.\\FROM THE DUST JACKET FLAP:

In the "B" Westerns of the 1930s and 1940s, the character's physical movements often revealed whether he was the hero or the villain. Dialogue was held to a minimum. The excitement came from the action, many times through stock situations. The plots were straightforward in their pursuit of action fare. Psychology was usually uncomplicated to the point of being nonexistent. The scenes were also stock situations, and were about the same for each western. It did not really matter to audiences because the things that held their attention were the personalities of the players themselves. While the Roy Rogers's, Johnny Mack Browns, Gene Autrys and John Waynes were grinding out pictures at a prodigious rate, the character actors (the Gabby Hayes's, Walter Brennans, and Andy Devines) and bit players were involved in dozens of films each year.

The lives of the various players represent a study in contrasts. Some embody the rags-to-riches-to-lost-fame them so often observed in the lives of Hollywood residents. Some were semi-literate, while others earned academic degrees. Some retained their wealth and popularity, while still others retained neither.

A representative group of actors who played heroes, heavies, sidekicks, Indians, and assorted types are included in the investigation. Actors who specialized in portraying everything from ranchers, bankers, ministers, newspaper editors, and gamblers to the idolized heroes appear in the book. For some, the brief biography or still photography (and there are approximately 500) is all that remains as a remembrance of their often lengthy careers.

The life story of many former "B" western players is quite indicative of the "shoot-ride-fight" genre they worked in. They enjoyed their work tremendously, did not take themselves too seriously, and nearly always felt that they were a part of a unique and entertaining contribution to the history of the American film.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Arthur F. McClure is the author of The Truman Administration and the Problems of Postwar Labor and The Versatile, with Alfred E. Twomey, He is also the editor of the anthology The Movies: An American Idiom. Ken Jones together with McClure and Twomey are the authors of The Films of James Stewart.

Intact dust jacket with some shelf wear and minor tearing. Intact interior with no markings. ISBN not available as the book predates the system.

Publication date: 1972

Publisher: Barns (UK)

Dimensions: 9x11x1 inches

Weight: 3 lbs