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The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them
The Greatest Westerns Ever Made provides a comprehensive review of the Western film and television genre, from John Ford’s classic, black and white films, to Deadwood and indie darlings. Screenwriter Henry C. Parke presents a nuanced look at Hollywood’s dramatization of historic events, the common themes and archetypes of Western movies, and the characters we love (and sometimes love to hate). This book also features essays and interviews with influential Western filmmakers, character actors, the women of Western films (in front of and behind the cameras), and the Native American perspective on Western films and Hollywood’s portrayal of Native American people.
256 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 18, 2025
"The Greatest Westerns Ever Made" is not an original book per se, but rather a complication of dozens of articles from True West Magazine. True West bills itself as the oldest continuously published Western magazine, and it is in fact so old that it began life as a pulp publication. The book focuses on media, TV and movies primarily (but not always) set in the American West, which is only a small portion of the magazine's scope.
The book is not an encyclopedia, nor it is a carefully edited history. Rather, magazine articles (features, interviews, listicles) are grouped together by topic. This means that there is some overlap of subjects -- some projects or artists are covered multiple times in multiple chapters. The book is broad and covers several shows and films, some more in depth than others. Yellowstone and its spinoffs don't get much mention, for example. Australian movies in the style of Westerns get a lot of coverage. Western-inspired sci-fi (like Star Trek, or the endless amount of Star Wars Disney+ series set on Tatooine) get no mention at all. Just about everything else is fair game for coverage.
I find the book best as a resource, as a celebration of movies or shows I already love (though, oddly, very little about "Have Gun -- Will Travel"), or as a source for pointing out to me things I've missed that i need to track down. The author/editor's politics sneak through at times; there are pointed jabs at Hillary Clinton and the #MeToo movement, and Mr. Parke has an unexplained grudge against Antoine Fuqua, but for the most part this is a straight-up celebration of the form, and a good starter guide if you're looking to explore the highest points of the genre.
The book is not an encyclopedia, nor it is a carefully edited history. Rather, magazine articles (features, interviews, listicles) are grouped together by topic. This means that there is some overlap of subjects -- some projects or artists are covered multiple times in multiple chapters. The book is broad and covers several shows and films, some more in depth than others. Yellowstone and its spinoffs don't get much mention, for example. Australian movies in the style of Westerns get a lot of coverage. Western-inspired sci-fi (like Star Trek, or the endless amount of Star Wars Disney+ series set on Tatooine) get no mention at all. Just about everything else is fair game for coverage.
I find the book best as a resource, as a celebration of movies or shows I already love (though, oddly, very little about "Have Gun -- Will Travel"), or as a source for pointing out to me things I've missed that i need to track down. The author/editor's politics sneak through at times; there are pointed jabs at Hillary Clinton and the #MeToo movement, and Mr. Parke has an unexplained grudge against Antoine Fuqua, but for the most part this is a straight-up celebration of the form, and a good starter guide if you're looking to explore the highest points of the genre.
May 27, 2025
There was a time in American cinema and television when Westerns ruled.
Movie theaters showcased classic Westerns with such stars as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart and dozens of other actors and actresses.
The same could be said of TV with Westerns like Bat Masterson, The Rifleman, Bonanza and many, many more.
The heydays of the movie Westerns began in the 1930s and stayed pretty consistent as far as the volume of films were concerned through the 1980s and early 1990s.
Westerns were still made but in a much smaller quantity. A new crop of actors and actresses, along with the sidekicks and supporting casts brought a freshness and vitality to Westerns.
Stars like Tom Selleck, Kevin Costner, Sharon Stone and other well-known movie stars acted in Westerns.
TV too still produced Westerns like Longmire, Lonesome Dove and Monte Walsh. Westerns are making a comeback and I couldn’t be more pleased.
Henry C. Parke and True West Magazine, along with publisher TwoDot Books, with an introduction by Western alumni Bruce Boxleitner, present the oversize softbound book: The Great Westerns Ever Made And The People Who Made Them.
Inside this fascinating book is all the scoop on classic movie and TV Westerns, their casts, crews, directors, good guys, bad guys, femme fatale, the wide scope of Westerns and much, much more.
Any true fan of film and TV Westerns will want this book that is chockful of in-front-of camera and behind-the-scenes tidbits, interviews, comments and a look at Westerns from a Native American point of view.
Romans 12:18 - If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Movie theaters showcased classic Westerns with such stars as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart and dozens of other actors and actresses.
The same could be said of TV with Westerns like Bat Masterson, The Rifleman, Bonanza and many, many more.
The heydays of the movie Westerns began in the 1930s and stayed pretty consistent as far as the volume of films were concerned through the 1980s and early 1990s.
Westerns were still made but in a much smaller quantity. A new crop of actors and actresses, along with the sidekicks and supporting casts brought a freshness and vitality to Westerns.
Stars like Tom Selleck, Kevin Costner, Sharon Stone and other well-known movie stars acted in Westerns.
TV too still produced Westerns like Longmire, Lonesome Dove and Monte Walsh. Westerns are making a comeback and I couldn’t be more pleased.
Henry C. Parke and True West Magazine, along with publisher TwoDot Books, with an introduction by Western alumni Bruce Boxleitner, present the oversize softbound book: The Great Westerns Ever Made And The People Who Made Them.
Inside this fascinating book is all the scoop on classic movie and TV Westerns, their casts, crews, directors, good guys, bad guys, femme fatale, the wide scope of Westerns and much, much more.
Any true fan of film and TV Westerns will want this book that is chockful of in-front-of camera and behind-the-scenes tidbits, interviews, comments and a look at Westerns from a Native American point of view.
Romans 12:18 - If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
November 20, 2024
Not quite what I expected but provided some interesting factoids.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews