THE FAR WEST DANDYS - Corbeto's Boots Blog

If you are Corbeto’s Boots frequent customer, have visited our store in Las Ramblas or checked our online store, you will certainly know that we love all that involves the western lifestyle.

As soon as you enter in our store you inevitably feel surrounded by the american cowboy essence: boots and belt’s leather smell, the elegance of the cowboy hats, the shine of our belt buckles or our spectacular shirts… Corbeto’s Boots ooze western.

And, as we have already said once, cowboy’s figure, that iconic figure that all of us have in mind, was a creation from Hollywood’s golden years. It catched on so strong that, with the time, even the authentic cowboys assumed as theirs.

In today’s article we will pay tribute to western genre cinema by reviewing the five actors we consider as the best and most iconic figures: the Far West dandys.

Robert Mitchum

Although Robert Mitchum’s career is marked by his success with the noir films, also was one of the most recurrent presences in the western film’s golden age. In fact, Mitchum started his career as actor in 1943 with a serie of western movies called Hopalong Cassidy.

Between the 50’s and 60’s filmed many movies from this genre, most of them not especially brilliant but should be noted at least one movie for what he deserves being remembered, El Dorado (1967). A Rio Bravo‘s remake dated in 1959 where Mitchum embodies a drunk man that ends helping the heroe. Is in this movie where our man perfectly shows the character’s profile that used to play: an outdated antihero, a despered and to the limit man.

James Stewart

Along his 70 years of career and more than 90 films, James Stewart left his mark in all kind of cinematographic genres: comedy, biography, thriller, familiar and, of course, western.

Especially stands for five movies that filmed under Anthony Mann’s direction between 1950 and 1955: Winchester 73, Bend of the River, The Naked Spur, The Far Country and The Man from Laramie.

Stewart was typecast with the typical role of an american with nice personality. But in these westerns performed characters with a dubious past that had the violence internalized. Steward’s friendly image contrasted with the spirit of those characters, improved by his intuitive body language sense.

Gary Cooper

With almost 100 movies, Gary Cooper also cultivated diverse genres along his intense career. Starting in the era of the silent films, he became one of movies with sound first stars, precisely with a western, The Virginian.

He was a tall and awkward actor that perfectly incarnated the role of american idol, honest and gentlemanly with a sober and natural style when performing.

Of his extensive filmography we can highlight Vera Cruz, together with Burt Lancaster and, very especially, High Noon, movie for what in 1952 was awarded with his second Oscar.

Henry Fonda

Of Italian origin, Peter Bogdanovich, director, producer and cinema historian, told about him:
“When Henry Fonda say something, you believe him… This is an attribute from the authentic stars and no one has it more than Fonda“. Although who better summarized Fonda’s essence was John Ford, together with he forged a fruitful relation: “Have you seen walking Henry Fonda? So this is the cinema“.

Henry Fonda, named the sixth greatest Hollywood’s masculine star, had the leading role in 113 movies. As we said before, stand out in his collaborations with the director John Ford. Both forged some of the most important western movies of all times as My Darling Clementine or Fort Apache.

John Wayne

Despite he started his career in the silent films during the 20’s, John Wayne’s success and fame arrived during the decades from 40’s to 70’s. With the record of being the actor with more leading roles (142 movies), still to have worked in all genres (biography, romatinc comedies, policial drama, adventures or war movies) his image was inexorably associated to the western movies. His stage presence, rude and masculine, his voice, the distinctive way he walked and physical presence, become by theirselves into an icon.

Of all his career we can highlight great films, like Stagecoach, that turn him into a star; True Grit, with which he was awarded with an Oscar; or Red River, with and impressive performance.

This five actors are just the tip of the iceberg from Hollywood’s western movies golden age between the 40’s and 60’s. It was the time when the traditional cowboy image that we nowadays know was forged. In the present, the actual cowboys, line dance dancers and country fashion lovers in general owe a lot to their legacy.

So you know, if want to complete your true western look, just have to visit us at Las Ramblas or take a look at our online shop. You can also be a Far West dandy!