Art and Politics in Have Gun--Will Travel: The 1950s Television Western as Ethical Drama

From 1955 to 1964, American television was awash in adult Westerns, as much as one quarter of all prime-time programming. During its six seasons (1957-1963), Have Gun-Will Travel was recognized as one of the best shows on television--politically the most liberal, and intellectually and aesthetically the most sophisticated, largely because of Richard Boone.

This work places the series in its larger historical context, exploring why the Western was so popular at the time, and examines how the early history of television affected the shows. A brief biography of Boone is included, revealing how his values and experiences shaped the series. Behind-the-scenes life on the show is compared with that of its most popular competitors, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and Bonanza. Major themes and patterns of the shows are compared, in particular the figures of the lawman, the gunfighter and the outlaw, racial and ethnic minorities, and women.

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Art and Politics in Have Gun--Will Travel: The 1950s Television Western as Ethical Drama

From 1955 to 1964, American television was awash in adult Westerns, as much as one quarter of all prime-time programming. During its six seasons (1957-1963), Have Gun-Will Travel was recognized as one of the best shows on television--politically the most liberal, and intellectually and aesthetically the most sophisticated, largely because of Richard Boone.

This work places the series in its larger historical context, exploring why the Western was so popular at the time, and examines how the early history of television affected the shows. A brief biography of Boone is included, revealing how his values and experiences shaped the series. Behind-the-scenes life on the show is compared with that of its most popular competitors, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and Bonanza. Major themes and patterns of the shows are compared, in particular the figures of the lawman, the gunfighter and the outlaw, racial and ethnic minorities, and women.

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Art and Politics in Have Gun--Will Travel: The 1950s Television Western as Ethical Drama

Art and Politics in Have Gun--Will Travel: The 1950s Television Western as Ethical Drama

by Kathleen L. Spencer
Art and Politics in Have Gun--Will Travel: The 1950s Television Western as Ethical Drama

Art and Politics in Have Gun--Will Travel: The 1950s Television Western as Ethical Drama

by Kathleen L. Spencer

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Overview

From 1955 to 1964, American television was awash in adult Westerns, as much as one quarter of all prime-time programming. During its six seasons (1957-1963), Have Gun-Will Travel was recognized as one of the best shows on television--politically the most liberal, and intellectually and aesthetically the most sophisticated, largely because of Richard Boone.

This work places the series in its larger historical context, exploring why the Western was so popular at the time, and examines how the early history of television affected the shows. A brief biography of Boone is included, revealing how his values and experiences shaped the series. Behind-the-scenes life on the show is compared with that of its most popular competitors, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train and Bonanza. Major themes and patterns of the shows are compared, in particular the figures of the lawman, the gunfighter and the outlaw, racial and ethnic minorities, and women.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781476617749
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date: 09/17/2014
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 260
File size: 1 MB
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Kathleen L. Spencer is a retired professor of literature and composition. She has published major essays on Dracula and on science fiction authors Samuel Delany, Ursula Le Guin, and Joanna Russ, and a book on English fantasist Charles Williams. She lives in Cincinnati.
Kathleen L. Spencer is a retired professor of literature and composition. She has published major essays on Dracula and on science fiction authors Samuel Delany, Ursula Le Guin, and Joanna Russ, and a book on English fantasist Charles Williams. She lives in Cincinnati.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Contexts
An Overview
One: The TV Western: American Manhood in Crisis
Two: Television in the 1950s
Three: Richard Boone: An Unreasonable Man
Four: Behind the Scenes: Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Bonanza, Have Gun—Will Travel
Part II: Texts
An Overview
Five: Frontier Justice
Six: Gunfighters and Outlaws
Seven: The Other Americans: Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Eight: The Other Americans: Women
Epilogue: The Man Who Was Paladin
Appendix: Recommended Episodes
Chapter Notes
Works Cited
Index
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