I don’t recall ever going to see a western when I was growing up, but when I became interested in classic Hollywood, I rented as many as I could. The films were simply marvelous: the excitement of lone heroes, standing for truth and justice against the lawless villains of the frontier. They came to town, restored the rights of the townsfolk, then rode off into the sunset. As I watched John Wayne and Gary Cooper walking tall, I couldn’t help but wonder why cinematic heroes today don’t have that same sort of mythical status.
