This illustrated filmography analyzes the plots and players of the more than forty motion pictures about the legendary Missouri outlaw Jesse James (1847–1882), from the silent era to the 21st century. Among the films and actors covered are Jesse James (1939) with Tyrone Power, Kansas Raiders (1950) with Audie Murphy,

From the advent of cinema, Hollywood's acquaintance with the unbridled truth has been passing, at best. Nonfiction has always been standard fodder for filmmakers, but rare is the screenwriter who ever met a story that couldn't use a touch of embellishment. As early as the silent film era, lawsuits were

For well more than a century, Western films have embodied the United States' most fundamental doctrine--expansionism--and depicted, in a uniquely American way, the archetypal battle between good and evil. Westerns also depict a country defined and re-defined by complex crises. World War II transformed the genre as well as the

More than a history of Western movies, The American West on Film intertwines film history, the history of the American West, and American social history into one unique volume. • Offers an insider's look at the making of popular and classic motion pictures about America's westward expansion • Analyzes what

This cultural journey down memory lane showcases how major Western figures, events, and places have been portrayed in folk legends, art, literature, and popular culture. * 145 A–Z entries ranging from Kit Carson and Woody Guthrie to Hispanics in Western Films and Ansel Adams, each with a bibliography * Over