Classic Western Films produced between the 1930s and 1970s
Cinematic Summer School dives into the history and artistry of classic and overlooked films alike. Each screening opens with insights from film professor Dr. Will Dodson and concludes with a lively Q&A exploring the films’ craft and themes. The 2026 series features Hollywood Westerns — where American history and myth collide on the silver screen. Come for the films, stay for the conversation!
Saturday, July 11, 2026 – 2:00PM
The Big Trail (Not Rated)
Upstart fur trapper Breck Coleman (John Wayne) agrees to lead and protect a group of pioneers trying to make their way on the treacherous Oregon Trail. Amid a harrowing series of trials, including an Indian raid, a blizzard, scorching desert sands and nearly unnavigable woods, Breck attempts to begin a romance with frontier woman Ruth Cameron (Marguerite Churchill). Meanwhile, he searches for the men who killed his mentor — and who may be members of another wagon train traveling westward.
Pre-show talk and post-show Q&A with film scholar Dr. Will Dodson.
Saturday, July 18, 2026 – 2:00PM
Johnny Guitar (Not Rated)
On the outskirts of town, the hard-nosed Vienna (Joan Crawford) owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including Dancin’ Kid (Scott Brady) and his gang. Another patron of Vienna’s establishment is Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), a former gunslinger and her lover. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a man’s death, Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), Vienna’s rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on Vienna’s saloon — even without proof of her wrongdoing.
Pre-show talk and post-show Q&A with film scholar Dr. Will Dodson.
Saturday, July 25, 2026 – 2:00PM
The Searchers (Not Rated)
In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother’s family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory.
Pre-show talk and post-show Q&A with film scholar Dr. Will Dodson.
Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 2:00PM
Buck and the Preacher (Not Rated)
Widely regarded at the time of its release as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with a social conscience, BUCK AND THE PREACHER is an immensely satisfying Western which marked Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut, as well as his first screen pairing with superstar Harry Belafonte. Poitier stars as Buck, an ex-Union Army Cavalry sergeant who becomes a scout for freed slaves heading to the Colorado frontier. Tagging along with him are his wife (Ruby Dee in a scene-stealing performance) and a Bible-thumping con artist known as the Preacher (Belafonte). Attacked by racist bounty hunters determined to return the former slaves to a life of sharecropping in Louisiana, Buck and his followers must summon all the courage they have in order to reach their destination and help settle the Wild West.
Pre-show talk and post-show Q&A with film scholar Dr. Will Dodson.
