Westerns and the Trail of Tradition

Over the past century, the western has fluctuated in popularity. By 2010 it has come to stand, to the dismay of many, at one of its lowest points. Beginning with 1929 and the advent of talkies (In Old Arizona), the author discusses the cultural and industry trends, the directors, producers, studios and especially the stars, and looks at the ways in which their personalities (and financial ups and downs) affected the way westerns were shot. The improvements in technology through the years, the trick horses, the fistfight choreography, the evolution of plotlines—these are fascinating indicators of the way Americans themselves were changing.

The late Barrie Hanfling wrote for Nostalgia Westerns magazine. He also had articles published in Wrangler’s Roost and Serial Report. He lived in Auckland, New Zealand.

Barrie Hanfling
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 270
Bibliographic Info: 110 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010 [2001]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4500-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0836-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Preface      1

1929: The Sound Revolution      5
1930: The Epic Returns      13
1931: Best Film      19
1932: B Westerns in Abundance      25
1933: Popular, but…      31
1934: Jones as “King”      35
1935: The Coming of Cassidy—and Autry      41
1936: The Return of the Epic      49
1937: Never So Many Westerns, but…      57
1938: B Westerns Everywhere      65
1939: Stagecoach, Plus…      73
1940: Gene Autry’s Year      83
1941: The Return of Buck Jones      93
1942: Business as Usual      101
1943: Republic’s New King      111
1944: Tall in the Saddle      119
1945: Eddie Dean—In Living Color      125
1946: Home from the War      133
1947: There’s Room on the Prairie      141
1948: They Passed This Way      149
1949: “It Was All Over—but They Forgot to Tell Me”      159
1950: Classic Westerns      169
1951: On Big and Small Screen      179
1952: “Do Not Forsake Me”      187
1953: Shane      195
1954: Sundown on the Prairie      203
1955: A World Without B or Series Westerns      209
1956: “Name’s Ethan”      213
1957: There Are Some Things a Man Can’t Ride Around…      219
1958: Once Upon a Horse…      223
1959: The Year Creeps Slowly By…      227
1960: A New Decade—Old Players      231
1961: Near the End of the Trail      235
1962: Glorious Beginning—Sad Farewell      239

Conclusion      245
Bibliography      247
Index      249

“one of the best books on Westerns film history…wonderful”—Classic Images; “unique…a good read”—Western Clippings; “well-illustrated”—Wrangler’s Roost.