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.