Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western
While the 1930s in the United States is oftentimes overshadowed by the effects of the Great Depression on everything from the economy to everyday life, at the same time, it was an era filled with avid moviegoers. The advent of sound in film provided a unique opportunity for minority filmmakers to co...
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| Language: | English |
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European Association for American Studies
2021-07-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16890 |
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| author | Susan Savage Lee |
| author_facet | Susan Savage Lee |
| author_sort | Susan Savage Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While the 1930s in the United States is oftentimes overshadowed by the effects of the Great Depression on everything from the economy to everyday life, at the same time, it was an era filled with avid moviegoers. The advent of sound in film provided a unique opportunity for minority filmmakers to contribute to the early cinema. African American filmmakers like Spencer Williams, for example, turned to the genre of the western because it was a familiar genre for both mainstream and minority audiences. It was also cheap to produce, a boon for screenwriters and directors like Williams with limited budgets. By adopting a popular genre like the western, Williams brought minority perspectives to the silver screen during a period when these perspectives were often met with hostility or completely ignored within mainstream culture. In doing so, Williams includes elements of the western that are familiar to audiences, such as the singing cowboy genre. He then pairs this familiar element with subversive ones like the use of dialect and the trickster figure. Through an analysis of Williams’s adhesion to and disruption of tendencies in the western, it becomes clear how he appealed to both white and black audiences during a period of poverty, unemployment, and segregation. In addition to this, a closer look at William’s manipulation of a western like Harlem Rides the Range helps locate and explore black identity in early cinema history. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-85096238dd5a42fbb34beb31cbc07b5a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-85096238dd5a42fbb34beb31cbc07b5a2025-01-06T09:08:36ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362021-07-0116210.4000/ejas.16890Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s WesternSusan Savage LeeWhile the 1930s in the United States is oftentimes overshadowed by the effects of the Great Depression on everything from the economy to everyday life, at the same time, it was an era filled with avid moviegoers. The advent of sound in film provided a unique opportunity for minority filmmakers to contribute to the early cinema. African American filmmakers like Spencer Williams, for example, turned to the genre of the western because it was a familiar genre for both mainstream and minority audiences. It was also cheap to produce, a boon for screenwriters and directors like Williams with limited budgets. By adopting a popular genre like the western, Williams brought minority perspectives to the silver screen during a period when these perspectives were often met with hostility or completely ignored within mainstream culture. In doing so, Williams includes elements of the western that are familiar to audiences, such as the singing cowboy genre. He then pairs this familiar element with subversive ones like the use of dialect and the trickster figure. Through an analysis of Williams’s adhesion to and disruption of tendencies in the western, it becomes clear how he appealed to both white and black audiences during a period of poverty, unemployment, and segregation. In addition to this, a closer look at William’s manipulation of a western like Harlem Rides the Range helps locate and explore black identity in early cinema history.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16890American WestRides the Rangerace in cinemaSpencer Williamsearly American filmthe Western |
| spellingShingle | Susan Savage Lee Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western European Journal of American Studies American West Rides the Range race in cinema Spencer Williams early American film the Western |
| title | Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western |
| title_full | Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western |
| title_fullStr | Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western |
| title_full_unstemmed | Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western |
| title_short | Riding High in the Saddle: African American Subversion in the 1930s Western |
| title_sort | riding high in the saddle african american subversion in the 1930s western |
| topic | American West Rides the Range race in cinema Spencer Williams early American film the Western |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16890 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT susansavagelee ridinghighinthesaddleafricanamericansubversioninthe1930swestern |