Myth and Reality

Torres | Myth and Reality Jeffrey Torres JT908@aol.com Myth and Reality Ron Lackmann. Women ofthe Western Frontier in Fact, Fiction and Film. McFarland, 1998. (209 pages; $45.00) Stories about the early days of the Wild West have often provided extraordinary accounts ofAmerica's famous frontier . Indeed, the history of this unique region is replete with anecdotes and legends that have frequently served as fodder for writers and filmmakers. Undoubtedly, though, stories of actual events and persons have been embellished, to the point "that it is often difficult to draw a line between myth and reality." It is interesting, then, that admitting as much in his introduction to Women ofthe Western Frontier in Fact, Fiction and Film, author Ron Lackmann would endeavor to provide "factual accounts of Old West women the in contrast to their depictions on film and in fiction" Drawing from a wide array of sources, including journals , newspaper articles and encyclopedias, Lackmann—a retired teacher—highlights the lives of numerous women in this entertaining book. He devotes a chapter to each of four categories: wives and lovers of gunfighters and female outlaws ; entertainers who toured the West; prostitutes, madams , and gambling ladies; and respectable women. A separate chapter is devoted to two legendary figures who "epitomized the free-spirited women of the legendary West," Belle Starr and Calamity Jane. Born in 1846, Myra Maybelle Shirley, who became known as Belle "The Bandit Queen" Starr, was reputedly the "Old West's most notorious female outlaw." Lackmann points out, however, that Starr's status as a Bandit Queen was overrated, as she was only arrested for minor crimes, including cattle rustling. The author suggests it was Starr's associations with infamous outlaws (such as Frank and Jesse James) that affixed her notoriety. Newspapers in the East, having learned that Starr was befriending criminals on the run, quickly dubbed her the Bandit Queen. Savoring the attention, Starr granted press interviews and even posed for photographs. In 1889, when she was shot and killed while traveling on horseback, her murder was front page news nationwide. CalamityJane also relished her publicity. An orphan at the age of 15, MarthaJane Canary was left to provide for herself. Soon, the unparented teenager was initially induced into the oldest profession by a high-handed madam. However , after a short time, the high-spirited girl moved on taking whatever jobs she could find, including muleskinning, construction, railroad labor, and, "according to her autobiography, a scout for the United States Army." A nonconformist , Martha gained a reputation as a tough woman who drank whiskey, cursed, and supposedly engaged in armed fighting. Eventually she took the name of "Calamity Jane," because, by her own admission, she was always prone to trouble, though Lackmann notes that Jane "was usually inclined to exaggerate the details ofher life." When Jane met and teamed up with Wild Bill Hickock their union was lucrative. Hickock was already a celebrated Civil War hero and lawman who was capitalizing on his fame. Lackmann suggests the pairing "was simply good self-promotion and most likely had been planned," as the two became the subject ofpopular dime novels, ofwhich millions were sold. (Lackmann further explains that "novels glorified, and most often fabricated, events in the lives of these celebrated Westerners.") CalamityJane's fame increased when she joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, touring the United States and Europe. Toward the end ofher career, though, Jane took to drinking heavily and "for the remaining eight years ofher life, from 1895 until her death in 1903, she wandered from one Western town to another, pathetically telling her life's story to anyone who was interested enough to buy her a drink." Calamity Jane and Belle Starr became legends in their own time. Since their deaths, both women have been portrayed on stage film, countless stories, novels, and biographies . Lackmann briefly critiques a number of these works, drawing contrasts between fact and fiction. However, his synopsis of the cinematic and literary projects ofwhat are considered two of the most famous personalities of the Old West seem too brief. In a chapter highlighting the lives of females associated with notorious gunfighters and outlaws, Lackmann seems to have focused more...