A perfect ending does not have to be a happy one. Some real gritty endings. All great films.

Those endings pack a punch! A few more candidates: 1. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre -- that image of the two prospectors, now bereft of their gold, laughing.... 2. Little Big Man -- Jack Crabb, now in an old folks home, lowering his head with sadness after recounting his life story, dismissing the historian who says, "I didn't know...." 3. Stagecoach -- after the Marshall and Doc surprisingly send Dallas and the Kid away to get married, the Marshall offers to buy alcoholic Doc a drink to celebrate. Doc says,' "Well, maybe just one...."

I think that the ending of "The Big Country" was a great way to close out that movie.

I will add some not so well known endings but brilliantly done. 1: Cowboy and the movie star. Sean Livingston ( Sean Young) “ Brennan ( Perry King) you have two choices: You can take me back to town or you can teach me to ranch.” Right before they kiss as the film ends. 2: The Dark Command: Cantrell ( Walter Pidgeon) gets shot dead by his mother ( Marjorie Main). 3: Drum Beat: The prison conversation between Johnny MacKay ( Alan Ladd) and “Captain Jack” ( Charles Bronson). Ladd survives but Bronson wins the conversation ( just like he dominated the film) 4 The Last Hunt: The scene of Charlie Gibson ( Robert Taylor) frozen to death. 5: Warlock: Clay Blaisdell (Henry Fonda) smiling as throwing his guns away and rides away . Giving an unexpected victory to a shocked Johnny Gannon ( Richard Widmark).

The movie Warlock with H. Fonda was one of my favorites.

Thie Oklahoma Kid has my favorite ending to a movie (Western or not). Judge Hardwick ( Donald Crisp): “Do you take this woman?” Before Jim Kincaid ( James Cagney) could say anything his daughter Jane.( Rosemary Lane) says “He will take me whether he likes it or not!” Cagney gets the message smiles, takes off his huge hat and kisses her as the film ends.

John Wayne invited me on board his yacht wild goose, with friends like Ben Johnson. Upon leaving JW says, I really appreciate you coming by! Anyone would be proud to have you ask them to visit, why me? We talked boats, scuba, Islands, even seamenship knots, spent all day, but you never mentioned movies, not once! An you never ask me what my favorite movie is? Everyone wants to know! Okay, I'll bite, whats your favorite movie? The Searchers! Well, I have many favs but i likes Donovan reef. We both laughed!

The ending of Blazing Saddles is my favorite.

“The old man was right, only the farmers won. We lost… we always lose” Great list, but how did The Magnificent Seven get left off?

"Doc, Hands of Steel" aka "The Man Who Came To Kill". (Spaghetti Western. 1965) with Karl Mohner, Luis Davila, Gloria Milland and Fernando Sancho). Powerful ending, far surpasses Tarantino's bloody violence.

Other ends that I like are The Far Country, River of No Return, The Cowboys, Original True Grit, Little Big Man, and Winchester '73.

You notice that Jack Beauregard in My Name Is Nobody, does kill several people, but Nobody does not kill one person in this movie. Spoilers, symbolized when he is getting a shave he presses a finger instead of a gun in his would be assassin.

"From Noon Till Three" - Mental Patient: Graham Dorsey? Graham: Yeah. Mental Patient: [smiles] We've been expecting you. Welcome

The ending in the Searchers with JW in the doorway with his hand on his elbow is a tribute to Harry Carrey Sr.

Ride the High Country and The Shootist have great endings, but also the end of "The West" Also note, when Tuco is screaming at Blondie after he shoots him off of the grave, he doesn't say HEY BLOND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE? JUST A DIRTY SON OF A---watch the dubbing, he says JUST A DIRTY MOTHERFVCKER!. Also, Harmonica shoving the harmonica in Franks face as he's dying in Once Upon a Time in the West is up there too.

River of No Return, Blazing Saddles, Eldorado, Magnificent Seven

In Tombstone Wyatt gets his woman and the same for Audie Murphy in Guns of Fort Petticoat.

Fair play to ya, Wrangler.

The Searchers ending for me.....seems after all his (Ethan Edwards) efforts the family quickly forget his long search.