John Ford and the American West

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Summary: A CELEBRATION OF WESTERN MOVIES
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Western movie fans, here's the book for you. And, it's a beauty with some 125 illustrations from John Ford's greatest films. Characteristically modest, the legendary film director once introduced himself by saying, "My name is John Ford. I make Westerns." What an understatement. He is arguably the best and most prolific director of Western films in the history of Hollywood.

Who can forget "Stagecoach," "Drums Along the Mohawk," "Fort Apache," "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" to mention only a few? He was and is the quintessential director in this genre, working with such film greats as John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Henry Fonda. He drew inspiration from a variety of sources, the pulp fiction of the 19th century as well as the stunning paintings by Remington and Russell. As is noted regarding the jacket front, "Ford's use of pale sunshine yellow and sunset red in "The Searchers" (1956) recalls the paintings of Frederic Remington."

Generations of us were enthralled by his films at Saturday matinees; today legions discover him on DVDs. Whatever the case, his legacy is unquestionable.

Chapter headings include:
The Myth of the West
History Transfigured
The U.S. Cavalry and the Scars of War
Ford and the Native American
Monument Valley and Ford's Expansive Vision of the West
The Telltale Signature

Author Peter Cowie is the former international publishing director of Variety, and has penned over 20 cinema focused books, including "The Cinema of Orson Welles" plus bios of Ingmar Bergman and Francis Ford Coppola.

- Gail Cooke