Kevin Stoehr

Film aficionados and scholars will welcome this informative and sympathetic book-length Vidor study, the first since 1988’s King Vidor, American by Raymond Durgnat and Scott Simmon.

Despite its broad-sounding subtitle, this is not comprehensive in its coverage of the history of the Western genre. Its somewhat dry style and generally familiar content will probably limit its appeal to die-hard Western buffs and those seeking a more scholarly approach to the subject.