John Ford's Westerns

William Darby professes English in Detroit. He is also the author of Deconstructing Major League Baseball, 1991–2004 (2006).

“the author explores [Ford’s great] achievement and provides detailed lists of Ford’s themes”—Choice; “worthwhile”—Western Clippings; “enough depth and detail to satisfy even the most devoted Ford fan. Darby brings the tools of a literary critic to bear on the films, exhaustively cataloging and extensively analyzing plot devices, characters, thematic elements, and musical motifs as well as strictly cinematic elements such as framing, camera angles, and pacing. Darby’s analysis is sure-footed...wide-ranging, fine-grained analysis”—Film and History; “a must”—Wrangler’s Roost; “detailed”—Canyon News; “directs our attention to many things we may have forgotten or overlooked...worthy”—Cult Movies; “readable and accessible...a rewarding book”—Past Times.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments     Introduction     1. Ford and the Filming of the West     2. Straight Shooting, The Iron Horse, and Three Bad Men     3. Thematic and Narrative Continuities: Drums Along the Mohawk and How the West Was Won     4. The Horse Soldiers     5. Ford's Western Literary Sources and Their Adaptations     6. Fort Apache and Rio Grande     7. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Sergeant Rutledge     8. My Darling Clementine and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance     9. Wagonmaster and Two Rode Together     10. Three Godfathers and The Searchers     11. Stagecoach and Cheyenne Autumn     Conclusion     Notes     Bibliography     Filmography: Ford's Westerns     Index