The Golden Age of Westerns
For better or worse, Hollywood created an image of the Wild West that has permeated the American culture. It captured, in moving film, a way of life that is gone forever. It produced superheroes, the likes of which we'll never see again. For the generations raised on the old Hollywood Westerns, these movies were more than entertainment--there were life lessons to be learned. Good always triumphs over evil. The strong always protect the weak. The man always saves the women and children. Boys don't hit girls or kiss girls that aren't their wives. Real men say "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir". Real men don't smoke, drink, or swear. Dogs really are man's best friend. Never steal a horse or kidnap the hero's girl. Don't drink from the poisoned waterhole in the desert. And never count on the bad guy's gun only shooting six bullets.
"If you want to believe in something, then believe in it. Just because something isn't true, there's no reason you can't believe in it . . . Sometimes, the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good. That honor, courage and virtue mean everything. That power and money, money and power mean nothing. That good always triumphs over evil. And I want you to remember this, that love--true love--never dies." Although, this is a scene from Secondhand Lions (2003) with Robert Duvall, we believe that the old cowboys would have echoed "Amen".
Did you ever wonder why the good guy wears white and the bad guy wears black? Simple. Easier for us to tell them apart. And I've been asked to make it clear that Western Cowboy songs have absolutely nothing to do with Country-Western music. Now, get out there and watch a good movie, but don't reach for the sky while you're holding the popcorn!
(Faces in the filmstrip: John Wayne, Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, "Little Joe" Cartwright, Tex Ritter.)
Did You Know . . .
. . . that the bad guy is called the "heavy"?
. . . that the Trigger in "Son of Paleface" is not the Trigger from all of Roy's movies and TV shows? It was Roy's horse, Little Trigger, who was younger and knew more tricks than the real Trigger.
. . . that the "Hi-yo, Silver!" shout at the beginning of each TV episode is not Clayton Moore? It was a recording of Earl Graser, the Lone Ranger on the radio shows.
. . . that "Silvercup Bread" was the original Lone Ranger sponser? That's the reason that the Lone Ranger uses silver bullets and has a horse named Silver.
. . . during WWII, Gene Autry joined the Army and was the only US officer allowed to wear cowboy boots with his uniform?
. . . that Roy Rogers' horse, Trigger, appeared in a movie without Roy? Before he belonged to Roy, he was Maid Marian's steed in "The Adventures of Robin Hood".
. . . that parts of "The Roy Rogers Show" were filmed on Roy and Dale's ranch in California?
. . . that "Gunsmoke" is still the longest-running TV series ever, with 20 seasons and 633 episodes?
. . . that famous cowboy sidekick, Gabby Hayes, did not learn to ride a horse until he was 50 years old?
. . . that the song, "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", was writen by Bob Nolan? Bob was the leader of "The Sons of the Pioneers".
