A legendary Western movie is airing on TV tonight

The Western film has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The black-and-white oater follows Lin McAdam (Stewart), an avenging sharpshooter, who rides into town on the trail of Dutch Henry Brown (Stephen McNally), only to find himself in a shooting competition against him.

McAdam wins the prize, a one-in-a-thousand Winchester rifle, but Dutch steals it and leaves town.

Intent on settling his old quarrel, McAdam follows, while the rifle "becomes a harbinger of death as it is passed from one doomed hand to the next".

Watch the trailer for Winchester '73 right here:

Winchester '73's cast also includes Dan Duryea and Shelley Winters, as well as a pre-fame Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis.

A major hit upon release, the movie is now seen as a classic of the Western genre, holding a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The first of five Westerns that Stewart and director Anthony Mann made together (others include The Far Country and The Man from Laramie), the film has been widely praised for its action, its performances, and its unique plot - which links characters together through the titular object.

The movie is also credited with redefining the Western genre, infusing it with a greater sense of darkness and "psychological intensity".

On top of this, the film marked a turning point for Stewart, beginning his transition from playing conventional heroes into taking on more "increasingly edgy roles".

Winchester '73 is airing on TV tonight on TG4 at 9pm. The Western is also available to rent on Apple TV, Google Play, Prime Video, and the Sky Store.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

The Equalizer 3 / Bad Boys for Life - Film4 - 9pm / 11.10pm

A double bill of two recent and fun action sequels.

Notting Hill - E4 - 9pm

A Hollywood star (Julia Roberts) and a humble British bookstore owner (Hugh Grant) fall for each other in this classic rom-com.

Battle: Los Angeles - Legend Xtra - 9pm

A Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) leads a platoon of U.S. Marines defending Los Angeles from an alien invasion in this decent sci-fi action flick described as ‘Black Hawk Down meets War of the Worlds’.

Something in the Water - RTÉ One - 9.35pm

A fun shark thriller we've recommended before.

Beverly Hills Cop III - Sky One - 10pm

Widely considered the worst of the action comedy franchise.

Marry Me - BBC One - 10.40pm

The romantic comedy-drama starring Jennifer Lopez as a pop star who impulsively decides to marry a maths teacher (Owen Wilson) who attends one of her concerts.

Autumn in New York - RTÉ One - 11.10pm

A not well-received romantic drama with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder.

Licorice Pizza - BBC Two - 11.55pm

Set in '70s Los Angeles, this comedy-drama from Oscar-winning writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) revolves around the relationship between a teen actor (Cooper Hoffman) and a directionless young woman (Alana Haim).

This is as they cross paths with various figures, including a Hollywood acting legend (Sean Penn), an eccentric movie producer (Bradley Cooper), and a politician running to be LA's mayor (Benny Safdie).