Hollywood's West

The American Frontier in Film, Television, and History

Peter C Rollins author John E O'Connor author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:The University Press of Kentucky

Published:1st Dec '08

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Hollywood's West cover

Hollywood's West examines popular perceptions of the frontier as a defining feature of American identity and history. Seventeen essays by prominent film scholars illuminate the allure of life on the edge of civilization and analyze how this region has been represented on big and small screens. Differing characterizations of the frontier in modern popular culture reveal numerous truths about American consciousness and provide insights into many classic Western films and television programs, from RKO's 1931 classic Cimarron to Turner Network Television's recent made-for-TV movies. Covering topics such as the portrayal of race, women, myth, and nostalgia, Hollywood's West makes a significant contribution to the understanding of how Westerns have shaped our nation's opinions and beliefs -- often using the frontier as metaphor for contemporary issues.

A vital study of genre. . . . Recommended." -Choice

"Definitive in its own right . . . powerful essays." -Journal of American Culture

"An excellent study that should interest film buffs, academics, and non-academics alike." -Journal of the West

"Another strong compilation from the editors of Film & History . . . . Eclectic interpretations of an institution that will always be a part of the American landscape." -Robert Fyne, author of The Hollywood Propaganda of World War II

"Framed by a solid introduction and, at the back end of it, an excellent filmography and a first-rate bibliography, Hollywood's West: The American Frontier in Film, Television, and History offers both canonical and revisionist insights into the Western. The editors plunge into their introduction with all the vigor of a Sooner land rush, attending to Western history, art, and scholarship at breakneck speed." -Armando Jose Prats, Great Plains Quarterly

"An excellent contribution to the study of screen Westerns." -ISLE

ISBN: 9780813191966

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

392 pages