Since the birth of the genre, Hollywood has promoted Western movies with eye-catching posters promising adventure, romance and frontier justice at every turn. In this sprawling episode, we look back at 15 fascinating Western film posters that offer something for every fan. From a 1930s tricolor showcard to a '60s East German surrealist advertisement to a minimalist 2012 teaser image, the posters you'll discover here reveal a vision of the West that goes far beyond stereotypes. Click here for ...
Mar 31
2 hr 24 min
Here’s a question for you: What do the beloved Westerns The Ox-Bow Incident, 3 Godfathers, Ride Lonesome, The Gunfighter, Nevada Smith and How the West Was Won all have in common? The answer is they were all filmed in the breathtaking hills of Lone Pine, California! On this special bonus episode, we speak with Steve Latshaw, Director of the Museum of Western Film History, about the exciting 35th Annual Lone Pine Film Festival. Packed with rare screenings, celebrity guests, fascinating p...
Sep 1, 2025
41 min
Are you brave enough to venture into the harrowing world of The Thicket? Join us for an in-depth conversation with visionary director Elliott Lester, the man behind the mayhem! In this gripping episode, Andrew Patrick Nelson sits down with Lester to discuss the making of what many consider the best theatrical Western of 2024. Currently topping the movie rental charts on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV+, Tubi, and more, The Thicket is a bold and brutal winter Western t...
Jul 29, 2025
1 hr 12 min
A towering figure in the history of the Western, Clint Eastwood redefined the image of the lone hero with his portrayal of the flint-eyed, morally ambiguous gunslinger in Sergio Leone's influential “Dollars Trilogy.” Later, as a director, he fused the stylized detachment of the Italian subgenre with the classic structure of the Hollywood Western — and created a series of unforgettable films that deconstructed the myths of the Old West and earned critical acclaim, including the Academy Award f...
Jul 1, 2025
1 hr 58 min
You asked for it, so we’ve delivered! Since the launch of this podcast, John Ford’s masterpiece The Searchers has been our most frequently requested film by far. In this highly anticipated episode, we have a fascinating conversation about it that you won’t want to miss. Joining us to discuss Ford’s influential Western is author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Frankel, whose bestselling book The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend belongs on the shelf of every serious Weste...
Feb 14, 2025
1 hr 19 min
On this trailblazing episode, reporter and historian Robert Nott drops by to discuss Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country. Robert is the author of several acclaimed books on Western film history, including The Films of Randolph Scott, Last of the Cowboy Heroes, The Films of Budd Boetticher, and Goin' Crazy with Sam Peckinpah and All Our Friends. His latest book is titled Ride the High Country, and it's the first book to focus exclusively on Peckinpah's poignant 1962 classic. Robert Nott...
Oct 9, 2024
1 hr 1 min
On this super-size episode, Matt and Andrew discuss the biggest Western movie event in recent memory. Is Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 a bold and breathtaking vision of the Old West or a television miniseries masquerading as a feature film? Our hosts debate the issue, covering everything from key scenes and performances to John Debney’s score to the critical and commercial reaction to the movie. And in a special bonus segment at the end of the episode, returning g...
Aug 16, 2024
1 hr 57 min
Read any good Western movie books lately? On this page-turning episode, we’re highlighting some of our favorite books about the Western genre. From biographies and coffee table books to scholarly studies and acclaimed film guides, you’ll find plenty of reading recommendations here that will deepen your love of Westerns. And joining us to talk about their own recent Western film books are two authors you’ll definitely enjoying meeting. First, Andrew interviews Henry C. Parke about his new book...
Mar 18, 2024
1 hr 19 min
The official trailer for Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga was just released, and Matthew Chernov and Andrew Patrick Nelson are sharing their first reactions to it in this special episode! What clues to the film’s story and characters are hidden within this 3-minute trailer? What tone is Costner going for this time around, and how will his wildly ambitious cinematic epic fit into his already impressive Western filmography? There’s a lot here to chew on, so join Matt and Andrew as they...
Feb 28, 2024
52 min
Want to hear a secret episode of How the West Was ‘Cast? We’ve recorded a new hourlong show that won’t be published online. But we’ll gladly send you the secret episode in exchange for reviewing our show on the Apple Podcast platform, or the Audible platform, or whatever platform you use. Simply review our podcast somewhere, take a screenshot of your review and email it to us, or just email us a message letting us know you reviewed the show, and we’ll send you an exclusive link to the secret...
Dec 26, 2023
6 min
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