Approved | 1h 40min | Comedy, Drama, Romance |1940 A mysterious drifter rides his horse through a harsh yet beautiful desert landscape. We see cracked earth and scrub brush in the foreground and a rugged range of mountains that sprouts up in the hazy background. Soon we see text scroll up that begins with: “After the Civil War, America, in the throes of rebirth, set its face West where the land was free. First came the cattlemen and with them ‘Judge’ Roy Bean …” Although William Wyler’s hidden gem of a Western film, 1940’s “The Westerner,” starts off like many others, I soon discovered that this was a different cinematic animal altogether. With its drama, a bit of romance, and lots of side-splitting humor, I knew halfway into watching it that I’d add it to my Top 10 list—it’s just that great. As the film begins, a group of cattle …