Book description
American historians such as Frederick Jackson Turner have argued that
the West has been the region that most clearly defines American
democracy and the national ethos. Throughout the twentieth century, the
“frontier thesis” influenced film and television producers who used the
West as a backdrop for an array of dramatic explorations of America's
history and the evolution of its culture and values. The common themes
found in Westerns distinguish the genre as a quintessentially American
form of dramatic art. In Hollywood's West, Peter C. Rollins, John E.
O'Connor, and the nation's leading film scholars analyze popular
conceptions of the frontier as a fundamental element of American history
and culture. This volume examines classic Western films and programs
that span nearly a century, from Cimarron (1931) to Turner Network
Television's recent made-for-TV movies. Many of the films discussed here
are considered among the greatest cinematic landmarks of all time. The
essays highlight the ways in which Westerns have both shaped and
reflected the dominant social and political concerns of their respective
eras. While Cimarron challenged audiences with an innovative, complex
narrative, other Westerns of the early sound era such as The Great
Meadow (1931) frequently presented nostalgic visions of a simpler
frontier era as a temporary diversion from the hardships of the Great
Depression. Westerns of the 1950s reveal the profound uncertainty cast
by the cold war, whereas later Westerns display heightened violence and
cynicism, products of a society marred by wars, assassinations, riots,
and political scandals. The volume concludes with a comprehensive
filmography and an informative bibliography of scholarly writings on the
Western genre. This collection will prove useful to film scholars,
historians, and both devoted and casual fans of the Western genre.
Hollywood's West makes a significant contribution to the understanding
of both the historic American frontier and its innumerable popular
representations.
