The Invention of the Western Film

The Invention of the Western Film ranges across literature, visual arts, social history, ideology and legend to provide an in-depth exploration of the early Western, from short kinetoscopes of the 1890s through the 'classic' features of the 1940s. Scott Simmon silhouettes the Western's evolution, including the rise and demise of the American Indian during the silent era, the 'B-Westerns' of the 1930s, and the Westerns of the 1940s, when aspects of film noir were adapted to the genre. All of these developments are examined within the context of the cultural forces that shaped them. Shedding new light on important celebrities, notably John Wayne and John Ford, this book also recovers forgotten masterworks from the early history of the Western.