Hollywood and the Rebs

[Tommy Tainant]

I am a massive fan of Westerns and have watched hundreds of them in my time. Many of them over and over again.

It strikes me that the Rebs have had a pretty sympathetic portrayal from Hollywood over the years and I wonder if that has helped to perpetuate the worship of the Reb flag and also statues.

In evidence I offer up the following -

Outlaw Josey Wales - Josey is a victim forced to seek redemption from them evil Redlegs.

The Horse Soldiers - The Duke ravages the South whilst the Rebs are painted as old World heroes. The only black character, Lukey, gets shot and they are all upset which makes everything ok.

Rio Lobo - Again the Duke is in sympathy with the slavers as he looks for a Unionist rat.

The Raid - Van Heflin is a Reb spy on a raid up north. The victims are not treated sympathetically and our sympathies are with those fighting for slavery.

Major Dundee - Richard Harris is coerced by Charlton Heston to help fight renegade Apaches in Mexico. Harris cavalier Reb contrasts favourably with Hestons roundhead unionist. The Rebs are even nice to the black soldiers after a little nastiness. Both unite to fight the common enemy of America - Redskins.

The Proud Rebel - Alan Ladd plays Alan Ladd as an ex reb taking his traumatised son north looking for medical help. Again the nasty northerners are the baddies he has to fight against.

I am sure you could think of many more like this. In my opinion Hollywood is acting in an UnAmerican way by distorting history. I suppose its just to sell tickets in the South but its hardly a balanced view.

I also have to say that I still enjoy all of these films.

 

[fncceo]

You get they are movies, right?

William Wallace never wore a kilt. The Americans didn't capture the Enigma machine. Russel Crowe didn't' kill the Emperor Commodus (his actual death was much more tragic).

Never let historical facts get in the way of a ripping yarn.

 

[captkaos]

You get they are movies, right?

William Wallace never wore a kilt. The Americans didn't capture the Enigma machine. Russel Crowe didn't' kill the Emperor Commodus (his actual death was much more tragic).

Never let historical facts get in the way of a ripping yarn.

They should all have their Stars removed from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were obviously racists "Right"! What's good for the goose!

 

[rightwinger]

Gone with the Wind

 

[JGalt]

California leaned toward the South.

California in the Civil War

 

[anynameyouwish]

I am a massive fan of Westerns and have watched hundreds of them in my time. Many of them over and over again.

It strikes me that the Rebs have had a pretty sympathetic portrayal from Hollywood over the years and I wonder if that has helped to perpetuate the worship of the Reb flag and also statues.

In evidence I offer up the following -

Outlaw Josey Wales - Josey is a victim forced to seek redemption from them evil Redlegs.

The Horse Soldiers - The Duke ravages the South whilst the Rebs are painted as old World heroes. The only black character, Lukey, gets shot and they are all upset which makes everything ok.

Rio Lobo - Again the Duke is in sympathy with the slavers as he looks for a Unionist rat.

The Raid - Van Heflin is a Reb spy on a raid up north. The victims are not treated sympathetically and our sympathies are with those fighting for slavery.

Major Dundee - Richard Harris is coerced by Charlton Heston to help fight renegade Apaches in Mexico. Harris cavalier Reb contrasts favourably with Hestons roundhead unionist. The Rebs are even nice to the black soldiers after a little nastiness. Both unite to fight the common enemy of America - Redskins.

The Proud Rebel - Alan Ladd plays Alan Ladd as an ex reb taking his traumatised son north looking for medical help. Again the nasty northerners are the baddies he has to fight against.

I am sure you could think of many more like this. In my opinion Hollywood is acting in an UnAmerican way by distorting history. I suppose its just to sell tickets in the South but its hardly a balanced view.

I also have to say that I still enjoy all of these films.

We have apparently watched a lot of the same westerns!

And I concur.....the confederacy was almost always treated with sympathy and empathy. At the same time they(hollywood) seemed to portray the north more negatively.

 

[Correll]

I am a massive fan of Westerns and have watched hundreds of them in my time. Many of them over and over again.

It strikes me that the Rebs have had a pretty sympathetic portrayal from Hollywood over the years and I wonder if that has helped to perpetuate the worship of the Reb flag and also statues.

In evidence I offer up the following -

Outlaw Josey Wales - Josey is a victim forced to seek redemption from them evil Redlegs.

The Horse Soldiers - The Duke ravages the South whilst the Rebs are painted as old World heroes. The only black character, Lukey, gets shot and they are all upset which makes everything ok.

Rio Lobo - Again the Duke is in sympathy with the slavers as he looks for a Unionist rat.

The Raid - Van Heflin is a Reb spy on a raid up north. The victims are not treated sympathetically and our sympathies are with those fighting for slavery.

Major Dundee - Richard Harris is coerced by Charlton Heston to help fight renegade Apaches in Mexico. Harris cavalier Reb contrasts favourably with Hestons roundhead unionist. The Rebs are even nice to the black soldiers after a little nastiness. Both unite to fight the common enemy of America - Redskins.

The Proud Rebel - Alan Ladd plays Alan Ladd as an ex reb taking his traumatised son north looking for medical help. Again the nasty northerners are the baddies he has to fight against.

I am sure you could think of many more like this. In my opinion Hollywood is acting in an UnAmerican way by distorting history. I suppose its just to sell tickets in the South but its hardly a balanced view.

I also have to say that I still enjoy all of these films.

The American population as a whole, has been fine with the idea of sympathetic views of southern vets since very shortly after the end of the Civil War.


It takes a very historically ignorant person to think that the Outlaw Josey Wales was not aimed at the whole of the American moving going audience.


How many of those movies presented SLAVERY in a positive light?

 

[Blackrook]

Northern California was settled by northerners, Southern California was settled by southerners. Los Angeles (Hollywood) is a Southern California city.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

Gone with the Wind

That is pretty much the worst of them. We are meant to sympathise with Scarlett because she has to dig her own field. Please!!