1920s epic western film
1920s Hollywood
A01=Patrick Adamson
American media culture
Author_Patrick Adamson
Category=NHK
Category=WQH
cinema history
early 20th century United States
epic westerns
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
film genre
film history
film production
film reception
mythmaking
silent western films
silent westerns
the American West
the West
western films
Western history
Product details
- ISBN 9780806196077
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 14 Oct 2025
- Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
Secure
checkout
Fast Shipping
Easy returns
In the mid- 1920s, the heyday of silent film, the epic Western swept Hollywood and the nation. Movie moguls sought to add gravitas to their output with the productions - films they argued offered American audiences authentic history and lessons in citizenship at a time when Hollywood faced criticism for its movies' morals and star scandals. Initially extremely popular, these now nearly forgotten Westerns were hailed by the movie industry's proponents and critics alike for their 'authentic' reconstruction of America's nineteenth-century frontier period and the social benefits in portraying historical episodes foundational to American identity to the melting pot of moviegoers. In Projecting America, the first-ever book on these silent epic Westerns, Patrick Adamson demonstrates how these films indelibly impacted the genre, historical filmmaking, and Hollywood, inviting audiences to accept uncritical visions of Manifest Destiny as accurate history.
Drawing on a wealth of primary sources and punctuating his argument with film stills and intertitles, Adamson introduces readers to a variety of epic Westerns, with a particular emphasis on The Covered Wagon (1923), The Iron Horse (1924), and The Vanishing American (1925). These productions depict such key moments as pioneers on the Oregon Trail, the construction of the transcontinental railroad, and challenges faced by Indigenous peoples. Combining close analysis of these films' historiography with exploration of their production and reception, Adamson investigates how the epic Westerns' emergence responded to and informed discourses far beyond those traditionally associated with the Western genre. He demonstrates that these movies not only represent an important chapter in film history but also collectively illustrate how American identity was formed and the motion picture medium was used as a vehicle for mass historical and cultural education.
In Projecting America, Adamson deftly shows how epic Westerns, at the heart of the 1920s' pressing debates about cinema's social influence, are integral to a broader understanding of the history of Western films and American identity.
Drawing on a wealth of primary sources and punctuating his argument with film stills and intertitles, Adamson introduces readers to a variety of epic Westerns, with a particular emphasis on The Covered Wagon (1923), The Iron Horse (1924), and The Vanishing American (1925). These productions depict such key moments as pioneers on the Oregon Trail, the construction of the transcontinental railroad, and challenges faced by Indigenous peoples. Combining close analysis of these films' historiography with exploration of their production and reception, Adamson investigates how the epic Westerns' emergence responded to and informed discourses far beyond those traditionally associated with the Western genre. He demonstrates that these movies not only represent an important chapter in film history but also collectively illustrate how American identity was formed and the motion picture medium was used as a vehicle for mass historical and cultural education.
In Projecting America, Adamson deftly shows how epic Westerns, at the heart of the 1920s' pressing debates about cinema's social influence, are integral to a broader understanding of the history of Western films and American identity.
Patrick Adamson is Associate Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of St Andrews.
