Shane: History, Fiction, Film

By Bruce Kuklick

" Kuklick] writes with authority, perspective, and compassion."
―Philadelphia Inquirer

" A]n accomplished historian of ideas."
―Wall Street Journal

What makes a movie great? Which films would you describe that way? Historian Bruce Kuklick's account of the 1953 Western Shane explains how history, fiction, and movie making combined to create great art. Based on the novel Shane by Jack Schaefer, the script drew from historical happenings in Wyoming's Johnson County in the 1880s. The acting of Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon DeWilde, and Jack Palance was just right. The cinematography captures the extraordinary beauty of the Wyoming landscape. And finally the movie dramatizes the conflict between two ways of life--wide open cattle ranching versus small-time farming--that fought for dominance as pioneers moved into the land of the West. Follow Bruce Kuklick as he reveals how this cinematic magic happened. Includes photographs.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589882180
• ISBN13: 9781589882188
• Release Date: November 2026
• Publisher: Paul Dry Books
• Length: 192 Pages