By Lee Pfeiffer
One of the most impressive film books I've received in the last few years is author C. Courtney Joyner's The Westerners: Interviews with Actors, Directors, Writers and Producers. As with most books from McFarland Publishing, its worth doesn't lie in its modest production values, but rather, in the wealth of historical content. Joyner has amassed a large archive of interviews he has conducted over the years with the creators of many memorable Westerns. As many of these folks have since passed away, the volume becomes even more precious as a research tool. Joyner's interviews include:
- Glenn Ford
- Warren Oates
- Virginia Mayo
- Andrew V. McLaglen
- Harry Carey Jr
- Julie Adams
- A.C. Lyles
- Burt Kennedy
- Ed Faulkner
- Aldo Sambrell
- Jack Elam
- Andrew J. Fenady
- Elmore Leonard
The fact is that many of these people were quite available to discuss their lives and careers but few journalists sought them out. Joyner shares the same mission as those of us at Cinema Retro: to get these stories on record through first-person interviews. Joyner stays clear of meaningless trivia to concentrate on the making of specific films and specific key sequences. Many of the films discussed are rarely evaluated in detail. For example, screenwriter Andrew J. Fenady provides fascinating insights into the making of John Wayne's excellent 1970 Western
Chisum - a movie generally overlooked by the critical establishment. It must have been a wonderful privilege to sit down with the likes of Jack Elam and Warren Oates to hear their anecdotes about the making of classic Westerns. Fortunately, Joyner gives us the next best thing through his remarkable book, which is essential readers for all fans of the Western genre.
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