Western Films

by Brian Garfield

From the Wild West Show the silent film developed a style that soon became an American art form. This guide to Western films from Abilene Town to Zanny Bride lists credits and ranks the great figures—John Ford, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Howard Hawks—who shaped this influential genre.

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Brian Francis Wynne Garfield was a novelist and screenwriter. He wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen, and gained prominence with 1975 his book Hopscotch, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. He is best known for his 1972 novel Death Wish, which was adapted for the 1974 film of the same title, followed by four sequels, and a remake starring Bruce Willis.

His follow-up 1975 sequel to Death Wish, Death Sentence, was very loosely adapted into a film of the same name which was released to theaters in late 2007, though an entirely different storyline, but with the novel's same look on vigilantism. Garfield is also the author of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. Garfield's latest book, published in 2007, is Meinertzhagen, the biography of controversial British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen.

Brian Garfield was the author of more than 70 books that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and 19 of his works were made into films or TV shows. He also served as president of the Western Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America.

Pseudonyms:
• Bennett Garland
• John Ives
• Drew Mallory
• Frank O'Brian
• Brian Wynne
• Frank Wynne

Reviews

[Megan]

How can you trust an author/reviewer who calls Ennio Morricone's score of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly "unusually lifeless". I should have left this one on the shelf at the library.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this western films guide, readers will find a listing of more than two thousand “A” western feature films; each listing includes the cast, a brief précis of the film, and the author’s commentary. A preface explains the process while chapters on the western, the genre, the silents, the programmers, the talkies, the directors, the writers, the crews, and the actors all speak to each component of the film. Scattered throughout are pictures from the film, either lobby cards or film stills; many of them rarely seen.

The cataloging of the western genre, beginning with the early talkies, is, according to the dust jacket notes, the result of ten years of research and writing. The film listing itself is quite comprehensive and worth perusing for the information and the photographs.

However, the author’s commentary for each film tends toward mean-spirited subjectiveness that many readers are sure to find off-putting [and is the reason for the lowered rating for the book].

Recommended for the film information and the photographs; consider skipping the author’s commentary.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully opinionated. Knows what he wants from a western and doesn’t shy away from it. Perhaps most importantly establishes a vision of the Western film as something meaningful.