McFarland & Company (series)

Westerns And The Trail of Tradition

Description by OLDIES.com:

Over the past century, the western has fluctuated in popularity. Today it stands, to the dismay of many, at one of its lowest points. If you want to know what glorious contributions this genre of film made to mid-century American culture, this is the year-by-year book for you.

Beginning in 1929 with the advent of talkies (In Old Arizona fascinated its audiences) the author discusses the cultural and industry trends, the directors, producers, studios and especially the stars, and how their personalities (and financial ups and downs) affected the way westerns were shot. The improvements in technology through the years, the trickhorses, the fistfight choreography, the evolution of plotlines - these are fascinating indicators of the way Americans themselves were changing. It doesn't seem fair that after Cimarron in 1931 (stodgy as it was, to be honest) it was almost six decades before another western (Dances with Wolves) won the Oscar for Best Picture. But this book helps to explain why. In the author's view, 1962 concluded the golden age - two great westerns, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Ride The High Country, were made in that year.