Did You Notice?

There is gold to be found in Western film stills—much of which should not be there at all. In scenes set in the 19th century, you can spot power lines, automobiles parked in the background, a set of rails guiding a wagon across the set. How about visible power cords snaking across a saloon floor? Or the mattress for the stunt man to land on? A modern watch on an 1890s wrist? Band aid on finger? Tire tracks in the Old West dust? In other stills, something important is missing, or someone not in the movie can be seen. Mistakes with guns and costumes abound (left hand, right hand, checks, plain). Or a still may be especially interesting for a reason other than error… Here is a guided tour of some 200 Western stills, each selected for an entertaining oddity. See what you notice!

Retired school teacher Don Creacy has had stories published in Under Western Skies, Movie Matinee, Westerns and Serials, Noem’s Nostalgia, The Big Reel, Classic Images, and Springfield Magazine. He lives in Pearl City, Hawaii.

Don Creacy

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: 203 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7435-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
Introduction 3
The Western Film Stills 7
Index 205