Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns: High Noon, Shane, and, The Searchers Book

Cinema westerns won film audiences over during the first years of the silent era, and continue to do so today. The appeal of the cowboy, with his unfettered life, straight talk, and unflagging bravery, has elevated the genre to the status of national myth. In Code of Honor, film historian and Hollywood insider Michael F. Blake takes a look at three Westerns that galvanized the image of the heroic cowboy in the American conciousness-High Noon (wherein Gary Cooper refuses to save his neck by fleeing from an old enemy), Shane (featuring Alan Ladd's eponymous hero riding into a beleaguered town and righting wrongs) and The Searchers (in which John Wayne hunts the West for his abducted daughter). Blake focuses on how these films were made, who was involved, and what each movie added to the legend of the fearless gunslinger. Blake (whose father was an actor in High Noon) goes behind the scenes at the making of each film, covering the battles fought by directors, the casting choices, the script changes, and more. He also looks at the code of honor exemplified by each of the three protagonists; commenting on the heroes' actions in each story, Blake gives insight into the moral battle that lends greater resonance to the films. Throughout Code of Honor, Blake reveals remarkable details about each film. Gary Cooper's performance in High Noon mirrored his refusal to back down from the HUAC on behalf of blacklisted producer Carl Foreman. Shane director George Stevens drew from his experiences in World War II in presenting film violence. Legendary filmmaker John Ford denied any artistic aspirations, even when critics praised the beauty and craftsmanship of The Searchers. Blake's examination of these three Westerns provides a greater understanding of their lasting popularity and their deserved reputations as classics.Read More