Western Men in Black

Somewhere along the line the stereotype of the good guy in the white hat and the bad guy in the black hat took root as a standard in western lore. A review of western screen heroes tends to debunk this myth however, and that poses an interesting point. Aren't we then using fictional sterotypical actors to disprove a sterotypical myth built on Hollywood fictional actors? Oh well enough of the brain teasers, here goes:

The list I came up with of western heroes who in fact wore black hats is actually more extensive than even I thought. Without hardly trying I found several who actually preferred them.
The most famous cowboy hero in a black hat is undoubtably William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd. Bill wore a large black stetson in all his Cassidy films. It was a trademark to accompany his engraved pistols, fancy holster and black shirt.
Some other old time western heroes who sported a black top were Ken Maynard, Bob Steele and Buck Jones. Together they made dozens of movies portraying Texas rangers, cowboys and the like. None were more heroic either.
Believe it or not, at various times in their careers Randolph Scott, Wild Bill Elliot, Gregory Peck and even John Wayne were men in black. That's right, even the Duke donned a black hat.
Two of the more heroic, most recognized and obviously good guy sidekicks also sported a black cap. I'm referring to Gabby Hayes and Smiley Burnett. While they might be a little toothless, addled or overweight, their characters were clearly good true blue and brave sidekicks. Admittedly though, their caps were a little tattered and worn.
While he was a bit of a scoundrel nobody will argue that one of the truly great western television heroes was Maverick and of course James Garner was famous for his black hat.
Finally what list would be complete without mentioning Gary Cooper, especially in "High Noon". The lone sheriff, brave enough to take on a murderous gang all alone, wore nothing other than a black hat.
Moral: Never judge a gunslinger by the clothes he wears, only by who's left standing after his guns stop smoking.