What is a Western? Film Series: The Paleface (1948)

Date / Time: Saturday, June 13, 2015, 1:30 p.m.

Location: The Autry in Griffith Park: Wells Fargo Theater

Admission: Included With Museum Admission / Free for Autry Members

RSVP/Reservations: Reservations Recommended

The Paleface (1948) in 35mm
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod
Starring Bob Hope and Jane Russell

The Western genre is made up of a diverse group of films, ranging from dramas that take on serious societal issues to comedies that skewer stock characters and static plot points. A summer block of Western comedies begins with The Paleface, one of the highest grossing Western parodies of all time.

Calamity Jane (Russell) goes undercover in hopes of discovering who is illegally selling arms to Native Americans. When her partner is killed, Jane enlists the help of a hapless dentist (Hope) who is mistaken for a heroic gunslinger.

Artifacts related to the Western genre are on display in the Imagination Gallery.

What Is a Western? is an ongoing film series that examines a variety of movies about the American West. The majority of the films are traditional Westerns set in the nineteenth century; however, nontraditional Westerns and films outside of the Western genre that provide unique insights into the region are also featured.

The series is curated by Jeffrey Richardson, Gamble Curator of Western History, Popular Culture, and Firearms, who leads a discussion of the film’s history and its place within the Western genre prior to each screening.