Justus D. Barnes, from The Great Train Robbery (1903 film)

Monument Valley, on the Utah-Arizona border, became a common setting for westerns, especially after several of John Ford's films made it famous

The Western is an American fiction genre seen in film (when it can also be known as an "oater"), television, radio, literature, painting and other visual arts. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the later half of the 19th century in what became the Western United States (known as the American Old West), but also in Western Canada and Mexico. Closely related to the Western is the gaucho literature of Argentina, tales of the European settlement of the Australian Outback, and the charro or "rural" film genre in Mexico (see Golden Age of Mexican cinema). In film, the genre was most popular from the 1930s and into the 1960s, and the number of Westerns made since that time has declined significantly. Great Train Robbery still, public domain film Public domain film, from [1] The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States. ... Great Train Robbery still, public domain film Public domain film, from [1] The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States. ... The Great Train Robbery is a 1903 western film. ... Monument Valley, Utah, US - Hi res Found on pdphoto. ... Monument Valley, Utah, US - Hi res Found on pdphoto. ... Monument Valley from the valley floor. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... For building painting, see painter and decorator. ... The Mona Lisa is one of the most recognizable artistic paintings in the Western world. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the American Old West, circa 1888. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A picturesque, imitation-gaucho literature, purporting to use the language of the gauchos and reflect their mentality, arose in the 1870s as a result of a developing evolution in the understanding of national identity. ... For the restaurant chain, see Outback Steakhouse; for the station wagon, see Subaru Outback. ... In Mexico, charro is a term referring to a traditional cowboy of Mexico, originating in the State of Jalisco. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Definition and themes

Westerns are usually set in the Western United States during the period from about 1860 to the end of the so-called "Indian Wars" at Wounded Knee in 1890. Some westerns incorporate the American Civil War. The genre has expanded its focus to include films about the Battle of the Alamo in 1836; and the Mexican Revolution as late as 1920. Additionally, the Western genre has been adapted to the historical and mythological circumstances of other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Russia and even fictional space colonies. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Indian Nationss Colonial America/United States of America Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the Americans and the Indian Nations. ... Combatants Sioux United States Commanders Big Foot† James W. Forsyth Strength 120 men 230 women and children 500 men Casualties 153 killed 50 wounded 150 missing 25 killed 39 wounded For other uses, see Wounded Knee (disambiguation). ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the northern states, popularly referred to as the U.S., the Union, the North, or the Yankees; and the seceding southern states, commonly referred to as the Confederate States of America, the CSA, the Confederacy... Combatants Republic of Mexico Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas Commanders Antonio López de Santa Anna Pérez de Lebrón William Travis† Jim Bowie† Davy Crockett† Strength 6,000 in attack {1,800 in assault-see below} 183 to 250 Casualties 370 to 600 total 70 to 200... A graphical timeline is available here: Timeline of the Mexican Revolution Many portions of this article are translations of excerpts from the article Revolución Mexicana in the Spanish Wikipedia. ...

An important characteristic of Westerns is the portrayal of modes of existence perceived as primitive and obsolete giving way to modern counterparts, usually through a symbolic confrontation between characters. In the early stages of the Western continuity, this manifests as a conflict between natives and settlers or cavalry. In later stages, ranchers, settlers and gunslingers may be threatened by the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the pressures exerted by big business, and the centralization of political power in urban centers. Whatever stage of history the Western is representing, the thrust is consistently towards the subordination of nature, the domination of collective over individual values, and the emergence of the modern state. The Industrial Revolution was a major shift of technological, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions that occurred in the late 18th century and early 19th century in some Western countries. ...

In traditional American Westerns of the 1940s and 1950s, progress is positively associated with the American values of innocence, honor and sacrifice that resonated during the post-war years. Westerns made in the 1960s and 1970s often have a decidedly more pessimistic view towards progress, glorifying the individual and highlighting the cynicism, brutality and inequality in the American experience.

Perception

Western Set at Universal Studio in Hollywood

The popular perception of the Western is a movie that centers on the life of a semi-nomadic wanderer, usually a cowboy or a gunfighter, whose possessions include a canteen; period clothing that might include a large Stetson hat, a bandanna, spurs and buckskins; a revolver or rifle; and a saddle, but not necessarily a horse. The horse itself, the "faithful steed", can be a major character in the story. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3540x2340, 846 KB) Summary Western Set at Universal Studio Hollywood CA. Source: Taken by User:Ipsingh Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3540x2340, 846 KB) Summary Western Set at Universal Studio Hollywood CA. Source: Taken by User:Ipsingh Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... Kazakh nomads in the steppes of the Russian Empire, ca. ... For other uses, see Cowboy (disambiguation). ... Categories: Stock characters | Stub ... Look up flask in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... The Stetson Cavalry Hat For the university, see Stetson University. ... Categories: Stub ... A spur is a metal instrument composed of a shank, neck, and prick, rowel (sharp-toothed wheel), or blunted end fastened to the heel of a horseman. ... Calamity Jane dressed in buckskins. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A saddle is a seat for a rider fastened to an animals back. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ...

Westerns often stress the harshness of the wilderness and frequently set the action in a desert-like landscape. Specific settings include isolated forts, ranches and homesteads; the Native American village; or the small frontier town with its saloon, general store, livery stable and jailhouse. Apart from the wilderness, it is usually the saloon that emphasises that this is the "Wild West": it is the place to go for music (raucous piano playing), girls (often prostitutes), gambling (draw poker or five card stud), drinking (beer or whiskey), brawling and shooting. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ... Great Basin region, typical American West The Western United States has played a significant role in history and fiction. ...

Western films

This genre maximizes film as a medium because typically the description and dialogue are lean, and the landscape spectacular. Early Westerns were mostly filmed in the studio like other early Hollywood movies, but when location shooting became more common, producers of Westerns used desolate corners of New Mexico, California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Kansas, Texas, Colorado or Wyoming, often making the landscape not just a vivid backdrop, but a character in the movie. Productions were also filmed on location at movie ranches. Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) English Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Area  Ranked 7th  - Total 110,567 sq mi (286,367 km²)  - Width 322 miles (519 km)  - Length 490 miles (788 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English[2] Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ... A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated to being used as a site for the production of motion pictures. ...

The Western genre itself has sub-genres, such as the epic Western, the shoot 'em up, singing cowboy Westerns, and a few comedy westerns. The Western re-invented itself in the revisionist Western. The Epic Western is a sub-genre of the Western movie. ... The shoot em up Western is a genre of the Western movie. ... A statue of the singing cowboy, Gene Autry, outside the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, California A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films, popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and the 1940s. ... Clint Eastwood in a classic shot from The Outlaw Josey Wales, a Revisionist Western The Revisionist Western traces to the late 1960s and early 1970s as a new sub-genre of the Western movie. ...

Cowboys and gunslingers play prominent roles in Western movies. The films often depict fights with Native Americans. Early Westerns frequently portray the "Injuns" as dishonorable villains. Other westerns, especially later "revisionist" Westerns, give the natives more sympathetic treatment. Other recurring themes of westerns include western treks and groups of bandits terrorising small towns such as in The Magnificent Seven. The following list of cowboys and cowgirls from the frontier era of the American West (approximately 1830 to 1910) was compiled to show examples of the cowboy and cowgirl genre. ... Gunslinger from The Great Train Robbery Gunslinger, also gunfighter, is a name given to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun. ... Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ... In South African history, the Great Trek was an eastward and north-eastward migration of the Boers, descendants primarily of immigrants from western mainland Europe. ... for other uses please see Crime (disambiguation) A crime is an act that violates a political or moral law. ... The Magnificent Seven is a 1960 western film directed by John Sturges about a group of hired gunmen tasked with protecting a Mexican village from bandits. ...

While many Westerns were filmed in California and Arizona, most of them depicted Texas. This was done consistently, despite the fact that the landscapes of Arizona and California have distinguishing traits that make them very different from Texas. For example, the famous Saguaro cactus, with its characteristic "arms", grows only in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona and Mexico. Also, many westerns set in Texas show landscapes with Joshua trees in the background. Joshua trees grow only in California and Arizona. Binomial name Carnegiea gigantea Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) is a large, tree-sized cactus that is native to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. ... Map of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. ... Binomial name Yucca brevifolia Schott ex Torr. ...

Western films, until recent times, were loaded with anachronisms, particularly the firearms. Winchester 1892-model rifles were frequently used in movies set in the 1870s. One reason for this was that many actors portraying cowboys in cheaply-made, early films were hired with their own horses and gear. The Model 92 was far more popular in the early 20th century than were earlier repeating and single-shot rifles which would have been more appropriate, and this is what they brought to the set. A few moviemakers preferred accuracy and realism, but until audiences began to demand this in the late 1960s, the Winchester 92 was the rifle of choice in Hollywood, and the Colt Single Action Army-type revolver is known worldwide as the "cowboy pistol," despite the fact that the vast majority of revolvers carried in the Old West were of the cap-and-ball type. Since the late 1960s, however, films have shown more of the wide variety of arms used during the period. For instance, Arthur Hunnicutt carries a revolving rifle during part of El Dorado (1967). Winchester Model 1894 The Winchester rifle has become synonymous with the word repeating rifle (multishot rifle) which was manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and was commonly used in the United States during the latter half of the 19th century. ... American cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. ... Colts Manufacturing Company (CMC--formerly Colts Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company) is a United States firearms manufacturer founded in 1847. ... Arthur Hunnicutt (February 17, 1911 – September 26, 1979) was an American actor known for his portorayal of wise grizzled, old rural characters. ...

Westerns were extremely popular in the Communist countries of eastern Europe. An entire subgenre of locally produced films, called Ostern ("Eastern" in German) grew up, often featuring Yugoslavs or Turkic peoples in the role of Indians. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ... The Ostern (Eastern) or Red Western was the Soviet Union and Iron Curtain countries take on the Western movie. ... Yugoslav refers to: Yugoslavia Kingdom of Yugoslavia Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavs This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ...

The classical Western film

The western film traces its roots back to 1903's The Great Train Robbery, a silent film directed by Edwin S. Porter and starring Broncho Billy Anderson. The film's popularity opened the door for Anderson to become the screen's first cowboy star, making several hundred Western movie shorts. So popular was the genre that he soon had competition in the form of William S. Hart. The Great Train Robbery is a 1903 western film. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Edwin Stanton Porter (April 21, 1870 - April 30, 1941) was an influential early film pioneer. ... Broncho Billy Anderson (March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer, who is best-known as the first star of the Western film genre. ... Wiliam Surrey Hart Movie poster for Harts 1916 western The Aryan in which he played a white (Anglo-Saxon) member of a Mexican gang, having turned against his own people. ...

In the United States, the western has had an extremely rich history that spans many genres (action, adventure, comedy, drama, horror, tragedy, parody, musical, science fiction, etc.). The golden age of the western film is epitomised by the work of two directors: John Ford (who often used John Wayne for lead roles) and Howard Hawks. Action movies usually involve a fairly straightforward story of good guys versus bad guys, where most disputes are resolved by using physical force. ... Look up adventure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the reader. ... In general usage a tragedy is a play, movie or sometimes a real world event with a sad outcome. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The Golden Age of the Western was an era of the Western movie usually identified as starting in the 1930s through the 1950s. ... John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director famous for westerns such as Stagecoach and The Searchers and adaptations of such classic 20th century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979) was an iconic, Academy Award-winning, American film actor. ... Howard Hawks (May 30, 1896 – December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and writer of the classic Hollywood era. ...

Spaghetti Westerns

Main article: Spaghetti Western

During the 1960s and 1970s, a revival of the Western emerged in Italy with the "Spaghetti Westerns" or "Italo-Westerns". Many of these films are low-budget affairs, shot in locations (for example, the Spanish desert region of Almería) chosen for their inexpensive crew and production costs as well as their similarity to landscapes of the Southwestern United States. Spaghetti Westerns were characterized by the presence of more action and violence than the Hollywood westerns. Movie poster for Once Upon a Time in the West Spaghetti Western is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most of them were produced by Italian studios. ... Almería is the capital of the province of Almería in Spain. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ...

But the best of the genre, notably the films directed by Sergio Leone, have a parodic dimension (the strange opening scene of Once Upon a Time in the West being a reversal of Fred Zinnemann's High Noon opening scene) which gave them a different tone to the Hollywood westerns. Charles Bronson, Lee van Cleef and Clint Eastwood became famous by starring in Spaghetti Westerns, although they were also to provide a showcase for other noted actors such as Jason Robards, James Coburn, Klaus Kinski and Henry Fonda. Sergio Leone (January 3, 1929 – April 30, 1989) was an Italian film director. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Fred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907–March 14, 1997) was an Austrian-American film director. ... High Noon is a 1952 western film which tells the story of a town marshal who is forced to face a gang of killers by himself. ... For other persons named Charles Bronson, see Charles Bronson (disambiguation). ... Lee Van Cleef (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American film actor, who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. ... Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... James Coburn in Sam Peckinpahs Cross of Iron (1977). ... Klaus Kinski. ... Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was a highly acclaimed Academy Award-winning American film actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. ...

Clint Eastwood in a classic shot from The Outlaw Josey Wales, a Revisionist Western.

Image File history File links Official screenshot from The Outlaw Josey Wales This work is copyrighted. ... Image File history File links Official screenshot from The Outlaw Josey Wales This work is copyrighted. ... Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... The Outlaw Josey Wales is a 1976 revisionist Western movie set at the end of the American Civil War starring Clint Eastwood (as the eponymous Josey Wales), Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, John Vernon, Paula Trueman, Sam Bottoms, Geraldine Keams, Woodrow Parfrey, Joyce Jameson, Sheb Wooley, and Royal... Clint Eastwood in a classic shot from The Outlaw Josey Wales, a Revisionist Western The Revisionist Western traces to the late 1960s and early 1970s as a new sub-genre of the Western movie. ...

Ostern

Main article: Ostern

Westerns from the United States were popular in Communist countries, and were a particular favorite of Joseph Stalin. An entire genre of "Red Western" or "Ostern" films developed in Eastern Europe. These films usually portrayed the American Indians sympathetically, as oppressed people fighting for their rights, in contrast to American westerns of the time, which frequently portrayed the Indians as villains. They frequently featured Yugoslavians or Turkic people in the role of the Indians, due to the shortage of authentic Indians in Eastern Europe. The Ostern (Eastern) or Red Western was the Soviet Union and Iron Curtain countries take on the Western movie. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (Georgian: , Ioseb Besarionis Dze Jughashvili; Russian: , Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) (December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1878[1] – March 5, 1953), better known by his adopted name, Joseph Stalin (alternatively transliterated Josef Stalin), was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from... The Ostern (Eastern) or Red Western was the Soviet Union and Iron Curtain countries take on the Western movie. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ... Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in the Latin alphabet, Југославија in Cyrillic; English: South Slavia) describes three political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ...

Gojko Mitić is famous for his portrayals of righteous, kindhearted and charming Indian chiefs ("Die Söhne der großen Bärin" directed by Josef Mach). He became honorary chief of the tribe of Sioux when he visited the United States of America in the 90s and the television crew accompanying him showed the tribe one his movies. American actor and singer Dean Reed, an expatriate who lived in East Germany, also starred in several films. Gojko Mitic (1940-) was a famous director, actor, stuntman, and author. ... Chief can refer to : Paramount chief is the highest political leader in a region or country typically administered with a chief-based system. ... The Sons of the Great Mother Bear, or Die Söhne der großen Bärin was a German language Red Western of 1966. ... Josef Mach is a writer and film director from the Czech Republic, best known for the Red Western he did for the East German DEFA The Sons of the Great Mother Bear (1966) Josef Mach was born on February 25th, 1909 in Prostejov and died on July, 7th 1987 in... The Sioux (IPA ) are a Native American and First Nations people. ... Dean Cyril Reed (September 22, 1938 – June 13, 1986) was an American actor, singer and songwriter who lived a great part of his adult life in South America, then in Communist East Germany. ... GDR redirects here. ...

Revisionist Westerns

Main article: Revisionist Western

"Revisionist" is a term used in genre studies to describe films that change traditional elements of a genre. Clint Eastwood in a classic shot from The Outlaw Josey Wales, a Revisionist Western The Revisionist Western traces to the late 1960s and early 1970s as a new sub-genre of the Western movie. ... Genre studies are a structuralist approach to literary criticism, film criticism, and other cultural criticism. ...

After the early 1960s, many American film-makers began to question and change many traditional elements of westerns. One major change was in the increasingly positive representation of Native Americans who had been treated as "savages" in earlier films. Audiences were encouraged to question the simple hero-versus-villain dualism and the morality of using violence to test one's character or to prove oneself right. Some recent Westerns give women more powerful roles. One of the earlier films that encompasses all these features was the 1956 adventure movie The Last Wagon in which Richard Widmark played a white man raised by Commanches and persecuted by Whites, with Felicia Farr and Susan Kohner playing young women forced into leadership roles. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ... Tommy Rettig as Billy with Felicia Farr as Jenny in The Last Wagon (1956). ... Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death Richard Widmark (born December 26, 1914 in Sunrise, Minnesota) is an Academy Award-nominated American film actor. ... Alternate meanings: Comanche helicopter and Comanche computer games The Comanche Nation is a Native American group of approximately 10,000 members, about half of whom live in Oklahoma and the remainder concentrated in Texas, California, and New Mexico. ... The term white people (also whites or white race) has been defined as being a member of a group or race characterized by light pigmentation of the skin and to a human group having light-colored skin, especially of European ancestry. ... This biography does not cite its references or sources. ... Susan Kohner (born November 11, 1936 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress. ...

Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum identified that in the Sixties and Seventies, there was an attempt at a sort of makeshift genre he called the acid western, associated with people like Dennis Hopper, Jim McBride, and Rudy Wurlitzer, as well as movies like Monte Hellman's The Shooting, Alejandro Jodorowsky's El Topo (The Mole), and Robert Downey Sr.'s Greaser's Palace. Recent films include Alex Cox's Walker, and Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man. Rosenbaum describes the "acid western" as "formulating a chilling, savage frontier poetry to justify its hallucinated agenda." Ultimately, the "acid western" expresses a counterculture sensibility to critique and replace capitalism with alternative forms of exchange.^[1] Jonathan Rosenbaum is a prominent American film critic. ... Acid Western is a sub-genre of the Western film that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s that combined the metaphorical ambitions of top-shelf westerns, like Shane and The Searchers, with the excesses of the Spaghetti Westerns and the irrelevant outlook of the counter-culture. ... Dennis Lee Hopper (born May 17, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and film-maker, known for his roles in Blue Velvet, 24 and Easy Rider. ... Jim McBride (born September 16, 1941, in New York, New York) is an American television and film director, producer, and screenwriter. ... Rudy Wurlitzer was a US novelist and screenwriter. ... Monte Hellman (born in 1932 in New York City, New York) is an American film director, producer, and film editor. ... The Shooting is a 1967 film starring Jack Nicholson and Millie Perkins . ... Alejandro (or Alexandro) Jodorowsky Alejandro Jodorowsky or Alexandro Jodorowsky (IPA: ) (born February 7, 1929, in Tocopilla, Chile) is an actor, playwright, director, producer, composer, mime, comic book writer and psychotherapist born to Ashkenazi Jewish parents of Russian origin. ... El Topo (The Mole) is a 1970 Mexican allegorical, cult western movie and underground film, directed by and starring Alejandro Jodorowsky. ... Robert Downey Sr. ... Alexander Morton Cox (b. ... Walker is a 1987 motion picture by British director Alex Cox based on the life story of William Walker, the American filibuster who invaded Mexico in the 1850s and made himself President of Nicaragua shortly thereafter. ... Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch (born January 22, 1953 in Akron, Ohio) is a noted American independent film director. ... Dead Man is a 1995 film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. ...

Contemporary Westerns

Contemporary Westerns, as the name implies, are films that have contemporary American settings but nevertheless utilise Old West themes and motifs (a rebellious antihero, open plains and landscapes, climactic gunfights, etc.). For the most part, they still take place in the American West and reveal the progression of the Old West mentality into the late twentieth century. This sub-genre often features Old West-type characters struggling with displacement in a "civilized" world that rejects their outdated brand of justice, as in Tommy Lee Jones' The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Other examples include Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), John Sayles' Lone Star (1996), Robert Rodríguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Wim Wenders' Don't Come Knocking (2005). The Western United States, also referred to as the American West or simply The West, traditionally refers to the region constituting the westernmost states of the United States (see geographical terminology section for further discussion of these terms). ... For the musician, see Tommy Lee. ... The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is a 2005 drama film directed by Tommy Lee Jones (debut) and written by Guillermo Arriaga. ... David Samuel Sam Peckinpah (February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director who achieved iconic status following the release of his 1969 Western epic The Wild Bunch. ... Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (Tráiganme la cabeza de Alfredo García) is a 1974 film directed by Sam Peckinpah. ... Photo of John Sayles by Robert Birnbaum John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an independent American film director and writer who frequently takes a small part in his own and other indie films. ... Lone Star film poster Lone Star is a 1996 mystery film set in a small town in Texas. ... Robert Rodríguez Robert Anthony Rodríguez (born June 20, 1968) is a film director. ... Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) is an action film by Robert Rodriguez and the final film in the Mariachi Trilogy, which includes El Mariachi and Desperado. ... Ang Lee (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born October 23, 1954) is a film director from Taiwan,China. ... Brokeback Mountain is an Academy Award-winning 2005 film that depicts the relationship between two men in the American West from 1963 to 1983. ... Ernst Wilhelm (Wim) Wenders (born August 14, 1945) is a German film director, photographer, and producer. ... Dont Come Knocking is a 2005 film directed by Wim Wenders. ...

Genre studies and Westerns

The promotional poster for Unforgiven, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood

In the 1960s academic and critical attention to cinema as a legitimate art form emerged. With the increased attention, film theory was developed to attempt to understand the significance of film. From this environment emerged (in conjunction with the literary movement) an enclave of critical studies called genre studies. This was primarily a semantic and structuralist approach to understanding how similar films convey meaning. Long derided for its simplistic morality, the western film genre came to be seen instead as a series of conventions and codes that acted as a short-hand communication methods with the audience. For example, a white hat represents the good guy, a black hat represents the bad guy; two people facing each other on a deserted street leads to the expectation of a showdown; cattlemen are loners, townsfolk are family and community minded, etc. All western films can be read as a series of codes and the variations on those codes. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (505x755, 44 KB) This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (505x755, 44 KB) This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Unforgiven is a 1992 Western film which tells the story of a retired gunslinger who takes on one more job for the money. ... Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... Film theory debates the essence of the cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for analyzing, among other things, the film image, narrative structure, the function of film artists, the relationship of film to reality, and the film spectators position in the cinematic experience. ... Genre studies are a structuralist approach to literary criticism, film criticism, and other cultural criticism. ...

Since the 1970s, the western genre has been unraveled through a series of films that used the codes but primarily as a way of undermining them (Little Big Man and Maverick did this through comedy). Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves actually resurrects all the original codes and conventions but "reverses the polarities" (the Native Americans are good, the U.S. Cavalry is bad). Unforgiven, written by David Webb Peoples and directed by Clint Eastwood, uses every one of the original conventions, only reverses the outcomes (instead of dying bravely or stoically, characters whine, cry, and beg; instead of a good guy saving the day, irredeemable characters execute revenge; etc.). Little Big Man is a 1964 novel and a 1970 movie. ... Maverick is a 1994 comedy Western movie, based on the 1950s television series Maverick, and created by Roy Huggins. ... Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor and director who has often produced his own films. ... Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic film which tells the story of a United States cavalry officer from the Civil War who travels into the Dakota Territory, near a Sioux tribe. ... Unforgiven is a 1992 Western film which tells the story of a retired gunslinger who takes on one more job for the money. ... David Webb Peoples (born c. ... Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ...

One of the results of genre studies is that some have argued that "Westerns" need not take place in the American West or even in the 19th century, as the codes can be found in other types of movies. For example, a very typical Western plot is that an eastern lawman heads west, where he matches wits and trades bullets with a gang of outlaws and thugs, and is aided by a local lawman who is well-meaning but largely ineffective until a critical moment when he redeems himself by saving the hero's life. This description can be used to describe any number of Westerns, as well as the action film Die Hard. Hud, starring Paul Newman, and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, are other frequently cited examples of movies that don't take place in the American West but have many themes and characteristics common to Westerns. Likewise, films set in the old American West may not necessarily be considered "Westerns." Die Hard is a Hollywood action film released in 1988. ... 1963 film Hud with Paul Newman Hud is a 1963 film which tells the story of a modern-day cowboy who conflicts with his father over the best way to keep their ranch from dying. ... Paul Leonard Newman (born January 26, 1925) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Cannes Award, and Emmy Award-winning American actor and film director. ... Akira Kurosawa , 23 March 1910—6 September 1998) was a prominent Japanese film director, film producer, and screenwriter. ... For other uses, see Seven Samurai (disambiguation). ...

Influences on and of the Western

Movie poster for Seven Samurai

Many Westerns after the mid 1950s were heavily influenced by the Japanese samurai films of Akira Kurosawa. For instance The Magnificent Seven was a remake of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and both A Fistful of Dollars and Last Man Standing were remakes of Kurosawa's Yojimbo, which itself was inspired by Red Harvest, an American detective novel by Dashiell Hammett. Image File history File links SevenSamurai(ITA). ... Image File history File links SevenSamurai(ITA). ... German three sheet movie poster for Metropolis. ... For other uses, see Seven Samurai (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ... Akira Kurosawa , 23 March 1910—6 September 1998) was a prominent Japanese film director, film producer, and screenwriter. ... The Magnificent Seven is a 1960 western film directed by John Sturges about a group of hired gunmen tasked with protecting a Mexican village from bandits. ... For other uses, see Seven Samurai (disambiguation). ... A Fistful of Dollars (Per un pugno di dollari in Italy and officially on-screen in the U.S. and UK as simply Fistful of Dollars) is a 1964 film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood. ... Last Man Standing is a 1996 action film written and directed by Walter Hill, starring Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, and Bruce Dern. ... Yōjimbō 用心棒 is a 1961 film by Akira Kurosawa, in which a ronin, portrayed by Toshiro Mifune, arrives at a small town with competing crime lords making their money from gambling, and convinces each crime lord to hire him as protection from the other. ... Red Harvest (1929) is a novel by Dashiell Hammett. ... Samuel Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American author of hardboiled detective novels and short stories. ...

It should also be noted that Kurosawa himself was heavily influenced by American Westerns and was a self-proclaimed fan of the genre, most especially, the Westerns of John Ford. Kurosawa noted on several occasions that his films were heavily influenced by Westerns; this can be seen in literature accompanying the Criterion Collection DVDS of some of his films.^[2] The Criterion Collection is a joint venture between Janus Films and The Voyager Company that was begun in the mid 1980s for the purpose of releasing authoritative consumer versions of classic and important contemporary films on the laserdisc and DVD formats. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ...

Despite the Cold War, the western was a strong influence on Eastern Bloc cinema, which had its own take on the genre, the so called 'Red Western' or Ostern. Generally these took two forms: either straight westerns shot in the Eastern Bloc, or action films involving the Russian Revolution and civil war and the Basmachi rebellion in which Turkic peoples play a similar role to Mexicans in traditional westerns. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The Ostern (Eastern) or Red Western was the Soviet Union and Iron Curtain countries take on the Western movie. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Russian Civil War (1917-1922) began immediately after the collapse of the Russian provisional government and the Bolshevik takeover of Petrograd, rapidly intensifying after the dissolution of the Russian Constituent Assembly and signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. ... The Basmachi Revolt, or Basmachestvo as it is called in the Russian language, was an uprising against Soviet rule in Central Asia. ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ...

An offshoot of the western genre is the "post-apocalyptic" western, in which a future society, struggling to rebuild after a major catastrophe, is portrayed in a manner very similar to the 19th century frontier. Examples include The Postman and the Mad Max series, and the computer game series Fallout. For other uses, see The Postman (disambiguation). ... Mad Max is an Australian apocalyptic science fiction action film from 1979 directed by George Miller and written by Miller and Byron Kennedy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Many elements of space travel series and films borrow extensively from the conventions of the western genre. This is particularly the case in the space western subgenre of science fiction. Peter Hyams' Outland transferred the plot of High Noon to interstellar space. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the Star Trek series, once described his vision for the show as "Wagon Train to the stars". More recently, the space opera series Firefly used an explicitly western theme for its portrayal of frontier worlds. Anime shows like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun and Outlaw Star have been similar mixes of science fiction and Western elements. The science fiction Western can be seen as a subgenre of either Westerns or science fiction. Space Western is a subgenre of science fiction that transposes themes of American Western books and film to a backdrop of futuristic space frontiers; it is the opposite of the science fiction western, which transposes science fiction themes onto an American Western setting. ... Outland is a 1981 science fiction movie starring Sean Connery. ... High Noon is a 1952 western film which tells the story of a town marshal who is forced to face a gang of killers by himself. ... Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American scriptwriter and producer. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series and media franchise. ... Classic pulp space opera cover, with the usual cliché elements. ... Firefly is a science fiction television series created by writer/director Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, under his Mutant Enemy Productions. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) “Animé” redirects here. ... Original run April 3, 1998 – April 23, 1999 No. ... Serialized in Shōnen Captain Original run February 1995 – 1997 No. ... Serialized in Ultra Jump Original run 1997 – No. ... A science fiction Western is a work of fiction which has elements of both the science fiction and Western genres. ...

Elements of western movies can be found also in some movies belonging essentially to other genres. For example, Kelly's Heroes is a war movie, but action and characters are western-like. The British film Zulu set during the Anglo-Zulu War has sometimes been compared to a Western, even though it is set in South Africa. Kellys Heroes is an offbeat 1970 war film about a group of enterprising World War II American soldiers from the 35th Infantry Division. ... Zulu is a 1964 adventure film depicting the Battle of Rorkes Drift between the British Army and the Army of the Zulus. ... Combatants United Kingdom Zulu Nation Commanders Sir Bartle Frere, Frederick Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford Cetshwayo Strength 14,800 (6,400 Europeans 8,400 Africans) 40,000 Casualties 1,727 killed, 256 wounded 8,250+ killed, 3,000+ wounded The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the United...

The character played by Humphrey Bogart in such films as Casablanca, To Have and Have Not or The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - an individual fighter bound only by his own private code of honour - has, whatever the film's setting, a lot in common with the classic western hero despite being classic noir films. In turn, the western, which has been so influential on noir film, has progressed back into noir, as with the film Sugar Creek, which combines classic elements of both noir and western films. Humphrey DeForest Bogart (December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957) was an American actor. ... Casablanca is an Oscar-winning 1942 romance film set during World War II in the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca. ... To Have and Have Not is a 1944 thriller romance war adventure film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall that is nominally based on the novel To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway. ... The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a black-and-white 1948 John Huston film in which two American down-and-outers (Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt) in 1920s Mexico hook up with an old-timer (Walter Huston, the directors father) to prospect for gold. ... Noir could refer to: Noir is the French language word for black. Film noir is a genre of movie. ...

In many of Robert A. Heinlein's books, the settlement of other planets is depicted in ways explicitly modeled on American settlement of the West. For example, in his Tunnel in the Sky settlers set out to the planet "New Cannan", via an interstellar teleporter portal across the galaxy, in conestoga wagons, their captain sporting moustaches and a little goatee and riding a Palomino horse - with Heinlein explaining that the colonists would need to survive on their own for some years, so horses are more practical than machines. Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ... Tunnel in the Sky is a science fiction book written by Robert Heinlein and published in 1955. ... An interstellar teleporter is a hypothetical technology appearing in science fiction, typically in hard sci-fi, which moves people and/or other objects over interstellar distances instantaneously. ... A Conestoga wagon The Conestoga Wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered freight carrier used extensively during the United States Westward Expansion in the late 1700s and 1800s. ... Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white or flaxen mane and tail. ...

Stephen King's The Dark Tower is a series of seven books that meshes themes of westerns, high fantasy, science fiction and horror. The protagonist Roland Deschain is a gunslinger whose image and personality are largely inspired by the "Man with No Name" from Sergio Leone's films. Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of over 200 stories including over 50 bestselling horror novels. ... The Dark Tower painting by Michael Whelan The Dark Tower is a series of seven books by American writer Stephen King that tells the tale of lead character Roland Deschains quest for the Dark Tower. ... High fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction that is set in invented or parallel worlds. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the reader. ... Roland. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Sergio Leone (January 3, 1929 – April 30, 1989) was an Italian film director. ...

In addition, the superhero fantasy genre has been described as having been derived from the cowboy hero, only powered up to omnipotence in a primarily urban setting. For the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, see Super Hero (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode). ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ...

The western genre has been parodied on a number of occasions, famous examples being Support Your Local Sheriff!, Cat Ballou, Mel Brooks's Blazing Saddles, and Rustler's Rhapsody. Support Your Local sheriff! is a comic western film starring James Garner and Harry Morgan. ... Cat Ballou is a 1965 comedy Western film which tells the story of a woman who hires a famous gunman to avenge her fathers murder, but finds that the man she hires isnt what she expected. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Alex Karras as Mongo in Blazing Saddles Blazing Saddles (1974) is a comedy directed by Mel Brooks and starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, and released by Warner Brothers. ... Rustlers Rhapsody (1985) is an American comedy-Western film. ...

George Lucas's Star Wars films use many elements of a western, and indeed, Lucas has said he intended for Star Wars to revitalise cinematic mythology, a part the western once held. The Jedi, who take their name from Jidaigeki, are modeled after samurai, showing the influence of Kurosawa. The character Han Solo dressed like an archetypal gunslinger, and the Mos Eisley Cantina is much like an old west saloon. George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... Star Wars is an epic space opera saga and a fictional universe initially developed by George Lucas during the 1970s and expanded since that time. ... Jedi Knights and Jedi Knight redirect here. ... Jidaigeki (時代劇) is a genre of film and television in Japan. ... Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ... The Mos Eisley Cantina is a fictional bar (cantina) of the Star Wars universe located in the pirate city of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine. ...

See also: Weird West

Weird West is used to describe a combination of the western with another genre. ...

Westerns in other media

Main article: Western genre in other media

The Western genre has touched all of comic books to computer and video games and role playing games. The Western genre in other media is application of the Western genre to diverse other media. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a universal phenomenon. ... This article is about traditional role-playing games. ...

Television Westerns

Main articles: Television Westerns and List of TV Westerns

Television Westerns are a sub-genre of the Western. ... A western television show is a cowboy story which takes place in the old west and involves cowboys, cattle ranchers, miners, farmers, Indians, guns and horses. ...

Westerns in literature

Main article: Western fiction

The popularity of Western fiction rose and fell with the popularity of the western in film. Popular authors include Zane Grey, Louis L'Amour, Max Brand and Elmore Leonard. Cover of a book by Louis LAmour, one of Western fictions most prolific authors. ... Cover of a book by Louis LAmour, one of Western fictions most prolific authors. ... Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and pulp fiction that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Frederick Schiller Faust May 29, 1892 - May 12, 1944 was an American western fiction author. ... Elmore John Leonard Jr. ...

The Western in Visual Art

Main articles: Artists of the American West and List of Artists of the American West

A number of visual artists focused their work on representations of the American Old West. The most well-known of these artists is the painter and sculptor Frederic Remington. Visual Art Art of the American West is sometimes referred to as Western Art by Americans. ... The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the American Old West, circa 1888. ... The Hunters Supper, 1909, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Frederic Remington (October 4, 1861 - December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the American West. ...

Significant actors

Main article: List of Western film actors

John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979) was an iconic, Academy Award-winning, American film actor. ... Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... Artemus Ward Acord (April 17, 1890 - January 4, 1931) was an American silent film actor and rodeo champion. ... Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper May 7, 1901 – May 13, 1961) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor of English heritage. ... Hoot Gibson (August 6, 1892 - August 23, 1962) was a rodeo champion and a pioneer cowboy film actor, director and producer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other persons named Charles Bronson, see Charles Bronson (disambiguation). ... James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an iconic, Academy Award-winning American film and stage actor, best known for his self-effacing screen persona. ... Robert Redford (born Charles Robert Redford, Jr. ... Lee Van Cleef (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American film actor, who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. ... Tex Ritter Tex Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was an American country singer and actor. ... Lee J. Cobb Lee J. Cobb (December 8, 1911 – February 11, 1976) was an American actor. ... Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924 – August 29, 1987) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor. ... Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American motion picture actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. ... Also see: Audie Murphy legacy. ... Joel Albert McCrea, (November 5, 1905 - October 20, 1990) was an American film actor. ... Hugh OBrian Hugh OBrian (born April 19, 1925) is an American actor. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan, GCB (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... Chuck Connors Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors, better known by his professional name of Chuck Connors (April 10, 1921 – November 10, 1992), was an American actor and professional basketball and baseball player. ... Gene Hackman (born Eugene Allen Hackman[1] on January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... William Holden (April 17, 1918 – ca. ... Yul Brynner (July 11, 1920[1] – October 10, 1985) was a Russian-born Broadway and Academy Award-winning Hollywood actor. ... Jack Hoxie Jack Hoxie (January 11, 1885 - March 28, 1965) was a notable rodeo performer and motion picture actor whose career was most prominent in the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1930s. ... Burt Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an Oscar-winning American film actor, noted for his athletic physique (a rare thing for leading men of that time), distinct smile (which he called The Grin) and, later, his willingness to play roles that went against his initial tough guy... Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was a highly acclaimed Academy Award-winning American film actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. ... Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – November 7, 1964) was an American film actor. ... Ben Johnson Jr. ... Patrick Wayne (born July 15, 1939, in Los Angeles, California), is an American entertainment personality. ... For German porn star and director, see Harry S. Morgan. ... Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death Richard Widmark (born December 26, 1914 in Sunrise, Minnesota) is an Academy Award-nominated American film actor. ... Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award and four-time Golden Globe winning American film actor and director. ... Allen Wilford Brimley (September 27, 1934) is an American character actor. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Jack Elam (November 13, 1920 — October 20, 2003) was an American film actor. ... Richard Farnsworth Richard Farnsworth (September 1, 1920 – October 6, 2000) was an American actor. ... Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown Durgin on August 8, 1922 – April 28, 1999) was born in Los Angeles, California. ... James Garner (born April 7, 1928) is an American film and television actor. ... Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an Oscar-winning American film actor. ... Strother Martin, (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American character actor in numerous films and television programs. ... Jack Perrin (July 25, 1896 – December 17, 1967) was an American actor specializing in westerns. ... Shelby F. Sheb Wooley (April 10, 1921 - September 17, 2003) was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty hit Purple People Eater. Wooley was born in Erick, Oklahoma and grew up on a farm. ... Nicknamed Dobe, Harry Carey, Jr. ... Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Glenn Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was an acclaimed Canadian-born actor from Hollywoods Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades. ... Hank Worden was an American cowboy-turned-character-actor. ... Walter Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was a three time Academy Award winning American actor. ... Dale Evans & Roy Rogers at the 61st Academy Awards. ... Thomas William Selleck (born January 29, 1945 in Detroit, Michigan) is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning American actor, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his starring role on the long-running television show Magnum P.I.. // Born in Detroit to Slovak-Rusyn[1] father Robert Selleck and... Sam Elliott (born Samuel Pack Elliott on August 9, 1944 in Sacramento, California) is an American film and television actor, usually recognised by his tall, thin, rough-hewn physique, a thick handlebar moustache and a gruff speaking voice. ... 4. ... Fred MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an actor who appeared in over one hundred movies and a highly successful television series during a career that lasted from the 1930s to the 1970s. ... Slim Pickens riding the bomb in the movie Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Louis Bert Lindley, Jr. ... John Carradine (February 5, 1906 - November 27, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns. ... Lee Majors as Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary on April 23, 1939 in Wyandotte, Michigan) is an American actor, best known for playing the part of Steve Austin, a former astronaut with bionic limbs, in the television series The Six Million Dollar... Slim Pickens riding the bomb in the movie Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Louis Bert Lindley, Jr. ... Fess Parker (born August 16, 1924) is an American film and television actor. ... George Montgomery (August 29, 1916 - December 12, 2000) was an American painter, sculptor, furniture craftsman, and stuntman who is best known as an actor in western style film and television. ... Robert Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an Irish-American Oscar and Bafta award-nominated actor born in Chicago, Illinois. ... Jeff Chandler can refer to different people: Jeff Chandler: a cinema actor Jeff Chandler: a boxer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Macdonald Carey Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913–March 21, 1994) was an American actor best known for his starring roles in various B-movies of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. ... Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American film actor and singer. ... Actor Wendell Corey in a prisoner uniform from the 1956 film The Killer Is Loose Wendell Corey (March 20, 1914 – November 8, 1968) was an American actor. ... Born Nathan Roderick Cox (b. ... There are many people known as Bob Taylor or Robert Taylor, including: Robert Taylor (developer) (born 1972-present), Owner of FlashExtensions. ... There are different notable people named Jim Davis: Jim Davis, the cartoonist of Garfield. ... Actors Arlene Dahl and Van Heflin in Womans World Emmett Evan Heflin Jr. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch Demsky December 9, 1916) is an American actor and film producer known for his gravelly voice and his recurring roles as the kinds of characters Douglas himself once described as sons of bitches. He is also father to Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas. ... Dale Robertson (born 14 July 1923 in Harrah, Oklahoma) is an American actor. ... Norman Eugene Clint Walker (born May 30, 1927) is an American actor best known for his cowboy role as Cheyenne Bodie in the TV Western series, Cheyenne. ... Ray Milland (January 3, 1905 – March 10, 1986) was a successful Welsh actor and director who worked primarily in the United States. ... Guy Madison Guy Madison (January 19, 1922 - February 6, 1996) was an American film and television actor. ... Richard Boone often played in Westerns and action films. ... Robert Fuller (born Robert Welch on May 14, 1951 in Dyersburg, Tennessee) is a professional wrestler and manager. ... Victor Mature (29 January 1913 – 4 August 1999), an American film actor, was born in Louisville, Kentucky to a Tyrolean father, Marcellus George Mature, a cutler, and a Swiss-American mother, Clara Mature. ... James Francis Cagney, Jr. ... Clayton Moore (September 14, 1914 - December 28, 1999) was an American actor best known for playing the fictional western character The Lone Ranger. ... James Best James Best (born July 26, 1926, in Powderly, Kentucky) is an American character actor best known for his role as bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. ... McNally publicity photo for Hell Bent for Leather Stephen McNally was an American actor (July 29, 1913 - June 4, 1994) remembered mostly for his appearances in many B-movie westerns and action films. ... Promotional photo for actor Bruce Cabot Bruce Cabot (April 20, 1904 – May 3, 1972) was an American film actor. ... Forrest Tucker (right) in Cosmic Monsters. ... Charles Starrett played the part of the Durango Kid many years ago. ... Jack Palance, (born Volodymyr Palanyuk (Ukr: Володимир Паланюк))on February 18, 1919, in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, USA), is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Lorne Greene in his role as Ben Cartwright in Bonanza Lorne Greene as Commander Adama in Battlestar Galactica Lorne Greene O.C., LL.D. (February 12, 1915 – September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor best known for two iconic roles on American television. ... Spencer Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American film and stage actor who appeared in 74 films from 1930 to 1967. ... For other persons named Robert Wagner, see Robert Wagner (disambiguation). ... Barry Sullivan was a movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s. ... William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor. ... Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an Academy Award-nominated American movie actor, nicknamed The King of Cool.[1] He was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to a popular anti-hero persona. ... John Russell is the name of several notable individuals, including: Lord John Russell, 1st Earl Russell – British Prime Minister (It is generally considered incorrect to refer to Lord John Russell as John Russell, because his honorifix was treated as part of his name and did not indicate a peerage. ... Paul Leonard Newman (born January 26, 1925) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Cannes Award, and Emmy Award-winning American actor and film director. ... Jock Mahoney (February 7, 1919 - December 14, 1989) was the stagename of American actor and stuntman Jacques OMahoney, who was of French, Irish and Cherokee descent. ... Edgar Buchanan (born March 20, 1903; died April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both movies and television, but is probably most familiar as Uncle Joe Carson from the Petticoat Junction and Green Acres television sitcoms of the 1960s. ... The name Cameron Mitchell belongs to: The film actor Cameron Mitchell, who appeared in both highly acclaimed movies (the 1951 adaptation of Death of a Salesman) and critically panned movies (Space Mutiny, Frankenstein Island). ... Richard Egan is: Richard Egan (actor) - American film actor Richard Egan (businessman) - American businessman, Ambassador This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 Chihuahua, Mexico – June 3, 2001 Boston, Massachusetts) was a two-time Academy Award-winning Mexican-American actor, as well as a painter and writer. ... Publicity photo for Duryea Dan Duryea (born January 23, 1907, in White Plains, New York; died June 7, 1968, in Hollywood, California) was a hard-working TV and movie actor. ... There have been several well-known people named John Payne, including: John Payne (actor) John Payne (poet). ... Ernest Borgnine (born Ermes Effron Borgnino in Hamden, Connecticut on January 24, 1917[1][2] ) is a Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award winning American actor. ... Actor Middleton in The Big Combo Robert Middleton (ne Samuel G. Messer May 13, 1911 - June 14, 1977) was a film and television actor known for his large size and beetle-like brow. ...

Significant actresses

--162. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Maureen OHara Maureen OHara (born Maureen FitzSimons) on August 17, 1920 is an Irish film actress. ... Claire Trevor (March 8, 1910 - April 8, 2000) was an Academy Award-winning American actress, nicknamed the Queen of Film Noir because of her many appearances in bad girl” roles in film noir and other black-and-white thrillers. ... Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning American actress and former fashion model, primarily for her roles in sitcoms and television. ... Joanne Dru (January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film actress. ... Katy Jurado (January 16, 1924 – July 5, 2002) was a Mexican actress. ... Vera Miles (born August 23, 1929 or 1930[1]) is an American actress. ... Katharine Juliet Ross (born January 29, 1940 in Los Angeles, California) is an Academy Award-nominated American movie and stage actress. ... Barbara Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress of film, stage, and screen . ... Jane Russell (born June 21, 1921) is an American actress and sex symbol. ... Anna Lee MBE (January 2, 1913 – May 14, 2004) was an English actress. ... Marin Sais in a circa 1915-1918 publicity photograph. ...

Singing cowboys

See Singing cowboy

A statue of the singing cowboy, Gene Autry, outside the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, California A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western films, popularized by many of the B-movies of the 1930s and the 1940s. ... Rex Allen (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. ... Orvon Gene Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television. ... Tex Ritter Tex Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was an American country singer and actor. ... Dale Evans & Roy Rogers at the 61st Academy Awards. ...

See also

The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the American Old West, circa 1888. ... The Western United States, also referred to as the American West or simply The West, traditionally refers to the region constituting the westernmost states of the United States (see geographical terminology section for further discussion of these terms). ... A Dime Western was a cheap Western comic or novel, generally sold for a dime during their era spanning 1860s—1900s. ... The Hunters Supper, 1909, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Frederic Remington (October 4, 1861 - December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the American West. ... Charles Marion Russell (1864, Oak Hill, Missouri – 1926, Great Falls, Montana), also known as C.M. Russell, was one of the great artists of the American West. ... Earl W. Bascom (June 19, 1906 - August 28, 1995) was an American painter, printmaker and sculptor, raised in Canada, who portrayed his own experiences cowboying and rodeoing across the American and Canadian West. ... The Golden Boot Awards honor actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Gibanica (pronounced Gybanitza) Western is a popular name (from the 1990s) among Serbian youth for Partisan films, made in the 60s, 70s and 80s in Serbia. ... Even in the early days of film history, the audience appetite for new content was voracious. ... This is a list of some notable authors in the western fiction genre. ... This is a list of notable Western films and TV series by year. ... A western television show is a cowboy story which takes place in the old west and involves cowboys, cattle ranchers, miners, farmers, Indians, guns and horses. ... A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated to being used as a site for the production of motion pictures. ... The Northern is an American and Canadian genre in literature and film. ... This is a list of computer and video games that are set in the Old West (or even a science fiction western). ... Western Writers of America, founded 1953, promotes literature, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to the American West. ... A science fiction Western is a work of fiction which has elements of both the science fiction and Western genres. ... Space Western is a subgenre of science fiction that transposes themes of American Western books and film to a backdrop of futuristic space frontiers; it is the opposite of the science fiction western, which transposes science fiction themes onto an American Western setting. ...

References

1. ^ Rosenbaum, Jonathan (June 26th, 1996). Acid Western: Dead Man. "Chicago Reader".
2. ^ Patrick Crogan. "Translating Kurosawa." Senses of Cinema.

• Cowie, Peter, John Ford and the American West, Harry Abrams Inc., New York, 2004 ISBN 0810949768

External links

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• Yezbick, Daniel. The Western, St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, 2002
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• Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
• Western Writers of America website
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• Sethi, Arjun, No Escaping the Violence: The Emergence of the Maimed Hero, University of Maryland 2006 Online Article

Image File history File links Western(genre)-060526. ... Image File history File links Sound-icon. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Sound-icon. ... Bronze Wrangler The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum and art gallery, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, housing one of the largest collections of: Western, American cowboy, American rodeo, and American Indian; art, artifacts, and archival materials, in the world. ...