The Creation of the Cowboy Hero : Fiction, Film and Fact

As business interests have commercialized the American West and publishers and studios have created compelling imagery, the expectations of readers and moviegoers have influenced perceptions of the cowboy as a hero. This book describes the evolution of the cowboy hero as a mythic persona created by dime novels, television and Hollywood. Much of our concept of the cowboy comes to us from movies and the book's main focus is his changing image in cinema. The development of the hero image and the fictional West is traced from early novels and films to the present, along with shifting audience expectations and economic pressures. Dedication Table of Contents Timeline of Notable Influences on the Perception of the Western Hero Preface 1. There Have to Be Heroes 2. The Legend Begins 3. The Lure of the Dime Novels 4. The Great Showman 5. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West 6. More and More Wild West Shows 7. Our Cowboy Heroes 8. Flickering Images 9. Tom Mix and the Flashy Showmen 10. Pulp Magazines and Mass- Market Paperbacks 11. Warbling Cowboys and the Silver Screen 12. Brooding Heroes 13. And a Suitable Heroine 14. Violence Returns 15. The Image Persists Postscript Chapter Notes Bibliography Index "As business interests have commercialized the American West and publishers and studios have created a compelling image of the West, the expectations of readers and moviegoers have influenced public perception of the cowboy as a hero figure. This book describes the evolution of the Western cowboy hero as a mythic persona created by dime novels, television and Hollywood"-- Provided by publisher