Cowboy Hats And The Silver Screen
From the beginning of film, it has been hard to compete with the popularity of the Western film genre. Hollywood loves to produce these films and we love to go and see them. What could be a better draw to the theatre than an attractive Wild West sheriff wearing a cowboy hat defending the honor of the land up on the big screen?
Much like the colors red, white and blue, the state fair or mom’s apple pie, a cowboy hat symbolizes the freedom that the Wild West offered. Nothing is more American than a genuine cowboy. It’s a character that is rough around the edges and complex to boot.
In 1903, in a small New York theatre, a film called The Great Train Robbery was played at the end of a vaudeville show. The crowd was crazy about it and cheered for it to be played again and again. Finally the theatre lights were turned off and the audience sent home, but that was only the beginning of America’s love affair with Westerns.
One of the most famous cowboys is undeniably, John Wayne. What could be more appealing than seeing him dust the brim of his hat with a slight tilt while perched on his horse? He was a difficult act to follow, but no one has seemed to mind trying.
Many movies set the fashion standard for the masses and a certain wardrobe can bring your mind instantly to a character. Think of Marilyn Monroe in the Seven Year Itch and you immediately think of a white dress blown up from a street grate. The cowboy hat on the big screen does the same thing, you are brought to a classic image of a cowboy with integrity and honor.
Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Paul Newman all carried the hat off well. Their films are wildly popular and their talents highly revered. Although who is to say how memorable their characters would have been without the ultimate western accessory.
John B. Stetson was the first to construct the original cowboy hat in 1865 for a hunting trip. It was so successful to wear and with his traveling companions that he continued to wear it on other travels. He began making them for friends and selling them for a whopping $5.00 a piece!
The Western film plot is simple, to keep the law and order of the untamed frontier. So basic is he good vs. evil plot. Add gunfights, trains, robberies, a damsel in distress, shoot-outs, outlaws, and then, of course, a sheriff with cowboy hat and you now have a recipe for success.
Since 1952, AA Callister has proudly featured some of the bestwestern wear, clothing, western tack, boots , and horse and rodeo equipment made.
