The Invention of the Western Film: A Cultural History of the Genre's First Half-Century

by Scott Simmon

The Invention of the Western Film ranges across literature, visual arts, social history, ideology, and legend to provide, for the first time, an in-depth exploration of the early Western, from short kinetoscopes of the 1890s through "classic" features of the 1940s. By examining the American Indian's rise and demise during the silent era, B- Westerns of the 1930s, and film noir-influenced Westerns of the 1940s, Scott Simmon's pioneering study silhouettes the genre's evolution against a myriad of cultural forces. This lively, encyclopedic book revitalizes familiar Western icons John Wayne and John Ford, and recovers forgotten masterworks from the Western film's formative years.

Genres: Film

412 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2003

Reviews

[Drew Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal study of the genre, with a perfect blend of analysis and history.