This course explores the development of the Western throughout the 1940s and 1950s and how this film genre provides insights into American culture and the American experience. As one of the first genres of silent film, the Western became the most popular among U.S. audiences from the 1930s through the 1950s, reinventing itself as Hollywood responded to the expectations of viewers. Since the 1970s, revisionist Westerns have questioned the thematic concerns and conventions of what has come to be considered the genre’s traditional or classic formatting.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be conversant with presentations of the American character, Native Americans, and the American frontier in Hollywood Westerns of the 1940s and 1950s.
Target Audience: This course is suitable for senior high school students, university students, and life-long learners who enjoy Westerns and wish to know more about American film, history, and culture.
Course is offered by University College of the North.