How the West Was 'Cast
Whether you grew up watching the movies of John Wayne, cut your teeth on Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name” trilogy, or consider Kevin Costner to be the screen’s quintessential cowboy star, HOW THE WEST WAS ‘CAST is just the podcast you’ve been waiting for. Join screenwriter and journalist Matthew Chernov and film historian Andrew Patrick Nelson as they discuss the beloved masterpieces, forgotten treasures, and curious cult movies that make up the Western film genre. From the timeless classics of the 1940s and ‘50s, to the bold and bloody titles of the 1960s and ‘70s, to the prestige Westerns of today, HOW THE WEST WAS ‘CAST explores one of cinema’s most fascinating and enduring genres.
Episodes
Outlaw-turned-savior Quirt Evans rides again in Angel and the Badman, a brand-new remake of the 1947 John Wayne classic. And on this special episode, we’re joined by the film’s director, Julio Quintana, who discusses the challenges of updating a beloved Western for modern audiences. You’ll hear fascinating stories about working with Oscar-winning legend Tommy Lee Jones, how stubborn horses and freezing temperature...
On this special bonus episode, writer Christopher McKittrick joins us to discuss the illustrious film career of Vera Miles, who starred in five feature Westerns — two of which are considered all-time classics. The author of the first full-length biography of Vera Miles, Christopher fills us in on her experiences working alongside Western icons like John Ford, John Wayne, James Stewart, Henry Fonda and Sam Elliott.
To p...
On this deep-dive episode, author and professor Brooks E. Hefner visits the studio to chat with Andrew Patrick Nelson about director Nicholas Ray's fever-dream Western, Johnny Guitar. Together, they discuss the film's unique production history, its intriguing gender politics, its enduring cult legacy and much more. So don't miss this fascinating look at one of the oddest Westerns ever made.
Brooks's latest book is titled Joh...
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...
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...
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+, Tub...
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 ...
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 S...
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...
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 1a 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 mo...
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 definit...
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 f...
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 mes...
This year marks the centennial anniversary of Warner Brothers, the legendary Hollywood studio founded by Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner. To commemorate the occasion, we're joined by author Chris Yogerst, whose latest book - The Warner Brothers - was recently published by the University Press of Kentucky. On this fascinating episode, Chris and Andrew Patrick Nelson discuss the history of the Western film genre at Warner Brother...
It’s the Halloween season, so we’re returning to the terrifying topic of horror Westerns! Join us as we discuss, dissect, and dismember six of the scariest, eeriest, and just plain weirdest Westerns ever made. From a moody 1959 vampire film to an occult oddity released in the '70s to a would-be Hollywood blockbuster from 2010, these macabre movies are guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.
And as a blood-cu...
On this special bonus episode, we take a look at the factual Western drama series Into the Wild Frontier, which is entering its fourth season on the INSP network. Our very own Andrew Patrick Nelson has appeared numerous times on the series, providing info and commentary about the legendary figures and historic events covered on the show. Joining us on podcast to discuss the series is Emmy-nominated filmmaker Paul Epstein, the execu...
1970 was an important year for Indian-themed Westerns, with A Man Called Horse and Soldier Blue both released within months of each other. But by far the most popular Indian Western of that year was Arthur Penn’s Oscar-nominated Little Big Man. On this episode, Andrew Patrick Nelson discusses the film’s public reception, its Vietnam war symbolism, the acclaimed performance of supporting actor Chief Dan George, and many ...
Return with us now to the decade that gave the world Zima®, Beanie Babies, and the Macarena. That's right, we're traveling back to the 1990s for a discussion about six overlooked Westerns that deserve more attention! You won't find iconic '90s classics like Dances with Wolves, Unforgiven, orTombstone on this particular show. Instead, we're focusing on '90s Westerns that have been either ignored, forgotten, or underappreciated for f...
Written by Burt Kennedy and directed by Budd Boetticher, the intense 1959 Western Ride Lonesome stars legendary actor Randolph Scott as a bounty hunter traveling across a desolate landscape on a secret quest for vengeance. Join us for a fascinating conversation with two-time Emmy-winning screenwriter and producer Kirk Ellis, whose new book - titled Ride Lonesome - offers uniquely personal insights about one of the most popular West...
The gripping story of a down-and-out cowhand who becomes ensnared in a complex scheme to dupe a local rancher out of a fortune, the moody 1948 film Blood on the Moon combines the mythic milieu of the Hollywood Western with the dark psychological themes of a classic noir. On this engaging episode, Andrew Patrick Nelson chats with acclaimed author, biographer and film noir expert Alan K. Rode, whose latest book – titled Blood o...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
DISGRACELAND is an award-winning music and true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Jerry Lee Lewis's 5th wife? Dead. Sid and Nancy? Both dead. Why? Because musicians are insane, and insane things happen to them. Why did we lose Amy Winehouse at 27? Was Debbie Harry really abducted by Ted Bundy as she claims? Is Patti Smith not just the "Godmother of Punk", but also the "Original True Crime Girl"? What really happened the night of the Jay Z nightclub stabbing? What do the Diddy indictments truly reveal? All these stories and more, on artists from every genre and their true crimes, in our massive 260-plus story archive. The Dead, the Stones, Johnny, Willie, Frank, Kurt, Courtney, Gaga, Lana, Taylor, and too many to name. DISGRACELAND is music history come to life through audio storytelling as you've never heard it before, with revealing facts: yes, assassins are the real reason the Beatles quit touring—reclaimed myths: no, Mama Cass didn't die from choking on a ham sandwich––and constant reckoning between art and artist––all told through the lens of true crime. This is the podcast for the self-proclaimed "Disgos", the musically obsessed and the true crime heads; the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. DISGRACELAND is where host Jake Brennan tells the stories they didn't want told. The kind you'll end up telling someone else. Get ready to uncover hidden truths and buckle up for truly edge-of-your-seat storytelling. New, fully scripted, sound-designed episodes are released every Tuesday. Bonus chat-style episodes where Jake responds to voicemails, texts, and emails from Disgos hit on Thursdays, and "Rewind" episodes from our archive drop on Sundays. DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast. It's an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are dramatized, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at www.disgracelandpod.com. To unlock ad-free listening, exclusive content, and connect with your fellow Disgos, go to www.disgracelandpod.com to become an All Access member. Rocka Rolla.