Western: the misunderstood “genre”
Stetsons, men on horses, rifles, hollering Indians, and gun battles. Why is it that these elements seem to have created their own genre? Westerns almost invariably take place out in the Wild West … for obvious reasons.
Albeit, there are some very cleverly done exceptions. The innovative “modern Western” comes to mind. Two prime examples of this are Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), starring Spencer Tracy, and Lonely are the Brave (1962), starring Kirk Douglas.
Bad Day at Black Rock
The story is set in a sleepy Western town, but with the modern conveniences of trains and automobiles. In the climax, there’s certainly a gun battle to be had, but there was no need for anything as old-fashioned as horses!
Lonely are the Brave
The opening is marvelous, with Kirk Douglas sweet-talking his uncooperative horse, and riding off across a vast expanse…arriving shortly at a very modernized city, with cars and trucks speeding by on a highway, making the viewer’s brain do a serious double-take.
The story draws you in from there, and it’s a wild, rollicking chase movie that I may explore in-depth in a later article. The point being, it’s well out of the realm of the usual “Western” as we think of it, but let’s dig into this categorical conundrum.
Western, Eastern, Southern, Northern. Okay, so why is only one of these an accepted movie genre? We don’t call George Cukor’s masterpiece Dinner at Eight (1933) an Eastern, simply because it’s about a group of New York socialites! Nor are films such as Cape Fear (1961), Thunder Bay (1953), or The Little Foxes (1941) referred to as Southerns simply because they take place in Georgia, Louisiana, or Alabama, respectively! These last three films I mentioned have absolutely nothing to do with each other, save for being set in a southern state. And not even Hitchcock’s acclaimed North by Northwest has ever been referred to as a Northern, in spite of its title! Cary Grant had more pressing things to worry about while he was climbing down Thomas Jefferson’s nose.
Which brings me back to the main point I’m trying to make. “Western” is merely a setting for a movie, and said “Westerns” can be dramas, thrillers, and comedies, just like any other movie.
To prove this point, here are examples for each of the aforementioned genres.
Duel in the Sun
David Selznick’s star-studded spectacle happened to be set out West. Therefore, it’s a “Western” you might say. Actually, it’s a heated romantic drama, albeit a very ridiculous and overblown one at times.
The film does, however, boast a great cast, with Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotten, Lionel Barrymore, Herbert Marshall, Lillian Gish, and Walter Huston.
Question: How can a movie in which both Lionel Barrymore and Herbert Marshall appear possibly be all bad?
Answer: Lionel Barrymore plays a brute, and poor Herbert Marshall, unlucky in love for the umpteenth time, is hanged in the first fifteen minutes of the film.
It’s certainly not a great film. I don’t know that it’s even a good film! But at the same time, it’s really not a bad film either. It’s an oddity, but it’s still just a romantic drama set out West.
The Stalking Moon
Now this is a good film. It’s a very well-done and highly underrated Gregory Peck feature. It’s not so much a “Western” as it is a thriller. There are long sequences of little to no dialogue, and the story is very suspenseful. Sure, it’s set out West, but it focuses not so much on being a “Western” as it does on capturing the terror of the group of people who are trapped in a remote cabin on a ranch in New Mexico as they are stalked by a killer Apache Indian.
The Bad Man
There are just as many bad “Westerns” as there are bad dramas and bad comedies. This man may be bad, but the film is worse.
It’s an obscure little comedy starring Wallace Beery and Lionel Barrymore, and it is not the best work of either of its stars, to say the least. Thankfully, it’s not a widely known film by any stretch. However, what almost saves it is that it has a script which is, for all intents and purposes, comedic. It doesn’t try to take itself too seriously, and nor do its stars. They treat it as a golden opportunity to ham it up and amuse themselves as well as the audience. And to be frank, hamming it up and having a good old shouting match is what we like to see Lionel Barrymore and Wallace Beery do best! In spite of being little more than a plain old stinker of a movie, it does boast a novel and unforgettable ending. What I would give to know the thoughts going through Lionel’s mind as they shot the end sequence.
Support Your Local Sheriff!
It’s not a terribly great film, nor a prestige production, but Support Your Local Sheriff! is still an amusing and entertaining little picture. James Garner is what makes the movie worthwhile, with his solid and subtly humorous performance.
A fun little comedy with a Western setting, it relies on little more than its stars and their acting ability to get the job done; get the job done it does, with an appeal and finesse that elevate the production.
I doubt it would be widely accepted, at this rather late date in filmmaking, to introduce the terms Eastern, Southern, and Northern. In conclusion, dear reader, there is only one possible resolution to my aforementioned categorical conundrum: the term “Western” must be dropped from the annals of film classification. And if you don’t like it, pardner, on the count of three … draw!
