In his book, "The Hollywood History of the World," scriptwriter George MacDonald Fraser laments the portrayal of many of history's more important (and colorful) figures, particularly those of the American West. Although, he contends that no other period of time has been dealt with more faithfully as a whole, to find that authenticity--the look and "feel" of everyday life--you usually have to look to the props and "extras." Storylines are usually given to a certain amount of romantic fantasy and heroes cleaned up a might. History bows to "horse opera," reflecting how we think things should have been...and sounded.

     Westerns have no exclusive on this, of course. Anyone who has ever been in a scrape can testify to the fact that a real fistfight sounds nothing like the way it is portrayed in the movies. We probably have Shakespeare to thank that so many medieval knights have spoken "King James" English so well. Then again, total accuracy doesn't always translate onto film. How many people today are fluent in Anglo-Norman French or Middle English? The sin of real Western dialogue, however, is that moviemakers fear it will sound too old-fashioned. Mr. Fraser describes trying to convince the late Steve McQueen that it was quite acceptable for an American in the 1800s to use the word, "rascal." Mr. McQueen said it sounded too European. I wonder what he thought of "True Grit," which had as true a script as you're likely to see?

     Of course, Hollywood has never minded embellishing the truth a bit, or lending a historical character to an otherwise fictional piece to enhance the storyline. As a result, much of what we know--or think we do--about the Old West is a figment of someone else's imagination.

     A case in point is the movie, "Maverick," where the TV-cum-movie hero runs afoul of a half-witted gunfighter named, Johnny Hardin. It looked good, right down to the half-built, canvas-roofed saloon and James Garner's mismatched brace of pistols. But someone obviously confused John Wesley Hardin with William Bonney (Billy the Kid). First off, he would have never introduced himself as a gunfighter, but as a "shootist." Secondly, Hardin may have been many things. He mean as a snake for starters, once shooting a man for snoring too loudly. He even had some semblance of style, buying one man dinner before shooting him through the table, explaining that it didn't seem right to send a man to hell on an empty stomach). However, being a half-wit was not one of his failings. For instance, it's recorded that in 1871, John Wesley Hardin and one James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickock came to words, quote:

(Hickock) "You can't hurrah me. I won't have it."

(Hardin) "I haven't come to hurrah you, Mr. Hickock. But I am going to stay in Abilene."

    It just isn't box office. The truth may not be stranger than fiction, but it certainly is more literate.

Acknowledgments: 2, 57

© Russ Brown, 1998