Western Roundup: Western Film Book Library – Part 2

Western Film Book Library – Part 2

Last summer I shared a few of the favorite books on Westerns in my library.  Some of the books I wrote about encouraged my love of Westerns from an early age, while other titles were fairly recent.

At the time I promised there would be a “Part 2,” and here it is, just in time for Christmas shopping for the Western film fans on your list…or perhaps for yourself!

While I’ve owned some of the older titles on this list for decades, I was able to track others down thanks to used book dealers.  The more recently described below are easily available online.

Last time I around I mentioned the influence of The Western Films of John Ford by J.A. Place.  Another early Ford book I loved was the simply titled John Ford, by Joseph McBride and Michael Wilmington.  It was originally published in 1974; my paperback dates from the following year.

John Ford by Joseph McBride and Michael Wilmington
John Ford by Joseph McBride and Michael Wilmington

John Ford doesn’t confine itself to Westerns, but it was McBride and Wilmington’s descriptions of films such as Stagecoach and Wagon Master which helped spark my interest in seeing them.  With films considerably less available to me as a kid of the ’70s than they are today, very often my first acquaintance with many movies was through the written word, rather than on the screen.  The positive aspect of this was that my combined reading and watching made for many especially rich viewing experiences.

Last year I had the thrill of meeting Joseph McBride and having him sign my copy of this book, over 40 years after I first read it!

Another important early read for me was John Wayne and the Movies by Allen Eyles; my copy dates from 1976.

John Wayne and The Movies by Allen Eyles
John Wayne and The Movies by Allen Eyles

This book has well-chosen photos and in some cases more extensive analysis than a comparable book in Citadel’s The Films of… series of the same era.  I remember reading about Angel and the Badman (1947) and thinking it sounded wonderful — and indeed, it would eventually become one of my favorite Wayne movies!

Filming the West of Zane Grey was a find a couple of years ago in the gift shop of the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine, California.  It’s by the esteemed historian Ed Hulse, who often appears at the Lone Pine Film Festival, and was published by the museum in 2007.

Filming the West of Zayne Grey by Ed Hulse
Filming the West of Zayne Grey by Ed Hulse

I’ve found this book an invaluable resource, as so many Zane Grey stories were made and remade over many decades, beginning in the silent era.  The stories were often re-filmed under the same name — for instance, The Border Legion was filmed in 1918, 1924, and 1940 — so the book has helped enormously in my understanding of the history of each title.  Some of the entries are fairly short, while others discuss the film more extensively; all entries feature cast and other production information.  The book also features excellent illustrations!

Hopalong Cassidy: On the Page, On the Screen by Francis M. Nevins was a Christmas gift for my husband a couple of years ago, but with my growing interest in the topic I’ve been turning to it frequently myself!

Hopalong Cassidy on The Page and on The Screen by Francis M. Nevins
Hopalong Cassidy on The Page and on The Screen by Francis M. Nevins

Hopalong Cassidy was originally published in 2008; our copy is a 2016 reprint from the Museum of Western Film History.  It’s a thick, heavy softcover, over 500 pages in length.  The book delves into the history of Hopalong Cassidy creator Clarence Mulford and the Hoppy books before turning to the series’ long history in movies and television.  The author offers both production history and critical insights in the first half of the book; the second section of the book consists of individual entries for each film.  There are also useful appendixes including “Hopalong Cassidy on Radio” and “Hopalong Cassidy Television.”

My favorite section is a chapter in which various Western experts, including Ed Hulse and Boyd Magers, each describe their Top 10 favorite Hoppy titles.  It just doesn’t get any better for me than experts who love the genre and the series writing at some length about what makes some of these films their favorites.

Tim Holt by David Rothel was originally published in 1994.  It recent years it has been republished in softcover.

Tim Holt by David Rothel
Tim Holt by David Rothel

This book on the beloved “B” Western star has nearly 300 glossy pages filled with family photos, an extensive look at his films, and interviews with family and colleagues including his sister, actress Jennifer Holt, and several costars including Richard Martin and Nan Leslie, who discusses her romance with Tim

The end of the book has reprints of comic book covers and movie magazine articles, which are great fun for a fan who wasn’t around at the time the articles originally appeared!

Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy was written in 2002 by Douglas B. Green, also known as “Ranger Doug” in the Western singing group Riders in the Sky.

Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy by Douglas B. Green
Singing in the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy by Douglas B. Green

The book has nearly 400 glossy pages chronicling Western music, including its history on radio and then extensively discussing singing cowboys on film. Single chapters are devoted to the biggest stars, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, but there’s also a good deal of information on Tex Ritter, Dick Foran, Ray Whitley, and more.

It’s a densely written “deep dive” into the subject which is invaluable to those who are interested in the topic, and it’s also got great photos.

Each year the Museum of Western Film History publishes an annual, originally titled Lone Pine in the Movies; more recent editions are titled Lone Pine and the Movies.

Lone Pine and The Movies
Lone Pine and The Movies

These books are available at Amazon and are well worth the investment.  Historians such as Ed Hulse, Richard Bann, and many more cover a wide variety of topics, with a special (though not exclusive) emphasis on Westerns filmed in Lone Pine.

Subject matter of the last few years includes “Tim Holt: RKO Star Goes to Lone Pine,” “On the Oregon Trail: Tracking the Lost John Wayne Film,” “George Sherman: The Republic Years,” “The Real McCoy: U.S. Military History According to Tim McCoy‘s Movies,” and “Lovely Ladies of Lone Pine: Grace Bradley Boyd.” 

The annuals are both enjoyable reads and valuable history; I look forward to picking up the latest publication each year at the Lone Pine Film Festival, and this year I made a special effort to collect all the back issues missing from my collection!

This is such a rich topic that I may well return to it again in the future.  As always, additional suggestions in the comments are most welcome.

– Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub

Laura can be found at her blog, Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, where she’s been writing about movies since 2005, and on Twitter at @LaurasMiscMovie. A lifelong film fan, Laura loves the classics including Disney, Film Noir, Musicals, and Westerns.  She regularly covers Southern California classic film festivals.  Laura will scribe on all things western at the ‘Western RoundUp’ for CMH.

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18 Responses to Western Roundup: Western Film Book Library – Part 2

  1. M.T. Fisher says:

    Ever read “Head `Em Off At the Pass! 94 Westerns You Should Watch”?

  2. Laura Grieve says:

    Thanks, M.T., I put that book on my list when you recommended it last summer! I look forward to catching up with it as soon as time and budget permit. 🙂

    Best wishes,
    Laura

  3. Jerry Entract says:

    Books on the movies, and perhaps westerns in prticular, are very important to me and have been my whole life.
    Those books you mention – Allen Eyles book on John Wayne’s movies, Francis Nevins book on Hoppy and David Rothel’s book on Tim Holt – happily I have them all and fine books they are too.
    Since your Part 1 appeared, Laura, I received (at my request!!) for my recent birthday the two volumes by Brit, Barry Atkinson – “Six-Gun Law” from your recommendation. I have now read Volume 1 and found it an excellent read. Possibly Volume 2 will be even more fun, simply because the subjects chosen have been less documented elsewhere.

  4. Laura Grieve says:

    Jerry, I answered this a few days ago but apparently it didn’t post. I was delighted to know that you have enjoyed some of the same books as I have, including that good “oldie” on Wayne’s films.

    I’m so happy to know that you received the Atkinson books after reading about them here last summer, and more importantly that you enjoyed the first one! Perhaps others will check them out as well. Thanks for adding your endorsement!

    Best wishes,
    Laura

  5. Toby Roan says:

    I LOVE that Tim Holt book. I’ve flipped through that thing a million times.

    One I’d recommend is Three Bad Men by Scott Allen Mollen — about John Ford, John Wayne and Ward Bond. He uses Bond as the backbone for the book and it works like a charm.

    Then there’s a book about One-Eyed Jacks that I’ve heard is pretty good!

  6. Laura Grieve says:

    Toby, so glad you love the Holt book too. It’s really special, especially as there hasn’t been a great deal written about a star loved by so many of us.

    Like you I enjoyed THREE BAD MEN. I appreciated the primary source research with Bond’s letters, etc.

    And yes, that book about ONE-EYED JACKS by somebody named…Toby Roan!…is a must too! 🙂

    Best wishes,
    Laura

  7. Sara Stewart says:

    So many wonderful books to add to my library, the photos are incredible!

  8. Kellee says:

    Laura, you’re always a fabulous resource for great books! Treasure trove here!

  9. Toni Ruberto says:

    Laura,
    I really enjoyed this book roundup – especially the nuggets like the Zane Grey movie being remade multiple times. My dad is a big fan of Westerns and John Wayne. I think he would enjoy having the Wayne book by his chair to flip through while he’s watching The Duke on TV!

  10. Laura Grieve says:

    Thank you, Sara and Kellee! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

    Thank you also, Toni! I bet your dad would really enjoy that Wayne book if you can track down a copy. 🙂

    Best wishes to all,
    Laura

  11. Pingback: Western RoundUp: Western Film Book Library – Part 3 | Classic Movie Hub Blog

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  13. Bob Slate says:

    Dear Laura, I have all of David Rothel’s Books except the New Revised Copies!I used to have David Rothel’s e-mail address, but I moved a few times and misplaced it! I want him to autograph a book for me! Would you happen to have his e-mail address, please? Thank you!All of his books are great! I have all of them except two! He was the first writer on The Lone Ranger just a little before Dave Holland’s Book,” From Out Of The Past…..!”They are both great books!Also, his first book on Western Movie Locations:An Ambush Of Ghosts!”I used it when I visited Republic Studios and several Western Film locations! His books are a must!

  14. Laura Grieve says:

    Hi Bob,

    Thank you so much for your comment! I’m glad to know that you have enjoyed David Rothel’s books as well. I don’t have his Western movie locations book, and you are inspiring me to hunt down a copy soon.

    I don’t have David’s current email address. He has appeared at the Lone Pine Film Festival in the past; I wonder if you contacted the Museum of Western Film History if they might be willing to pass your email on to him. The museum is at:

    lpinfo@lpmuseum.org

    Best wishes,
    Laura

  15. Pingback: Western RoundUp: Western Film Book Library – Part 5 | Classic Movie Hub Blog

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