western, a genre of novels and short stories, motion pictures, and television and radio shows that are set in the American West, usually in the period from the 1850s to the end of the 19th century.
Generally set in the American frontier between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, the genre also includes many examples of stories set in locations outside the frontier – including Northern Mexico, the Northwestern United States, Alaska, and Western Canada – as well as stories ...
Most Westerns are just fantasies, with perhaps a nugget of truth to what life could be like in the West. But some Western movies are not fantasies at all and, in fact, based on true stories. From historical events like The Alamo to real people like Hugh Glass, these films all tell real stories from the West.
Westerns first began as a popular genre during the second decade of American cinema. The American public was looking for an escape from the reality that they were living in; unemployment, economic decline, etc. Many American people wished they could be part of a rugged group like the cowboys in these movies.
When the popularity of television exploded in the late 1940s and 1950s, westerns quickly became a staple of small-screen entertainment. The first, on June 24, 1949, was the Hopalong Cassidy show, at first edited from the 66 films made by William Boyd.
In 1959 alone more than 30 different Westerns were on the television schedule. Viewers idolized the gritty and romantic version of the American West with its portrayal of the loner who faces the world by himself and, mostly, comes up victorious.
Western Movies No Longer Represented Cultural Sentiments
Numerous wars, the growing popularity of counter-cultural music and film, and domestic issues ranging from racism to poverty drew younger generations away from traditional American exceptionalism views of the Westerns of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
However, as that generation of stars and filmmakers retired or died, the genre began to decline. The genre that was a powerhouse for decades, like the superhero genre of today, lost its cultural stature as audiences were largely oversaturated with Westerns (especially when you add the endless list of TV Westerns).
The Western was popular during the early days of the American film industry before going through a decline during the early sound years. However, the Western had a strong resurgence in the 1940s and 1950s and reached a whole new level of popularity. By the end of the 1960s, that popularity had all but disappeared.
Undoubtedly the champion of the genre, Star Wars' original trilogy and ensuing Skywalker saga stories crafted the space Western from a cinematic perspective and still stands as the pinnacle of the genre today.
One of the stereotypes that westerns perpetuate is gender. Western films have strict gender roles. Women are confined to play the refined lady, the helpmate or the bad woman, while men are either the cowboy hero or the villain. Western films have created a mythical West with specific gender roles.
What famous Western star had his first leading role in the Big Trail?
His first leading role—and his first appearance as “John Wayne”—came in director Raoul Walsh's The Big Trail (1930). During the next eight years Wayne starred in more than 60 low-budget motion pictures, mostly in roles as cowboys, soldiers, and other rugged men of adventure.
From John Wayne epics like The Searchers to Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, this filmmaking style that dates back over a century is still alive and well even today. Though the genre has exponentially evolved, the overarching themes remain largely the same: justice, violence, life, and death in the frontier.
On this page you'll find 9 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to western movie, such as: cowboy picture, cowboy story, horse opera, oater, shoot-'em-up, and spaghetti western.
“What I partly mean by acid westerns,” wrote Rosenbaum, “are revisionist westerns in which American history is reinterpreted to make room for peyote visions and related hallucinogenic experiences, LSD trips in particular.” He distinguishes these from the “less radical…
The actor who starred in the most Westerns throughout their career is none other than Tom Mix. While his name may not be as recognizable as someone like John Wayne, Mix appeared in a grand total of 291 films, with at least 200 of those being Westerns in the early 20th century.
The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most of these Westerns were produced and directed by Italians.
“Spaghetti” Westerns are a subgenre of Westerns whose name references the circumstances and location of their filming. Generally, a Spaghetti Western is a low-budget film produced by Italian directors (hence the “spaghetti” connection) and filmed in Europe, primarily in Almería and the Tabernas Desert.
People of that age have a fondness for westerns for the same reason you likely enjoy your favorite films and music - they were a big part of the formative years. People in their sixties were having their tastes shaped in the late 1950s through the early 1970s. When they were kids, the western ruled television.
Westerns are making a comeback, but not necessarily just on the big screen. It seems like westerns are popping up all over different networks and OTT services on television. Yellowstone is one of the most watched shows on television, and its demand continues to increase with each passing season.
The Best Modern Westerns, from 'The Power of the Dog' to 'Killers of the Flower Moon' to 'The Hateful Eight' From revenge thrillers to comedies, many of today's top filmmakers have done their part to keep the Western genre alive.
Second only to Gunsmoke as the longest-running Western series and broadcast in colour from the off, Bonanza followed the lives of the close-knit Cartwright family, Ben and his three sons: educated Adam, warm-hearted, loveable giant Hoss, and impulsive Little Joe.
Gunsmoke, American television western that aired on CBS for 20 seasons (1955–75), becoming the longest-running prime-time television western in history. The series was the top-rated show from 1957 to 1961 and maintained excellent ratings throughout its run.
Bonanza, American television series that ran on NBC from 1959 to 1973. Bonanza's 14 seasons and 440 episodes made it the second-longest-running western in broadcast history, after Gunsmoke.
