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The Hollywood West Artist: Richard W. Etulain, ed.
Softcover
10 well-known historians dramatize a century of the Hollywood Western, revealing the real individuals behind the great Western heroes and heroines. Includes portrayals from Gene Autry and Roy Rogers to John Ford, John Wayne, and a host of other memorable figures. Paperback, 256 pages, 6" x 9".
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Singing Cowboys & CD Artist: Douglas B. Green
Hardcover
All your favorite cowboys from the heyday of B-western movies are celebrated here. Author Douglas B. Green, (aka Ranger Doug of Riders in The Sky) tells the fabled story of the men & women who shone brightly during the magical era of the singing cowboy movie star. It was an era when western heroes sang & yodeled as well as threw punches & drew six-guns; an era where for a time nearly half the western films churned out in Hollywood's golden age either featured a singer as a hero, or had singing second leads or singing ranch hands to provide that dreamy, romantic, exquisitely beautiful music we now think of as western. Follow the singing cowboy movie fad, from Gene Autry's first films in 1935 to Marty Robbins' drive-in quickie movies in 1959. Singing Cowboys recalls with fondness the stories of nearly 60 men, women, and groups who embodied the singing cowboy tradition, from Tex Ritter to Dale Evans. All the biggest stars are included, as are many great old-timey artists whose names are not so well known. Their voices & images filled an entire generation with optimism & hope, & encouraged us all to dream big-the "cowboy way." Movie posters, stills, & studio photographs featuring such famed cowboy singers as Gene Autry, Bing Crosby, Dale Evans, Dick Foran, Tito Guizar, Dorothy Page, Riders of the Purple Sage, Tex Ritter, Marty Robbins, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Ray Whitley, & dozens more.
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Cowboy: How Hollywood Invented the Wild WestArtist: Holly George-Warren
Hardcover
In Cowboy, George-Warren (How the West Was Worn) offers a loving, well-illustrated tribute to the Western & its lore, from dime novels to Stetson hats. As the author points out, the connection between the Hollywood Western & reality was often a bit tenuous. Cowgirls, singing cowboys, & matinee idols (including unlikely figures like Cagney & Bogart) may have ruled the box office, but directors like John Ford, Howard Hawks, & Anthony Mann brought mythmaking, spectacle, & hard-edged realism to the genre. Westerns peaked in popularity in the 1950s & 1960s & 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, & public library patrons are likely to enjoy the nostalgic text & 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, & Tex Ritter, achieved lasting success. However, as the author notes, even after Hollywood lost interest, singing cowboys influenced country music & regional television. Singing cowboys have enjoyed a modest revival on stage & 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 & film collections.
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