Not Always in Distress

Unlike the cowboy hero, who was always tough, resolute, and supremely masculine, the female lead in Westerns was presented in a variety of character patterns that differed according to the plot when the film was made. Throughout most of the 1920’s she was often portrayed as the strong pioneer heroine, fully capable of defending herself. A good example is Anita Stewart in The Fighting Shepherdess. Later, she was softened into the stereotype of the frail, helpless woman, forever turning to he