As real cowboy life waned in the American West at the end of the nineteenth century, the mythology of the Wild West took over - in books, songs and Hollywood films. Today, the word 'cowboy' conjures up images of steely-eyed gunslingers, loyal steeds, and campfire melodies but as this book shows, the 'real' Wild West was far from the mythic landscapes created by the American movie industry. This sumptuously illustrated book traces the emergence of the romantic myth of the cowboy from dime novels, the silent Tom Mix films and early matinee idols such as Roy Rogers, to the TV cowboys of the 1950s, John Ford's mythic landscapes of Monument Valley and Hollywood's efforts at representing the 'true' West in films such as 'Dances with Wolves'. It contains a whole chapter devoted to cowboy costume, from the Stetson and flowing neckerchief to the lavishly embroidered and fringed shirts beloved of movie cowboys and country singers. Meticulously researched and powerfully written, this authoritative book shatters the legend and celebrates the genuine frontier pioneers.
FREE Two-Day Shipping for Students. Learn more |
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
One hundred years ago, cowboys were a driving force in popular culture, "giving life to the brand-new motion picture industry, riding on the coattails of the still-solvent but fading traveling Wild West show extravaganzas, and the still-flourishing dime novel publishing boom." Asserting that cowboys "never really went away," journalist Holly George-Warren presents Cowboy: How Hollywood Invented the Wild West. Fantastically illustrated with vintage movie posters and film stills, the book covers the films of actors from Roy Rogers to Clint Eastwood; the western musicals of Gene Autry; cowboy style from Stetson hats to pointy-toed boots; and legendary cowboys such as Hopalong Cassidy and Buffalo Bill.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
These two books explore the Western film genre, which is almost as old as the movie medium itself. In Cowboy, George-Warren (How the West Was Worn) offers a loving, well-illustrated tribute to the Western and its lore, from dime novels to Stetson hats. As the author points out, the connection between the Hollywood Western and reality was often a bit tenuous. Cowgirls, singing cowboys, and matinee idols (including unlikely figures like Cagney and Bogart) may have ruled the box office, but directors like John Ford, Howard Hawks, and Anthony Mann brought mythmaking, spectacle, and hard-edged realism to the genre. Westerns peaked in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s and have rarely appeared since on television or at the multiplex. Cowboy certainly doesn't break any new ground, but George-Warren provides a glimpse of what we have lost, and public library patrons are likely to enjoy the nostalgic text and pictures. Music historian Green, also a member of Western swing group Riders in the Sky, resurrects a nearly forgotten era in his thorough history of the singing cowboy. Singing cowboys were numerous, but only a few, notably Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Tex Ritter, achieved lasting success. However, as the author notes, even after Hollywood lost interest, singing cowboys influenced country music and regional television. Singing cowboys have enjoyed a modest revival on stage and records in recent years, though it seems the tradition in Hollywood has ridden into the sunset permanently. Cowboy is recommended for all public libraries, while Singing should find a place in large country music and film collections.
Stephen Rees, Levittown Regional Lib., PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Stephen Rees, Levittown Regional Lib., PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Holly George-Warren is an award-winning writer, editor, producer, and music consultant. She has contributed to more than two dozen books about rock and roll, including The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, The Rolling Stone Book of Women in Rock, and The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. She's also written for the New York Times, the Village Voice, the Journal of Country Music, and Rolling Stone. Ms. George-Warren lives in upstate New York with her family.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cowboys,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cowboy (Hardcover)
I found Holly George-Warren, Book very good, I believe she could have gone past Eastwood "Unforgiven". I wonder why She didn't dicuss Tom Selleck's new Western?
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
