MGM:

Cimarron – Filmed in 1960, this classic western stars Glenn Ford, Anne Baxter, Maria Schell and Harry Morgan.
How the West Was Won – This epic western film stars John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall.
Ride the High Country – This beloved classic western is currently preserved in the National Film Registry at the U.S. Library of Congress. Released in 1962, Ride the High Country stars Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott and Mariette Hartley.

Columbia Pictures Westerns

The contemporary and classic western films distributed by Columbia Pictures include:

Two Rode Together – Released in 1961, this film stars the incomparable Jimmy Stewart, Richard Widmark, Shirley Jones and Linda Cristal.
City Slickers – This comedic western film stars Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby and Daniel Stern. Of course, you can't forget the calf named Norm either.
Legends of the Fall – Who can forget this 1994 film starring Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn, Anthony Hopkins and Julia Ormond? This is one of the first films that put Brad Pitt on the celebrity map and on his way to superstardom.
All the Pretty Horses – Released in 2000, this contemporary western stars Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz.

Universal Studios Westerns

Universal Studios distributed plenty of westerns, including:

The Last Sunset – This 1960 western film stars the likes of Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas along with leading ladies Carol Lynley and Dorothy Malone.
Lonely are the Brave – Released in 1962, this classic western film stars Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands and Walter Mathau.
The Apaloosa – We all my remember him from A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfrong but this 1966 Spaghetti western stars Marlon Brando as the character Matt Fletcher.
Two Mules for Sister Sara – A well-known western film released in 1970 stars Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine.

Classic Western Television Shows

The WMC shows films from just about every decade. In 2009, Encore struck a deal with Warner Brothers Studios to begin airing popular western television shows from the 1950's and 1960's such as:

Gunsmoke – This beloved television series ran from 1955 to 1975 for a total of a whopping 635 episodes. The show stars James Arness, Milburn Stone and Amanda Blake, among others.
Have Gun Will Travel – Starring actor Richard Boone, Have Gun Will Travel had its original run from 1957 to 1963.
The Rifleman – Made its debut in 1958 and its series finale in 1963, this popular western television show starred Chuck Connors, Johnny Crawford and Paul Fix.

Getting The Western Movie Channel

The Western Movie Channel is a part of the Encore Movieplex of channels offered by Starz Entertainment. The channel is widely available to cable and satellite television subscribers. As an added bonus, if you subscribe to the Encore Movieplex of channels, every Wednesday, the Encore Movie channel airs westerns all day long.

Whether you enjoy classic westerns from the 1960's or contemporary westerns from the 1990's to the 2000's, Encore Westerns airs films to fit whatever western film mood you happen to be in. Check out Encore's website at encoretv.com for subscription information.

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