Sissies and lost pardners: Issues of masculinity and male queerness in the early Western

Abstract

During the silent and early sound era, the Western became one of the most popular genres, making stars of actors like William S. Hart and Tom Mix. The genre ranged from epic Westerns such as The Covered Wagon (1923) and The Iron Horse (1924) through to quickly made B-movies, and even on to short parodies. The Western emerged from the silent era with a maturity not present in other genres, and its appeal only grew during the pre-code talkie era. At the same time, American film was exploring male sexuality and gender norms in a way that it would not be able to do again for several decades. This article traces the relationship between images of male queerness and intimacy within the Western during the first four decades of American filmmaking, from the early short films of 1894 through to the introduction of the Production Code in 1934.