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T h e F il m m a k e r a s L o n e R id e r : J a m e s B e n n in g ’s “W e s t e r n s ” S c o t t M a c D o n a l d By t h e 1 9 5 0 s, t h e fa m ily a u t o m o b ile a n d t h e n a t io n a l h igh w a y sy s­ t e m w e r e m a k in g t h e W e st sim u lt a n e o u sly m o r e a c c e ssib le a n d le ss im a g in a t iv e ly p o t e n t fo r A m e r ic a n s, a n d d u r in g t h e fo llo w in g d e c a d e s, t h e fa d in g m y st iq u e w as r e fle c t e d in t h e p o p u la r it y o f t h e film s a b o u t t h e d e m ise o f t h e O ld W e st , b o t h h ist o r ic a lly a n d m y t h ic a lly . W h ile so m e film s fo c u se d o n t h e la st W e st e r n h e r o e s— T h e M a n W h o Sh o t L ib erty V alan c e (1 9 6 2 ), T h e W ild B u n ch (1 9 6 9 ), B u t c h C assid y an d the S u n d an c e K id (1 9 6 9 )— o t h e r s, lik e Little B ig M an (1 9 7 0 ) a n d M c C ab e an d M r s. M ille r (1 9 7 1 ), d e b u n k e d t h e t r a d it io n a l W e st e r n m y t h s. In m o r e r e c e n t d e c a d e s t h e p o p u la r a p p e a l o f t h e t r a d it io n a l W e st e r n h a s d issip a t e d , a n d w e a r e le ft w it h r e la t iv e ly in fr e q u e n t in st a n c e s o f n o s­ t a lg ia fo r t h e g e n r e — D an c e s w ith W olv es (1 9 9 0 ) a n d U n fo rgiv e n (1 9 9 2 ), m o st n o t a b ly — a n d w it h film s fo c u sin g o n p r o t a g o n ist s w h o e m u la t e , o r a t le a st e c h o , t r a d it io n a l W e st e r n h e r o e s fr o m w it h in c o n t e m p o r a r y life : E asy R id e r (1 9 6 9 ), T h e Ele ct ric H o r se m an (1 9 7 9 ), T h e lm...

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