Date
Western Television Shows Thesis Essay
The western is a genre of television shows and films. The genre is a definition of the American film industry. The genre forms up one of the oldest and flexible genres that have long endured as far as the culture of the Americans is concerned. The western also forms one of the most mythic origins that characterize the American genres. The ancient American art mostly focuses on the frontier west that dates its existence in North America. The American frontier sets is captured in the westerns during the period of the 19th century following the time when the Civil War took place. Romantic and rugged terrains in the rural areas characterized the geographical western setting. Sometimes, the Westerns date back to the period of America’s colonial period to the mid-20th century. As a backdrop, a some of the westerns use the Civil War, the Mexican revolution of 1910 or even the Battle of Alamo that took place in 1836(Browne, Ray and Pat ,167) .
The stories in these films and shows are primarily set during the late 1800’s in the American Old West, in Mexico and Western Canada. Hundreds of western shows were aired. When television saw its boom in the early years of the 1940’s and 50’s, people from the western became the first populace and formed a favorite audience at those times. On the 24th of June, 1949, the first western show called the Hopalong Cassidy Show was aired.
The western film genre mostly portrays the conquest of the wilderness and how nature subordinated in the name of civilization. The way territorial rights were taken away from the original inhabitants of the frontier is also depicted in the genres in one way or another. Specific settings characterize the western genres. These include: forts that were lonely isolated, ranch houses, jails, main streets in small towns, small frontier towns, lonely homesteads with no people living in them, and even livery stables settings. The edges of civilization are fully and clearly depicted in these different settings. The sites of the Native Americans or villages are also included in the settings of these genres.
Iconic elements also characterize the western television genres. These elements include: hanging trees, lassos, colts, saddles, people who were gamblers, women who were prostitutes, drives of cattle, buckskins, canteens among others. In many instances in the shows, the character acting the position of the cowboy is seen having a favorite horse in his life. For example; the Silver belonged to Lone Ranger, Onto for Scout, Trigger for Roy Rogers, and Champion for Gene Autry and the Topper for William Boyd among others.
The Western television shows and films have also been renamed the horse opera, the cowboy picture or the oater. The western genre has had a lot of importance in that it has portrayed the past of America. They are famous in that they glorify the past-fading values of the past, the aspirations held by the mythical age of the west that is by-gone today. Over a long period of time, the western have changed a lot (Hoffmann, 87).They have been subjected to re-inventions, expansion, others have been dismissed, others have gone under re-discoveries and others spoofed. The late 60’s and early 70’s saw revisionist westerns come up to question on the themes and traditional elements that appeared in the westerns. For example the 1992 Unforgiven by Clint Eastwood, the Little Big Man of 1970 by Arthur Penn, the 1969 Wild Bunch by Sam Peckinpah among others.
The western television shows usually indicate how life was so tough for the frontier families who lived in the American Old West. Life at those times for the frontier families was characterized by conflicts such as between the natives and indigenous settlers of the U.S Calvary. The conflicts also involved the farmers. The shows also depict the ranchers who were facing the coming of the industrial revolution which took place in those times. Popular television shows during those times included: The Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Alive, Guns make, The Roy Rogers Show and The Lone Rangers. Popular stars of these television shows included: Gene Barry, Jim Bannon, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Don “Red” Barry.
In the modern world today, the western shows still exist. Although they are not that popular 60 years later since they were produced, some of the western television shows and films still do go on. For example, television shows such as Vegas, Hell on Wheels and Longmire still do exist even today. However, the current world of television shows and films is characterized by more close focus on drama. The current actors in today’s shows are not as great with comparison to the actors who took active roles on the older westerns(Pitts, 132).
Over the years, many western television films and shows have been produced, gaining a lot of fame among its viewers, and especially the period between the 50’s and 60’s. The year 1959 saw it become the peak year for most of the television shows produced in the United States. Most of the shows produced in this period were highly rated and were the best shows being watched. They were rated among the top twenty most watched and thrilling shows among the film audience.
Apreview of some major western television shows
The High Chaparral
This television shows was broadcasted between 1967-1971. This television show was so captivating in that it invited its viewers to share in the life and adventures of the Cannon family as it worked and played on its ranch in the Arizona during the period of 1870’s. The key characters in this television show are John, Victoria, Blue, Buck and Manolito. The shows show how these characters tried to survive the dangers that were encountered in the Wild West. They tried to protect and maintain the property they owned against those people who wanted to separate them form what was theirs.
Alias Smith and Jones
This television shows was broadcasted between 1971 and 1973.At first, this television show had Pete Duel and Ben Murphy as the star characters. However, Pete Duel saw his demise following a gunshot wound that was self-inflicted. The character that came for his replacement in the show did not manage to capture fully the magic that existed between the two initial characters that had a bounty on their heads.
Bonanza television show
This television show was broadcasted between 1959 and 1973. Bonanza television show reigned as one of the westerns that were aired on television shows. It became famous among many people. The film showed the adventures went through by the Cartwright family.Ben Cartwright headed this family.
Lancer television show
This western television shows was broadcasted in the period between 1968 and 1970. It was one of the best of the television westerns. It has also of comparison to the Bonanza. It was a well written show that won its own merits for being well written and action packed, thus attracting a lot of viewers to the show. The comparison of the Lancer and the Bonanza shows emanates from the fact that the two shows have similar characters. This can be evidenced from the patriarch and his sons managing a ranch and having full protection of their property. These characters are the Murdoch Lancer and his two sons named Johnny and Scott. Although this television show was short lived, it evoked images of action and adventure in the Wild West.
The Rawhide television show
The show was broadcasted in the period between 1959 and 1965. The show captures the adventures of a group of cowboys in a cattle drive. It also captures people who these cowboys met and the problems they tried to tackle as they encountered them. The show introduced Clint Eastwood to the public image thus steering his way to become a movie star well known today.
The plots of the western television shows and films
The western television shows can be identified by the central plot they employ. They are characterized by the classic and the simple ultimate goal aimed at ensuring that law and order is maintained at the frontier. All fast-paced action stories had these plots. They formed the key central and common plot form for most of the western films and shows. Archetypical conflict is mostly rooted in these westerns. The plot exists on two sides. For example: the good versus the bad, new arrivals versus the native Americans, white versus black, evil versus virtue, humanity versus nature, the settlers versus the Indians, the ideology of civilization in comparison with wilderness, villains versus heroes, the existence of social setting order in comparison with order, rugged personalities versus the community, farmers versus industrialist among other comparisons (Pitts, 98). Often on most of the films and shows, the hero who comes from the westerns meets his opposite replica of his own evil from the side that he has to destroy.
The western films and shows are also characterized by typical elements in almost all of them. These include: hostile elements, guns and gun fights,violence,trains,bank robberies, massacres of human beings, holdups, runaways coaches, serious shoot outs and show downs, cattle rustling and drives, plots based on search and destroy, western clothing that is unique, settings on breathtaking, among other elements.
The western films and shows also build heroes in their plots. Most of these heroes in the shows are the local lawmen, enforcement officers, army officers, cowboys, gunfighters, ranchers or even territorial marshals. The heroes in these shows are depicted as masculine persons who have high integrity and principles. They are usually courageous people who have high morals, tough, solid and self-sustaining. They are also shown as people who have a lot of trust, possessing independent and honorable attitudes among the community members (Walker, 340). The western hero in most of the shows is so much powerful in that they can stand alone and face any danger on their own, against the lawlessness forces thus displaying expertise of their physical skills. They display physical skills in horse-handling, gun playing and even pioneering abilities.
Subgenres of the western shows and films
The traditional western has many subgenres. These include:The epic western that has The big Country of 1958; The singing cowboy western includes the films of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers; the science-fiction, also called the space western. This is The Outland of 1981; the post-apocalyptic western that comprises ofThe Postman made in 1997, The Road Warrior of 1981-2 and the Mad Max;The revisionistic western i.e. The Little Big Man made in 1970 and Dances with Wolvesproduced in 1990; the contemporary western, comprising of is The Hud made in 1963; The comedy western, i.e. Cat Ballou of 1965 and the Blazing Saddles of 1974; The noir western, i.e. Pursed of 1947(Hoffmann, 156).
Influences of the shows and films on the Western
In most of the ways, the cowboy from the Old West was the American version of the samurai warrior of the Japanese. He was also the version of the Arthurian knight of the medieval times. This leads us to the fact that the westerns were greatly inspired by samurai and the legends from the Arthurian. For example; The Seven Samurai of 1954 by Kurosawa was renamed as The Magnificent Seven of 1960 by John Sturges; the Yojimbo of 1964 by Kurosawa became the prototype for A Fistful of Dollars of 1964 by Clint Eastwood and the Shane of 1953 got a lot of inspirations from the Le Mort Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. All these films were bound together by the legal code of behavior in them, displayed high ethics, justice, courageous scenarios, honor and chivalry(Walker, 340).
Silent Westerners
The western prides itself as the first film genres. It grew alongside the development of the studio production system in Hollywood. Silent westerners were few but great. The silent western films did not have the sounds of gunfire, hoof beats of horses and even cattle trails. The early times westerns are the gems of the history of the Americans. The conventions of typical westerns included; good people versus bad people, cases of robbery or wrong doing, pursuits and a finals shutdown. All these essential elements were formulated in a natural setting.
The First Western Super-Star
William S.Hart was the first renowned western super-star of the Silent Era. He lived between 1870-1946. He was Shakespearean actor .this superstar was discovered and brought to prominent stardom in N.Y. Motion Company of pictures by Ince. William Hart took both roles of an actor and a director. This was after he moved to Hollywood. His was often depicted as a ‘good bad’ man while on the screen. Hart became one of the greatest and famous western heroes in the mid-1910s following his expertise in motion pictures. His stardom shone till he released his last film in the year 1925. His legacy in the films shows is still remembered.
Works cited
Browne, Ray B, and Pat Browne. The Guide To United States Popular Culture. 1st ed. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 2001. Print.
Hoffmann, Henryk. Western Movie References In American Literature. 1st ed. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., Publishers, 2012. Print.
Pitts, Michael R. Western Movies. 1st ed. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2013. Print.
Walker, Sally J. Screenwriting Secrets In Genre Film. 1st ed. [San Francisco]: The Fiction Works, 2012. Print.
