Hollywood: Out West (Episode 9)
Hollywood: Out West (Episode 9)

Episode 8: The Old West was still there when the movies arrived.

Cowboys and outlaws saw a heaven-sent chance to relive their youth--and get paid for it--by working in films. The man who really started the "Western Craze" was the Wild West showman William Cody, who made "The life of Buffalo Bill" in 1913.

Tom Mix was the next western screen hero, followed by William S.

Hart, who dignified the genre with films like "Narrow Trail" and "Tumbleweeds".

These films were a celebration of the West, establishing a tradition that continues to this day.