MUST SEE, MUST READ
PRINT THE LEGEND: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN FORD
(1999, by Scott Eyman): John Ford was among the greatest directors—if not the greatest—in American cinema, and this biography is the hands-down finest on the man and his films. In a narrative spanning Ford’s beginnings in the silent era to his last film in 1966, Scott Eyman details an artist who hid behind a cantankerous personality to create movies that have stood the test of time.
BOOKS
The War, the West and the Wilderness (1979, by Kevin Brownlow): Renowned film historian Kevin Brownlow writes about the era of silent Westerns (the West portion of the book) with his usual craftsmanship. The result is an absorbing, informative look at the movies that laid the foundation for the genre in the approaching sound era.
The Hollywood Posse: The Story of the Gallant Band of Horsemen Who Made Movie History (1996, by Diana Serra Carey): Diana Serra Carey relates the story of the actual cowboys who found lucrative work roping and riding in the Westerns, from B-movies to Hollywood classics. It’s a funny, insightful and at times sad read about real men in a make-believe world.
Stagecoach to Tombstone: The Filmgoers’ Guide to the Great Westerns (2008, by Howard Hughes): Howard Hughes (no, not that one) reviews several classic Westerns, including Stagecoach, Red River, Johnny Guitar, Rio Bravo, The Man From Laramie, Ulzana’s Raid (which he deems an underappreciated film), Ride the High Country, Unforgiven and Tombstone.
