User Reviews

... possibly because the "Old West" was still around when film companies moved to California in the 1910s, and even by the 1920s memories of it were still clear.

Originally, with film companies based in the east, a background of a western landscape would be constructed and the Western would play out in confined quarters. When the film companies moved to California to escape Edison and to find a place where they could shoot outdoors year round they discovered that the actual cowboys were still around. So many of them - able to rope, shoot, and ride - populated those early westerns with actual ranch hand work drying up.

The episode of course talks about the well known western silent stars - W. S. Hart, Tom Nix, and Harry Carey. But they also talk about how reality would sometimes merge with art. The episode discusses Al Jennings who was first an attorney, then an outlaw, and finally a Western filmmaker. His story is involved so I will point you in the direction of Wikipedia. He lived to be 98, dying in 1961.

Much time is devoted to the making of "The Covered Wagon" in 1923, by director James Cruze. This was a real project of passion for Cruze. He used ordinary westerners for extras, recruited actual Conestoga wagons that were heirlooms in the families that still had them, and blew his budget wide open, but it remains a great epic. This is as close to the definitive documentary on the making of that film you are probably ever going to see, although the film is available on physical media.

Ultimately, the silent Westerns remain truly authentic, because you had actual cowboys and even a few outlaws participating, and the west STILL looked like the old west - even In California - all through the silent period. The coming of sound caused the Western to be unable to be made for a couple of years due to the fact that sound films could not be shot outdoors.

What is missing from this episode? Some of the western stars who didn't make the jump to sound and why. They didn't even have work from 1928 to 1930 when outdoor camera technology improved. Some western stars were illiterate (Jack Hoxie). And then there are those where we wonder - What might have been? That includes Fred Thomson, husband of famous screenwriter Frances Marion, who died of tetanus on Christmas day 1928. He was as big of a Western star as Tom Nix during the 20s, and he died at the very end of the silent era. Would he have made the transition? Had he not, what would he have done instead? This entire paragraph consists of my own thoughts, unexplored by this episode, but I'll give it a break because there is less than an hour to tell the tale of an entire genre.

Hollywood: Out West (1980)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

This is a pretty unique entry in the documentary. I'm sure most people will know that the Western genre has always been one of the most popular and this was certainly true in the silent era. This film covers various cowboys ranging from Tom Mix to William S. Hart but it also tells an interesting story of real cowboys who found themselves out of work as the Old West began to fade away so many of them went to Hollywood looking for jobs. Once in Hollywood they'd find themselves working as extras or at least hired hands to help out with stunts and making sure things were authentic. I think the documentary makes an interesting connection in the fact that the Old West really was fading away as movies were coming into play so those longing for such a thing would have to see it in the movies. There's a funny bit about the real cowboys really enjoying Hart's films and there's an even better story told about how Hollywood bars were torn apart by these cowboys coming in and destroying things in their drunken brawls. As usual, we get all sorts of clips from the various Westerns and once again they'll really give you a burning desire to try and track down some yet it's sad to sad that 30-years after the release of this movie we still have many of them sitting in vaults unreleased. Yakima Canutt, stuntman Harvey Parry, Tim McCoy and the one and only John Wayne are interviewed here and all add nice stories. We even get mention of a few of the early John Ford silents including THE IRON HORSE.

"Out West" is another excellent installment of the David Gill/Kevin Brownlow series on American silent films, "Hollywood". It's definitely the best and most comprehensive look at these early films and sometimes pays homage to the unsung genres and filmmakers--such as stunt-men, cameramen as well as, in this case, the western. And, as is the case with the other dozen episodes, this one is very interesting and well worth seeing.

I thought the most interesting thing about the show was its reminding us that the early westerns were made DURING the latter portion of the 'old west'. In other words, many of the folks watching and making these films were real pioneers and cowboys. The stories of these cowboys (such as Tom Mix) were pretty exciting to hear as well as the fake cowboys like William S. Hart and Harry Carey who, although born back East, were very influential in creating the myths of the West we believe today. All in all, very interesting and a nice chance to hear from a few of the old stars (such as one of my favorites, Colonel Tim McCoy).

By the way, back in 1980 they didn't know it but Iron Eyes Cody (who was interviewed for the episode) was not a real American Indian but an Italian who faked his Italian heritage. He was so convincing that in the very famous American commercial with the crying Indian (from about 1970), Cody was chosen to play this iconic character.

Realizing the impossibility of doing justice to silent western movies and stars in less than hour, the ninth episode in the Brownlow-Gill documentary "Hollywood" wisely focuses on a handful of western stars and three epic films. Entitled "Out West," the excellent episode opens with the crudely painted backdrops used in westerns shown at the early nickelodeons. The film industry was rooted in the East, and any location trip to shoot out West would have taken longer than making an entire film.

Fortunately, the film industry went west, where the landscapes and atmosphere of the Old West lingered. Genuine out-of-work cowboys found work in western films, and the shootings, drinking, and shenanigans depicted on screen spilled over into the off hours. D.W. Griffith's "The Massacre," made in 1912 with Blanche Sweet, was among the early westerns filmed on authentic locations. The episode's first half is devoted to a small group of western stars, among them, a genuine cowboy, Tom Mix, who could handle horse, ride well, and shoot skillfully. Mix, who also directed, was the most popular of silent western stars. A man who enjoyed a flamboyant lifestyle, Mix is remembered fondly by John Wayne in a filmed interview. Another real cowboy and outlaw as well, Al Jennings had robbed banks and trains and was imprisoned several times for his crimes; however, Jennings eventually went straight, and he used his experiences when acting and directing early westerns. With little financial backing, Jennings did not romanticize the West, but shot such films as "The Lady of the Dug Out" in 1918 on the streets of real western towns. His films showed the West as it really was and depicted the hardships and primitive living conditions in sod houses as they had been. Other Western stars profiled include the strong, silent, stoic William S. Hart, an iconic western hero who starred in such films as "Hell's Hinges" in 1916. Like Hart, another non-cowboy who loved the West, Harry Carey, teamed with director John Ford on his early Westerns; his widow, Olive Carey, and John Wayne reminisce about Carey's life and work, and Wayne talks of his silent homage to Carey in the final shot of "The Searchers."

The second half of the episode focuses on three big-budget western epics. Jesse Lasky, Jr, talks about his father, who wanted to film his grandfather's experiences crossing the plains by covered wagon in 1848. Lasky's dream was realized in the 1923 film, "The Covered Wagon," which was directed by James Cruze. With Lasky's financial backing, the film transformed the previously low-budget westerns into big-budget spectacles. Cameraman Karl Brown and star Lois Wilson provide background to the film's production, which employed 500 Native Americans and used genuine Conastoga wagons, which had been kept as heirlooms by descendants of the original pioneers. Influenced by the Cruze film, John Ford made "The Iron Horse" the following year; the film depicted the building of the transcontinental railroad, and a few of the original Chinese workers who built the actual transcontinental railroad worked on the film. Prop man Byron Haskin recounts the hardships of filming and the Wild-West atmosphere that prevailed on the set both during and after shooting. Among the last silent western epics was Henry King's "The Winning of Barbara Worth;" made in 1926, the film dealt with the reclamation of California's Imperial Valley and climaxed with a spectacular dam bursting and flood. Director Henry King's interview adds background and color to the production details.

The ninth segment of the 13-part documentary on silent film realizes its time limitations and pares the scope to significant actors and films, rather the broad-brush approach that marred the previous episode about comedy. With the priceless interviews, profiles of some lesser-known personages, and generous clips and background on three important western films, "Out West" ranks among the best entries in the groundbreaking series.