The Quick, the Dead and the Revived: The Many Lives of the Western Film

by Joseph Maddrey

Overview

For well more than a century, Western films have embodied the United States' most fundamental doctrine--expansionism--and depicted, in a uniquely American way, the archetypal battle between good and evil. Westerns also depict a country defined and re-defined by complex crises. World War II transformed the genre as well as the nation's identity. Since then, Hollywood filmmakers have been fighting America's ideological wars onscreen by translating modern-day politics into the timeless mythology of the Old West. This book surveys the most iconic and influential Westerns, examines Hollywood stars and their political stripes and reveals the familiar Western tropes--which became elements in popular action, science fiction and horror films. This then sets the stage for the Western revival of the 1990s and a period of reinvention in the 21st century.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476665511
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	06/20/2016
Pages:	204
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Joseph Maddrey has researched, written and produced more than 100 hours of documentary television, focusing on true crime and the paranormal. He lives in Midlothian, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Preface 1

Introduction: Oaters 4

I Year of the Gun (1939) 9

II Westerners at War (1940-1946) 21

III Blood on the Moon (1947-1949) 32

IV High Noon (1950-1956) 44

V The Masculine Mystique (1950-1959) 57

VI The Lost Cowboys (1955-1959) 71

VII The New Frontier (1960-1965) 82

VIII Blood Money (1964-1968) 95

IX Mud and Rags (1967-1973) 107

X Death Wish (1971-1980) 121

XI Back to the Future (1977-1988) 133

XII Young Guns (1988-2001) 144

XIII Fever Dream (2002-2010) 155

Afterword: Destiny or Dust? 167

Appendix: Filming Locations 169

Chapter Notes 185

Bibliography 188

Index 195

Editorial Reviews

a captivating work filled with keen observation and significant explanations. It’s the western movie genre presented in a most interesting light, and it’s Madrey’s intelligent writing that does the shining”—VideoScope.

From the Publisher