John Ford: The Man and His Films by Tag Gallagher (review)

186 Western American Literature democratic, self-sufficient. However, confrontation with the wilderness was not simply a redeeming experience; instead of the New Adam, the frontier could release primitive emotions and Gothic horrors. It was typical of Sealsfield to be sensitive to the shadows as well as the hopes of America and to note dichotomies in all things. Though supposedly Jacksonian in outlook and anxious to escape the social inequities of the Old World, Sealsfield constructed his ideal America from that most aristocratic of institutions, the plantation, where he saw self-made gentlmen-philosophes exercising benevolent domin­ ion over slave kingdoms, with democracy being a privilege enjoyed chiefly by the elite. Schuchalter’s book provides an interesting and intricate guide to Sealsfield ’s frontier and utopia. However, Schuchalter does not really fulfill his secondary goal of placing Sealsfield in the context of his own times. Perhaps the historical aspect of this book would have been enriched had the author gone beyond Schlesinger’s theories and come to grips with more recent Jacksonian scholarship, such as that of Robert Remini. Further, the biograph­ ical chapter of the book is indequate. It is difficult to tell what influences formed Sealsfield’s outlook or even why he fled to the United States, only to return to Europe. A number of Schuchalter’s speculations—for instance, that Sealsfield’s democratic impulses were stimulated by seeing how his father had to defer to the aristocracy—remain unsubstantiated. There is nothing to be gained by making Sealsfield more mysterious than he already is. Finally, the book is marred by a number of typographical errors and curious grammatical constructions, all of which could have been removed with a bit more care being given the text. ROBERT B. LUEHRS Fort Hays State University John Ford: The Man and His Films. By Tag Gallagher. (Berkeley: Univer­ sity of California Press, 1986. 572 pages, $35.00.) John Ford: The Man and His Films demonstrates both the positive and negative aspects of biography. On the one hand, it is loaded with interesting details such as the fact that Ford chewed handkerchief corners to rags when he worked. On the other hand, one must slog through numerous other details, which may be a delight to the aficionado but a bore to others. There are other biends of positives and negatives in this book. For example, Gallagher approaches Ford with an affection that touches every page. But this same affection also leads him to become something of an apolo­ gist for Ford, particularly his racial biases. In fact, Gallagher tries to demon­ strate that not only was Ford not racist, but that racial intolerance was one of Ford’s primary targets. His affection also leads Gallagher to present many anecdotes that sound apocryphal (such as Ford’s first meeting with John Wayne) as if they were absolute truth. Reviews 187 With these exceptions aside, Gallagher presents a clear and valuable analysis of the life and films of one of the most important directors in the first half-century of American film. Gallagher approaches Ford’s films by dividing Ford’s career into four major periods after an apprenticeship with silents: the first period, the “Age of Introspection,” (1927-1935); the second period (1935-1947), the “Age of Idealism” ; the third period, “The Age of Myth,” (1948-1961) ; and the final period, “The Age of Mortality,” (1962-1965). According to Gallagher, throughout these various periods Ford worked a dominant theme: “Milieu, through tradition, duty, and ritual, determines individual character.” These films that Gallagher labels the best, which he defines as “those most inventive and emotionally balanced,” get lengthy shotby -shot analyses. Other films such as The Grapes of Wrath, a film Gallagher finds “ponderous,” get less emphasis. An auteur critic, Gallagher goes to great lengths to demonstrate how Ford put his stamp on almost every film through his manipulation of actors, his careful use of film to limit editing, and framing techniques. Although many will wish to argue specific points, almost everyone will find Gallagher’s book a necessary addition to a library of film books. The extensive filmography isespecially helpful. MARK BUSBY Texas A&M University Apaches. By Oakley Hall. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986...