Westerns Films Westerns Films Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Examples Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry, a nostalgic eulogy to the early days of the expansive, untamed American frontier (the borderline between civilization and the wilderness). They are one of the oldest, most enduring and flexible genres and one of the most characteristically American genres in their mythic origins. [The popularity of westerns has waxed and waned over the years. Their most prolific era was in the 1930s to the 1960s, and most recently in the 90s, there was a resurgence of the genre. They appear to be making an invigorating comeback (both on the TV screen and in theatres). Modern movie remakes, such as 3:10 To Yuma (2007) and the Coen Brothers' True Grit (2010) have also paid homage to their mid-20th century predecessors.] See all Greatest Westerns Title Screens This indigenous American art form focuses on the frontier West that existed in North America.

Westerns are often set on the American frontier during the last part of the 19th century (1865-1900) following the Civil War, in a geographically western (trans-Mississippi) setting with romantic, sweeping frontier landscapes or rugged rural terrain. However, Westerns may extend back to the time of America's colonial period or forward to the mid-20th century, or as far geographically as Mexico. A number of westerns use the Civil War, the Battle of the Alamo (1836) or the Mexican Revolution (1910) as a backdrop. The western film genre often portrays the conquest of the wilderness and the subordination of nature, in the name of civilization, or the confiscation of the territorial rights of the original inhabitants of the frontier. Specific settings include lonely isolated forts, ranch houses, the isolated homestead, the saloon, the jail, the livery stable, the small-town main street, or small frontier towns that are forming at the edges of civilization. They may even include Native American sites or villages.

Other iconic elements in westerns include the hanging tree, stetsons and spurs, saddles, lassos and Colt .45's, bandannas and buckskins, canteens, stagecoaches, gamblers, long-horned cattle and cattle drives, prostitutes (or madams) with a heart of gold, and more. Very often, the cowboy has a favored horse (or 'faithful steed'), for example, Roy Rogers' Trigger, Gene Autry's Champion, William Boyd's (Hopalong Cassidy) Topper, the Lone Ranger's Silver and Tonto's Scout. Western films have also been called the horse opera, the oater (quickly-made, short western films which became as commonplace as oats for horses), or the cowboy picture. The western film genre has portrayed much about America's past, glorifying the past-fading values and aspirations of the mythical by-gone age of the West. Over time, westerns have been re-defined, re-invented and expanded, dismissed, re-discovered, and spoofed.

In the late 60s and early 70s (and in subsequent years), 'revisionistic' Westerns that questioned the themes and elements of traditional/classic westerns appeared (such as Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969) , Arthur Penn's Little Big Man (1970), Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), and later Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992) ). Westerns Film Plots: Usually, the central plot of the western film is the classic, simple goal of maintaining law and order on the frontier in a fast-paced action story. It is normally rooted in archetypal conflict - good vs. bad, virtue vs. evil, white hat vs. black hat, man vs. man, new arrivals vs. Native Americans (inhumanely portrayed as savage Indians), settlers vs. Indians, humanity vs. nature, civilization vs. wilderness or lawlessness, schoolteachers vs. saloon dance-hall girls, villains vs. heroes, lawman or sheriff vs. gunslinger, social law and order vs. anarchy, the rugged individualist vs. the community, the cultivated East vs.

West, settler vs. nomad, and farmer vs. industrialist to name a few. Often the hero of a western meets his opposite "double," a mirror of his own evil side that he has to destroy. Typical elements in westerns include hostile elements (often Native Americans), guns and gun fights (sometimes on horseback), violence and human massacres, horses, trains (and train robberies), bank robberies and holdups, runaway stagecoachs, shoot-outs and showdowns, outlaws and sheriffs, cattle drives and cattle rustling, stampedes, posses in pursuit, barroom brawls, 'search and destroy' plots, breathtaking settings and open landscapes (the Tetons and Monument Valley, to name only a few), and distinctive western clothing (denim, jeans, boots, etc.). Western heroes are often local lawmen or enforcement officers, ranchers, army officers, cowboys, territorial marshals, or a skilled, fast-draw gunfighter. They are normally masculine persons of integrity and principle - courageous, moral, tough, solid and self-sufficient, maverick characters (often with trusty sidekicks), possessing an independent and honorable attitude (but often characterized as slow-talking).

The Western hero could usually stand alone and face danger on his own, against the forces of lawlessness (outlaws or other antagonists), with an expert display of his physical skills (roping, gun-play, horse-handling, pioneering abilities, etc.).

Subgenres of Westerns: There are many subgenres of the typical or traditional western, to name a few: the epic Western (i.e., The Big Country (1958)) the 'singing cowboy' Western (films of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, see below) the "spaghetti" Western (the "Man With No Name" trilogy of films by Sergio Leone) the "noir" Western (i.e., Pursued (1947)) the "contemporary" Western (i.e., Hud (1963)) the "revisionistic" Western (i.e., Little Big Man (1970), Dances With Wolves (1990)) the "comedy" Western (i.e., Cat Ballou (1965), Blazing Saddles (1974) ) the "post-apocalyptic" Western (i.e., Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981-2), The Postman (1997)) the "science-fiction" or "space" Western (i.e., Outland (1981)) Influences on the Western: In many ways, the cowboy of the Old West was the American version of the Japanese sam

urai warrior, or the Arthurian knight of medieval times.

[No wonder that westerns were inspired by samurai and Arthurian legends, i.e., Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961) served as the prototype for Clint Eastwood's A Fistful of Dollars (1964), and Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai (1954) was remade as John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven (1960). Le Mort D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory also inspired much of Shane (1953) - a film with a mythical western hero acting like a noble knight in shining leather in its tale of good vs. evil.] They were all bound by legal codes of behavior, ethics, justice, courage, honor and chivalry.

Western Film Roots: The roots of the film western are found in many disparate sources, often of literary origins: folk music of the colonial period James Fenimore Cooper's novels such as his 1826 story The Last of the Mohicans (re-made as a feature film at least three times - Clarence Brown's 1920 version, a 1932 version starring Harry Carey, and George Seitz' 1936 version with Randolph Scott, and most recently as the popular film The Last of the Mohicans (1992) starring Daniel Day Lewis as the heroic white frontiersman scout named Hawkeye, raised as a Mohican) Francis Parkman's The Oregon Trail (1849) Samuel Clemens' (Mark Twain) Roughing It (1872) Bret Harte's short stories dime novels about Western heroes Owen Wister's influential The Virginian, published in 1902, the first modern western novel prolific Zane Grey's (1875-1939) 60+ novels that inspired dozens of films, including his best-known western Riders of the Purple Sage (1918, 1925, 193

1, 1941); also The Rainbow Trail (1918, 1925), George Seitz's The Vanishing American (1925) - the first film made in Monument Valley, Rangle River (1937), The Mysterious Rider (1933, 1938), Lone Star Ranger (1942), Nevada (1927, 1936, 1944), Western Union (1941), Gunfighters (1947), and Red Canyon (1949) other mythologies (tales of Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Jim Bowie, Gen.

George A. Custer, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson), and outlaws (such as the James Brothers, the original Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Billy the Kid) screen cowboy Gene Autry's "Cowboy Code" (or Cowboy Commandments) written in the late 1940s - a collection of moralistic principles and values that cowboys reportedly live by, including such tenets as: the cowboy never shoots first or takes unfair advantage, always tells the truth, must help people in distress, and is a patriot The most often-portrayed western heroes on screen have been (in descending order): William Frederick Cody ("Buffalo Bill"), William Bonney ("Billy the Kid"), Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok, Gen. George A. Custer, and Wyatt Earp. Silent Westerns: The western was among the first film genres, growing in status alongside the development of Hollywood's studio production system. There were only a few great silent westerns, although the best ones established some of the archetypes that are part of the genre even today.

The earliest westerns (silent films without the sound of gunfire, horse's hoofbeats, and the cattle trail) are gems of American history. A few of the earliest western-like films were two shorts from Thomas Edison's Manufacturing Company: the less-than 1 minute-long Cripple Creek Bar Room Scene (1899) (with its prototypical western bar-room scene, and a barmaid played by a man) Poker at Dawson City (1899) (set during the Alaska Gold Rush, about a crooked poker game with flagrant cheating that led to a fight) Edwin S. Porter's Pioneering Western: But the 'first real movie' or commercially narrative film that gave birth to the genre was Edwin S. Porter's pioneering western The Great Train Robbery (1903) . Porter (named 'the father of the story film') was responsible for the one-reel, 10-minute long film, shot - curiously - on the East Coast (New Jersey and Delaware) rather than the Western setting of Wyoming.

[The first westerns were shot, until 1906, on the East Coast.] Porter had also directed and filmed Edison's short publicity western-themed film A Romance of the Rail (1903). Almost all the essential elements or conventions of typical westerns were included: good guys vs. bad guys, a robbery or wrong-doing, a chase or pursuit, and a final showdown, all in a natural setting. The film ended (or began) with a stunning close-up (the first!) of a gunman (George Barnes) firing directly into the camera - and audience. It was the most commercially successful film of the pre-nickelodeon era. Porter's film was a milestone in film-making for its storyboarding of the script, the first use of title cards, an ellipsis, and a panning shot, and for its cross-cutting editing techniques. One of its stars with multiple roles, Gilbert M. Anderson (Max Aronson), later took the name "Broncho Billy" Anderson and became famous as the first western film hero - the genre's first cowboy. As in other genres, westerns quickly became character-driven and stars began to be developed.

Porter's other film in the same year was a non-Western, Life of An American Fireman (1903) featuring more overlapping action and cross-cut editing, and a last-minute rescue of a mother and child in a burning building. And Edison's A Race for Millions (1907) also featured typical western plot elements - a high-noon shootout, and claim-jumping. In fact, a number of major film studios were making westerns as early as 1907, and by the end of the first decade of the century, about twenty percent of all of Hollywood's films were westerns. Other Early Westerns and Their Directors/Producers: The American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. claimed to have made the first western one year before Porter's The Great Train Robbery (1903) . A few early westerns copyrighted by Biograph were the 21-minute long Kit Carson (1903) and the 15-minute The Pioneers (1903). The first western produced in the West was Biograph's A California Hold Up (1906).

Note: The first sagebrush sagas were either shot on soundstages or made on the East Coast, until the wide expanse of the West opened up for on-location shoots. D. W. Griffith dabbled in silent westerns at Biograph Studios between 1908 and 1913, producing such pictures as: In Old California (1910), Griffith's first western-filmed western, followed by The Twisted Trail (1910) with Mary Pickford The Last Drop of Water (1911), with the western's first characteristic scenes of a wagon train siege and a cavalry rescue the innovatively-filmed Fighting Blood (1911) about conflict between white settlers and Sioux Indians in the Dakota territory of 1899 and Griffith's last major Biograph western filmed in S. California, titled The Battle of Elderbush Gulch (1914), a two-reel pre-cursor to his most (in)famous landmark film, Birth of a Nation (1915) , with Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh The first feature-length western was Lawrence B. McGill's six-reel Arizona (1913).

The first film to feature an all-Native American cast was Hiawatha (1913), made by the Colonial Motion Picture Corporation and based on Longfellow's poem. Young Cecil B. De Mille's first motion picture was The Squaw Man (1914), usually credited as the first feature filmed entirely in Hollywood. [De Mille remade the film in 1918 and 1931.] Even in the early days of the film industry, some real-life cowboys and legendary western figures appeared in films: Wyatt Earp in The Half-Breed (1919) Buffalo Bill Cody in The Adventures of Buffalo Bill (1917) Thomas Ince (1882-1924), known for inventing the studio system, was the first studio executive who embraced the western in the teen years. He arrived in California in 1911, where he produced detailed scripts with new situations and characters for a vast number of classic westerns.

In 1912, his Bison Company production studios (known as Inceville) purchased the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch and the Wild West Show to use their props and performers for his assembly-line, mass-produced films. In the early 1910s, famed director John Ford's older brother Francis was directing and starring in westerns in California for producer Ince, before joining Universal and Carl Laemmle in 1913. The First Westerns Super-Star of the Silent Era: William S. Hart Ince was responsible for discovering and bringing Shakespearean actor William S. Hart (1870-1946) to prominent stardom by signing him up in his New York Motion Picture Company. Hart served as both actor and director after moving to Hollywood, and was often portrayed as a "good bad man" on the screen (with his Pinto pony named Fritz).

He emerged as one of the greatest Western heroes in the mid-1910s, until the release of his last film in 1925: The Disciple (1915) The Taking of Jim McLane (1915) Devil's Double (1916) The Return of Draw Egan (1916) Truthful Tulliver (1916) The Narrow Trail (1917), Hart's first feature production for Paramount Branding Broadway (1918), set in modern-day New York City! Riddle Gawne (1918) Sand (1920), reportedly Pres.

Woodrow Wilson's favorite Hart film The Testing Block (1920) The Toll Gate (1920), Hart's first film with his own production company The Three Word Brand (1921), with Hart playing three roles White Oak (1921) Wild Bill Hickok (1923) Singer Jim McKee (1924) Tumbleweeds (1925), Hart's best-known and greatest western, by director King Baggot and from UA - about the Cherokee Strip (Oklahoma) Gold Rush; the film's title referred to a breed of roaming cowboys Western Slang, Lingo, and Phrases - A Writer's Guide to the Old West - B Bazoo - Mouth. "Shut your big bazoo." Beads - The bubbles which rise on a glass of wine or spirits. Bean Eater - A Mexican Bean Master - The cook Bear Sign - A cowboy term for donuts made while they were on the range. A cook who could and would make them was highly regarded. Beating the Road - Traveling on a railroad train without paying, usually referring to a bum. Beat the Dutch - To beat all or beat the devil.

"It was rainin' to beat the Dutch." Beat the Devil around the Stump - To evade responsibility or a difficult task. "Quit beatin' the devil around the stump and ask that girl to marry you." Becase - Because. Bed Ground - Where cattle are held at night. Bed Him Down - To kill a man. Bed-house - Brothel. Bed-fagot - Prostitute. Bed-post - A moment, an instant, jiffy. "He got over here in the twinkling of a bed-post.ï¿½ Bed-rock - Not able to go lower. "Is that the bed-rock price?ï¿½ Bee - A gathering of friends, family and neighbors to get a specific job done Usually used with womenï¿½s quilting get togethers - a quilting bee. Beef - To kill. (This came from killing a cow for food.) " Doc Holiday beefed a man today.ï¿½ Beef-headed - Stupid, dull as an ox. Beef Tea - Shallow water where cows have stood. Been in the Sun - Drunk Been Through the Mill - Been through a lot, seen it all. Bee-sweetening - Honey Belly Through the Brush - Dodge the law.

Belly Wash - Weak coffee. Belvidere - A handsome man. Bend an Elbow - Have a drink. "He's been known to bend an elbow with the boys." Perhaps this man had been on a "bender" when this photo was taken in 1874. This image available for photographic prints HERE! Bender - Initially referred to a spree or a frolic. Later, and now, also used to describe someone on a drinking binge. Benzinery - A low-grade drinking place. Cheap whiskey was sometimes called benzene. Berdache - An Indian male who dressed and lived entirely as a woman, fulfilling a cultural role within the tribe. Sometimes called in Indian languages a "would be woman" and sometimes thought of as a third sex. Common among the tribes of the Americas, these men-women had social and religious powers. They might be givers of sacred names; leaders of ceremonial dances; visionaries and predictors of the future; matchmakers; etc. Understood as following a vision by most Indians, they were not tolerated by whites. They persist today, discreetly. Best Bib and Tucker - Wearing your best clothes.

"There's a dance Saturday, so put on your best bib and tucker." Betterments - The improvements made on new lands, by cultivation and the erection of buildings. Bettermost - The best. Between Hay and Grass - Neither man nor boy, half-grown. B'hoys - Noisy young men of the lower ranks of society. Bible - A small packet of papers used to roll cigarettes. Also called a "dream book" or a "prayer book." Bible Bump - A bump (or cyst) on the wrist or hand that old timers say would disappear if whacked by a large book - such as the bible. Biddable - Docile, obedient, tractable. Biddy - Hen. Also used to refer to a nagging or complaining woman. Biff - To strike in ones face. Big Augur - Ranch Owner. Big Bug - Important person, official, boss. "He's one of the railroad big bugs." Big Figure - To do things on on a large scale. Big Fifty - A .50 caliber Sharps rifle used by professionals for buffalo hunting. It was 16 pounds unloaded, with three-quarter inch, 120-grain black powder cartridges loaded for differing ranges.

Biggest Toad in the Puddle - The most important person in a group. Biggity - Large, extravagant, grand, hauty. Big Guns - Men of importance, great people. Big Jump - Death. Big Nuts to Crack - A difficult or large undertaking. Big Pasture - The penitentiary Big Sugar - Ranch owner. Bill Show - A Wild West show. Probably derived from the names of the two leading show promoters - William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Gordan William "Pawnee Bill" Lillie. Bilk - Cheat. Bime-By - By-and-by, soon, in a short time. Biscuit - Saddle horn. Blarney - Stories, flattery, tall tales, idle discourse. Blather - Impudence. "Iï¿½ll have none of your blather.ï¿½ Blatherskite - A blustering, noisy, talkative fellow. Blazes - Euphemism for hell or the devil. Blow - To taunt; to ridicule. Also means to turn informer on an accomplice. Blow Out - A feast; also called a tuck out. Blue - Drunk.

To Look Blue At Someone - To look at one with displeasure or dissatisfaction. Blue Belly - A Yankee. Blue Devils - Dispirited. "I have the blue devils today.ï¿½ Blue John - Skimmed Milk Blue-Skins - A nickname applied to the Presbyterians, from their alleged grave deportment. Blue Stocking - An epithet applied to literary ladies. Blusteration - The noise of a braggart. Boatable - Navigable for boats, or small river-craft Bobbery - A squabble, argument. Bobtail Guard - The first cowboy guarding the cattle at night. Bockey - A bowl or vessel made from a gourd. Bocking - Cotton or woollen cloth used to cover floors or to protect carpets. Bodega - Spanish term for a cheap saloon . Boggy Top - A pie baked without a top crust. Bog-Trotter - One that lives in a boggy country. Bogus - A liquor made of rum and molasses. Boil Over - A horse that starts bucking. Bolt - To swallow food without chewing Bonanza - The discovery of an exceptionally rich vein of gold or silver. Bone Orchard - Cemetery.

Boodle - A crowd of people. Boogered Up - Crippled or badly injured. Boot-licker - The equivalent of an ass-kisser. Boom Along - A seamanï¿½s term meaning to move rapidly. Boot Yard - This was a cemetery, especially for those who died with their boots on; also called boothill, bone yard, bone orchard, grave patch. Bonny - Clapper or Bonny-Clabber - An Irish term for sour buttermilk. Bo-Peep - To play at bo-peep. To peep out suddenly from a hiding place, and cry bo! a children's game. Boose - Drink liquor. Boosy - Fuddled or a little intoxicated. Boosily - Lazily, in a state of intoxication. Born Days - All one's lifetime; since one was born. "In all my born days I never saw a man so big." Bosh - Nonsense. "It was absolute bosh what he said." Boss - The best, top. "The Alhambra Saloon sells the boss whiskey in town." Bossy - A familiar name applied to a calf. Boston Dollar - A penny.

Bothahrayshun - A bother Bottom - Low land with rich soil. Bottom-Lands - In the Western States, this name was given to the rich flat land on the banks of rivers. Bottled Courage - Whiskey. Bouncing - Large, heavy. "Sally gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. Bouge - To swell out, to bulge. Bowie-Knife - A knife from ten to fifteen inches long and about two inches broad, so named after its inventor, James Bowie. Box Herder - The person in charge of the "girls" at a brothel or saloon . Their job was to keep the "ladies" in line. Brack - A breach, a broken part. Brain Tablet - Cigarette. Brand Artist - A rustler who alters brands with a running iron. Brash - Brittle. Breachy - A term applied to unruly oxen. Bread Jerker - Adam's apple. Brick in Oneï¿½s Hat - To be drunk. That old manï¿½s got one hellofa brick in his hat. Brigham Young Cocktail - Strong whiskey. Brisk Up - To come up with life and speed, take an erect or bold attitude.

A Bronc Buster. This image available for photographic prints HERE! Broke in Two - A horse bucking. Bronc Buster - A cowboy who could tame wild horses. Contrary to popular thinking, not all cowboys could ride just any horse, though most could ride any broken mount. But the bronc buster, also called a "bonc peeler" and a "bronc breaker," was a breed apart. These men, with a special type of "horse sense" earned not only the esteem of the other cowboys , but usually better wages. Broken Wind - A lung infection in horses. Broomtail - A long, bushy-tailed range mare, usually unbroken. Also called a "broomie." Brother-Chip - A fellow-carpenter; in a more general sense, a person of the same trade. Brown Study - Deep thought; absence of mind. "He is in a brown study.ï¿½ Brown Gargle - Coffee. Brush - A skirmish, or fight. Bub - Brother Buckaroo - A cowboy , usually from the desert country of Oregon , Nevada , California , or Idaho . Bucket of Blood - A violence-prone frontier saloon . Bucket Shop - A gin mill or distillery.

Bucking the Tiger - Playing Faro or poker . Also referred to as "twisting the tiger's tail." Buckle Bunnies - Female groupies who follow and befriend rodeo riders. Buck Up - Cheer up; chin up. Buckle To - Set about any task with energy and a determination. Buckra - A white man, applied to white men by the blacks of the African coast. Buffaloed - Confused. Buffalo Soldiers - Black soldiers of the U.S. army who fought Indians and policed the frontier in the years following the Civil War . The term was derived from the men's hair which the Indians thought resembled the fur of the buffalo. Not all of the recruits were former slaves; most were free blacks of Northern parentage and many had served with distinction during the Civil War . Bug Juice - Booze, firewater, whiskey. Build a Loop - Shaking out a coil of rope in preparation for roping. Bull - An officer of the law. Bullboat - A craft with a willow frame covered by buffalo hide. Bulldoze - To bully, threaten, or coerce. Bucking the Tiger meant you were playing Faro . This image available for photographic prints HERE!

The people in our alley call me Salvation Sally, Since I have been converted, but I try to bear the load, They say I must be balmy to go and join the army, That leads you to salvation in the White-chapel Road. Bully - Exceptionally good, outstanding. (Used as an exclamation.) "Bully for you!" Bully For You! - Well done, good job, good for you. Bullwhacker - A person who drives a team of oxen, usually walking beside them. Bumblebee Whiskey - Liquor strong enough to "sting." To Bundle - A man and woman lying on the same bed with their clothes on, usually separated by a "bundling board.ï¿½ The practice was used when there was a scarcity of beds Bungo - A kind of boat used at the South. Bunko Artist - A con man. Burg - A town, rather than the common camps and small settlements. Burn the Breeze - Ride at full speed. Burnt His Fingers - When a person has suffered loss by a speculation, he is said to have burnt his fingers. Burrow Milk - Nonsense. Bushwhack - A cowardly attack or ambush.

Bushwhacker - A raw countryman, a green-horn. Also applies to ambushers. Buss - Kiss. Buzzard Bait - A worn out horse. Buzzard Food - Dead. By Hook or Crook - To do any way possible. Buster - Anything large in size or a man of great strength. Buster or Bust - A frolic, a spree. "They were on a buster, and were taken in by the police." Bustle - A pad stuffed with cotton or feathers, worn by ladies for the double purpose of giving a greater prominence to the hips, and setting off the smallness of the waist. By The Bye - By the way, in passing. By Good Rights - By right, by strict justice, entitled. "By good rights Mr. Clay ought to be President of the United States." By Gum! - An inoffensive oath By The Skin Of One's Teeth - When a man has made a narrow escape from any dilemma, barely. Bustles had a number of names including bird cage and canary cage.

From Legends' General Store Frontier Slang, Lingo & Phrases - By Kathy Weiser-Alexander , Owner/Editor of Legends of America - Autographed From the wild and woolly mining camps, to the rampages of the Civil War, to the many cowboys riding on the range, those frontier folks often used terms and phrases that are no longer used in everyday language today. Yet other words and sayings were often specific to certain regions and never used across the states. These terms, as in the past, are still sometimes heard in specific areas, but are ï¿½foreignï¿½ to the rest of us. From the pages of period newspapers, books, and century old dictionaries comes the slang, lingo, and phrases of the American Frontier. Even if you're not looking for a definition, you'll get a peek into the charm and character of a historic era. In addition to the hundreds of words and phrases, readers will also enjoy more than 150 vintage images. Signed by the Author. 6x9", paperback -- 132 pages. Published by Legends of America, 1st edition, October, 2015.

Silverado (1985) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A misfit bunch of friends come together to right the injustices which exist in a small town. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 25 titles created 21 Jun 2011 a list of 25 titles created 30 Aug 2011 a list of 40 titles created 01 Jan 2012 a list of 45 titles created 14 Jan 2012 a list of 26 titles created 1 week ago Search for " Silverado " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations. See more awards » Videos Wyatt Earp is a movie about a man and his family.

The movie shows us the good times and the bad times of one of the West's most famous individuals. Director: Lawrence Kasdan A former gunslinger is forced to take up arms again when he and his cattle crew are threatened by a corrupt lawman. Director: Kevin Costner A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona, are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating. Directors: George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre Stars: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted. Director: Christopher Cain A mysterious preacher protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land. Director: Clint Eastwood A Missouri farmer joins a Confederate guerrilla unit and winds up on the run from the Union soldiers who murdered his family. Director: Clint Eastwood Edit Storyline In 1880, four men travel together to the city of Silverado.

They come across many dangers before they finally engage the "bad guys" and bring peace and equality back to the city. Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos <makzax@hotmail.com> Ride with them to the adventure of your life! See more » Genres: 10 July 1985 (USA) See more » Also Known As: 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)| Dolby (35 mm prints) Color: Did You Know? Trivia Cook Ranch, twenty-five miles from the heart of Santa Fe, New Mexico, served as the site for the town of Silverado. Production designer Ida Random and set designers Bill Elliott (aka William A. Elliott ), Chas. Butcher , and Richard McKenzie had the challenging task of totally creating the forty building western town. From a vast body of historical reference, Random and her team, and a construction crew of 140, designed and built such structures as the Midnight Star Saloon, a hotel, and a church. Construction coordinator Clarence Lynn Price and his able crew completed the town in twelve weeks, in less than desirable conditions . . . below freezing temperatures and winds as high as sixty miles per hour.

See more » Goofs Paden's horse changes as they ride away from Turley with the posse in pursuit. At first it has a white star on its forehead, but later it has a white stripe the length of its nose. See more » Quotes [first lines] [Emmett saves Paden's life with a sip of water from his canteen after discovering him abandoned and baking in the desert] Paden : Pleased to meet you. (Arizona) – See all my reviews There are two reasons I say there should have been a sequel: One is that, simply, this was so great, so nearly perfect that it deserved and deserves follow-up. From largest role to smallest (and I don't mean Linda Hunt), the acting was superlative ... and here I have to pause to say it took several viewings for me to finally admit that, yes, even Kevin Costner, whom I generally and thoroughly dislike, was darn good as a cowboy. I saw this first in a theater, in Hollywood, with people from the industry, and absolutely LOVED it ... except for Kevin Costner. I was in awe of the script, of the acting, of the photography, of ... well, of everything ...

except Kevin Costner. Well, I watched it recently on Turner Classic Movies and, reluctantly, decided it was just prejudice, however deserved, and in truth Costner really made a very good cowboy. There is a little secret here I won't completely divulge: Watch how actors mount their horses, and you'll see if they really know western riding and, for that matter, if the director knows his business. One of the actors deserving special praise is Brian Dennehy. As far as I am concerned, he can do no wrong. He is one of the very best actors in the business during the last 20 or 30 years, just an absolutely fabulous talent. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, but even Jeff Goldblum was great in this role. Oh, I know he's good, but I would have thought, and did think, that a western setting would find him out of place. Wrong. Sheb Wooley has a small part and it was great to see him in what turned out to be one of his last roles. He, of course, was right at home. Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, and Danny Glover also looked right at home, as if they had been born making westerns.

Linda Hunt, another actor who can seemingly do no wrong, was in another movie this same year, 1985, the terribly unfairly ignored "Eleni," and it and "Silverado" both were much better than the movie that carried nearly all the awards, and which I won't name here. That other film might have deserved the Oscar for its score, but even the score of "Silverado" was first class and would have got my vote if I were allowed to cast a ballot. Bruce Broughton, who has scored mostly for television, looked to be on the way to picking up the mantle of Elmer Bernstein, and I even bought the recorded score -- at retail rates! Which I never do. It is excellent music. "Silverado" is an almost perfect movie. Oh, and the second reason there shoulda been a sequel: The last words shouted by the Kevin Costner character. Watch this movie and listen. 27 of 33 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes What is a Western Saloon? (with pictures) What is a Western Saloon?

Last Modified Date: 04 December 2016 Copyright Protected: Top 10 amazing movie makeup transformations Particular to the American Old West, a western saloon was a business establishment that primarily served liquor. Today, it might be called a bar, beer joint, pub or tavern. During their heyday in the 19th century, western saloons mainly served such customers as gamblers, cowboys, fur trappers, soldiers, gold prospectors and miners. According to historians and archaeologists, the first establishment to be called a saloon was opened in 1822 in Brown’s Hole, Wyoming. It was opened to serve fur trappers who were traveling through the region. The earliest saloons were not like those usually depicted in films of the Wild West . As people made their way west, liquor might be sold from wagons, and saloons might be built from whatever materials were at hand. Early saloons, usually crudely built, might be dug into the side of a hill, be in a sod hut or be little more than a tent or shack. Either distilled spirits such as bourbon and rye might be served or a homemade whiskey concocted from burnt sugar, raw alcohol and chewing tobacco.

Ad As towns and populations grew, the western saloon became more refined and, eventually, took on the iconic appearance made famous in movies. A pair of batwing doors at the entrance was a distinctive feature of the typical western saloon. These doors extended from knee to chest level and swung on double-action hinges. The interior usually held a long, wooden counter with a brass rail running along the bottom where patrons rested their feet and a large mirror that hung behind the bar. In new towns or settlements, saloons often were the largest and first buildings erected. At its height of popularity, the western saloon fell into one of three broad categories: premier saloons, working-class saloons and dives. Premier saloons were full-service businesses offering private gambling rooms, entertainment and a full list of commercial-quality wines and whiskeys. The working-class western saloon served a limited selection of liquor of uncertain quality and usually was a one-room facility with a few tables and chairs, a bar and perhaps a billiard table in the back. Dives sold homemade whiskey called rotgut, sold tobacco and usually lacked ventilation or toilets. The coming of prohibition in the United States in 1920 put western saloons out of business.

For the next several years, speakeasies took the place of saloons. By the time prohibition ended in 1933, the word “saloon” had so many negative connotations that new business establishments came to be called bars and nightclubs, among other monikers. Ad anon275165 Post 9 I've been to several real saloons, like the Palace on Whiskey Row in Prescott Arizona, the Crystal Palace in Tombstone Arizona and the Buckhorn in Denver, Colorado. All were in business back in the old days, but the Crystal Palace is the only one that has really stayed true to it's roots (the other two are really more restaurants nowadays, although they still have the original bars). The Crystal Palace still has the original bar and even bullet holes in the copper plated ceiling. But they are really no different than bars nowadays. There are plenty of rough dives in almost every town in the country that have as many fights, shootings and stabbings as those old West saloons. If you want to get a good idea of what a really rough old west saloon was like, go to a biker bar that's the watering hole for an outlaw motorcycle club.

Apart from the difference in dress and transportation, I bet there's not enough difference to spit at. SkyWhisperer Post 8 @Charred - I have often wondered how realistic the Western saloon scenes were in the movies that depicted them. I am not talking about the sets; I think they are picture perfect and true to the real saloons. I am talking about the stuff that happened in the saloons, like the bar room brawls and stuff like that. I am prone to believe that most of that was mere drama. Of course the places served strong liquor so I figure there would be the occasional altercation, but I don’t think it was a common sight. Charred Post 7 I’m not a big fan of Westerns myself, but I have been to a Western set. Believe it or not, it was not in Hollywood, but in Oklahoma. I attend a mega church that used to do its own movie productions, and it built a completely realistic Western set out in the middle of Oklahoma, complete with western décor, saloons and a fully functioning steam engine train. They use the set not only for productions but also for their holiday presentations.

The saloon of course, does not sell liquor, but rather hot chocolate, warm meals and offers up family friendly entertainment. It’s a fun place to hang out actually. Apart from this set that’s probably as close as I’ll ever get to a Western saloon. kylee07drg Post 6 @wavy58 – I think it's neat when people try to replicate the old western saloon atmosphere. My cousin has an old shack in his back yard that he throws parties in, and everything from the décor to the liquor is designed to bring to life the feeling of an old saloon. He accomplished what he set out to do. What is disgusting is that he even makes that old whiskey that contains chewing tobacco. I tried some of it unknowingly once, and I spit it out right away. How anyone could ever drink that without promptly vomiting is beyond me. I do love the unique atmosphere of the shack, though. It provides a quick escape from reality for a few hours on weekend nights. shell4life Post 5 I love the sound of western saloon pianos. They just had a richer, more self-contained sound than pianos today.

My musical keyboard has a western saloon piano sound option, and I like to use this to play old folk and country songs. It just creates an atmosphere of the days long ago, and I can almost see the dust in the air and smell the strong liquor as I play. This type of piano usually sounded slightly off-key. I don't know whether this was intentional or if no one bothered to tune them, but it contributed to the rustic aura of the saloon. wavy58 Post 4 My cousin decided to have a birthday party with a western theme, and she chose to make it look really authentic. She rented an old wooden cabin and decked it out to resemble the saloons in old western movies. She even made the guests wear cowboy hats and chaps. The girls had the option of either dressing like prostitutes from that time or wearing fake mustaches and going as dudes. There was even some moonshine on hand, and we ended up with quite a few altercations and temper tantrums. It was a bit too wild for my taste, and I left after the first fight. I think she got more than she bargained for, and it probably resembled a western saloon in more ways than one.

OeKc05 Post 3 If I had lived back in the days of old, I would have been terrified to enter a western saloon. People were not like they are nowadays, and everyone seemed always ready to fight to the death over every little argument. Also, it was totally acceptable for anyone to carry a gun into a saloon. Combine this with strong whiskey and clashing, strong personalities, and you have an unavoidable disaster. Bar fights these days often end with the people involved getting thrown out, and that's the end of it. It is less common for fights to end in death. tigers88 Post 2 I have been to a few bars that are made to look like old time western salons. It is kind of a cool novelty, but we all realize that its nothing close to the real ting. No mater how much parlor piano and sawdust they fill a bar with, it would never really feel like a western saloon without the sights and smells of the real thing. You need the smell of the horses outside, the stench of the men, the fragrance of whiskey rising out of a glass broken on the floor.

You need a pile of broken lumber leftover from the latest bar fight to erupt after a poker game. You need the cheap perfume of the ladies. They can try to imitate it all they want but it's pretty clear how far from real it is. Post your comments

Question: In Western films, what is a bar regularly called?
Answer: Saloon