Hollywood Westerns essentially focus on the concept of bringing the law to the lawless and for viewers, it has been said, that the best Westerns were the films that moved, not just from a physical action point of view, but also in terms of emotional emotion from the audience. It was this compelling combination that garnered the greatest satisfaction and praise from movie audiences. Most film scholars believe that the first Western is "Cripple Creek Bar Room" (W. Dickson's 1898 tableau). To understand the origin of the Western, one must realize that the genre was not born in full maturity. Its growth stemmed from various roots, including Arthurian legends, oral tradition shared across generations, and frontier tales that essentially developed into folklore. Dime novels from the 1860s onward predate the advent of motion pictures by a generation. It seems that Americans in the late 20th century were only slightly aware of how influential Wild West shows actually were. After all, they were the most spectacular arena shows, probably since the time of the Roman circuses. Indeed, one could compare participation in such festivals in the 19th century to the precursors of popular rock music concerts: they were great successes not only in America but also throughout Europe. Over time, the Wild West shows were naturally overtaken by the novelty and shorter length of the films. Mention 'Cowboys and Injuns' and, almost automatically, actors such as John Wayne, Gary Cooper, WS Hart, Roy Rogers and Tom Mix come to mind. One of the most successful directors of this genre was John Ford. He once introduced himself by saying, "I'm John Ford and I make westerns." The somewhat understated nature of this residual… middle of paper… with approximate receipts of $70 million. Second is “Butch Cassidy” with $58.4 million, and “Blazing Saddles” comes in, surprisingly, in third place with $49.2 million. The traditional Western has often been overlooked when it comes to awards; only three have succeeded at the Academy Awards, winning the Oscar for Best Picture. These include "Cimarron" (1933), Dances with Wolves (1990) and "Unforgiven" (1992). For all intents and purposes, directors didn't make Westerns; Westerns created directors. Only John Ford and Sam Peckinpah had the excellence to rise above this material and make something new of it. Clearly, when talking about a Western, that discussion is based on the past. The genre, however, remains alive in our memories………. so break out the popcorn and a cold drink and relax with your favorite movie on DVD or USB stick!!