Introduction

WESTERNS presents some 1790 films of THE "Genre" : A and B films, some serials, productions from the USA mainly, but also from Canada, England, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Greece or Turkey.
All the files of this database can be sorted by numeric or alphabetic order (director's names, actors names and so on).

It can be used on any type of computer (Mac and PC), a Smartphone or a Tablet, or on a PDA , as long as you have a spreadsheet (Excel for instance) or a database program (FileMaker, Access, etc.).

The version distributed here is not a trial version, but a subset of the complete database. In fact it is the first third of the files, including the Directors from A (ALDRICH Robert) to B (BUZZELL Edward) only. Those interested in the complete version, from A to Z, should read the "Registering" paragraph.

Presentation

As such, this database is obviously not complete, that is it doesn't cover the few thousands westerns which have been produced by the cinema only. It is exclusively made of the westerns I have seen... a good number I must admit, and certainly the most interesting part of the genre.
It corresponds to the great pleasure I had all these years watching what is for me the THE major genre of cinema, the one that can assemble and welcome in its bosom all the themes and all others genres.

WESTERNS is in fact a subset of a hugger database (more than 11.400 films), called CINEFAN, which covers all types of movies from the silent screen till now.
Neither WESTERNS nor CINEPHIL are completely free, they both are sharewares, but if you buy CINEFAN you get WESTERNS for free, for it is included in it.

WESTERNS costs 10 €,
CINEFAN costs 15 €.
Make your choice !

WESTERNS does contain a number of errors (typing, spelling and probably incorrect names), but I try to improve it through my re-visions or my discoveries, though these are so scarce now... the Western doesn't seem to be a praised genre anymore !
There remains the problem of my personal findings (for those who are interested in translating them from the French original, of course...) ; now it's up to everyone of you to use it in such a way you choose or need.

Registering WESTERNS

The creation of WESTERNS (and CINEFAN) has taken, as one might imagine, a lot of work often enjoyable, sometimes fastidious.

So it is available as a10 € (Euros) shareware,
but remember you can get the whole CINEFAN database, including WESTERNS,
for only 15 € (Euros).

Anyone interested in buying any of those movie database can :

- Order/buy the Western movie database through PayPal

- or contact me, then send me the money in the form of a check to my name or a money order.
After receiving your payment, I will give you access to the complete and latest version of my film database (in compacted zip form) through download or E-mail (don't forget to give me the right address when you pass the order).

You will also have to specify if you want it in .TXT format (for Macs or PCs, Smartphone, Tablet), in Spreadsheet format (Excel .xlsx) (for Macs or PCs, Smartphone, Tablet too), or in FileMaker format with, as a free bonus, a special layout.

History and statistics

This database was started in the years 1967-68, on the seats of the French Cinémathèque. So many marvelous discoveries then ! Chatting with Langlois in a corner of the bar, listening one evening to Raoul Walsh relating his escapades with Flynn or Gable around Hollywood, discussing endlessly with some "co-religionists". Those were the days for the "cinéphile"...
Then the glow of Western seemed to fade, and came the time for computers, which allowed me at last to compile all my documentation and memorize it in a single database.

As it is, this database consists of some 1790 westerns, starting with "The great train robbery".
As said above, they are all part of the CINEFAN database, which contains some:
- 7600 US films,
- 2400 French films,
- 800 British films,
- 700 Italian films,
- 200 Germans
- 70 Japanese films,
- 60 Greek films,
- etc., from the silent era up till now.

	"Man of the West" by Anthony Mann

- The .TXT format is an easily importable one, while precising 'Tabulation" in the option menu.
This format can easily be imported in a newly created sheet in any basic Spreadsheet program (Excel for instance) or in a new file created with a Database program (FileMaker, Access, etc.).

- I propose with my database a specific FileMaker Template (layout) ; you just have to open this template from the FileMaker program (providing you have it, of course !), and import the database within this file, still precising the "Tabulation" format. Those who don't have the FileMaker program can download here an old version of FileMaker, which will treat WESTERN quite fairly, with a limitation to 50 files I think, for this trial version.
- The present version of FileMaker is V.7 (for Mac OSX , and Windows 2000, XP or 7) ; you can visit the FileMaker site and download there a trial version for Mac or PC, which is limited only in time.
- When you have the software installed, "open" my FileMakerTemplate (expanded of course with the appropriate utility). Then "Import" my WESTERN.TXT (also expanded), specifying Tab format. Here you are... enjoy, and adapt it to your needs and tastes.
- If you already have the FileMaker software, you can download the demo version of WESTERNS directly in the FileMaker (V.5) format.

Here is what you should get on your PC after installing WESTERNS :

For those who can't use my FileMaker (V.7) template or the FileMaker demo, or who would like to make up your own template for the use of the database, here is a list of fields to be created in any database software, before importing the WESTERNS files :

- Original Title : - French Title : - Director : - Color : - Format : - Year : - Country : - Seen * times / Producer : - Actors : - Actresses : - Notes : - Scenario : - Based on : - Cinematographer : - Musical score :

If you have bought the complete file (10 € only !), please keep separetely the original WESTERNS file in .TXT format, in case you have made a mistake during import and want to start again from scratch.

"Pistolero of Red River"

Installation and working with WESTERNS on a Smartphone or a Tablet :

Any Smartphone or Tablet which has a contact or a datasheet application (Excel for instance ), or even more so a database application, should handle WESTERNS without any problem, especially if it can import .TXT  or .xlsx files .

The complete WESTERNS Classic Movies database may not be distributed freely or used for commercial purposes, as its rights are reserved and protected by literary and artistic property rights (copyright, neighbouring rights, database producers' rights) or any other applicable law. Any use of the Database other than explicitly authorized under these terms or applicable law is prohibited.

An "enhanced" form of these Databases, derived from a buyer and augmented by its own choice of films, will also not be freely distributed, as it contains the original CINÉPHIL database.

On the other hand, the first segment of the Database, i.e. the "Demo" part of the Base (Directors from A to B), can be freely distributed "online" or as a compilation on all existing or future media, technical processes and formats; this to the express condition that the Base has not been transformed in any way. But the above rights include the right to make the technically necessary changes to the exercise of rights in other technical formats and processes.

The User of the "Demo" portion of the Database (Directors from A to B), as well as the Buyer of the Full Database, must permanently keep in the database the files numbered 1 & 2 (Cinefan file and Cinephil file) bearing the author's name (Pierre VERNAY), his internet addresses, the presentation and the price of the Database and the Rights of Use, and must keep intact all information that refers to the Rights of the Database. The User of the "Demo" part as well as that of the Full Database cannot cede the rights of the Database.

The user of the "Demo" portion, which is free to access, such as the Buyer of the Full Version of the Database, cannot reproduce, distribute, represent or communicate the demo portion to the public, including digitally, using a technical measure of access control or usage control.

Its purchase can only be intended for individual, personal, non-distributable, non-transferable and non-commercial use.

Individuals, companies (e.g. site publishers) or organizations wishing to purchase CINÉPHIL for commercial or promotional use will have to pass a licensing agreement with the author for the intended use and should contact me (<p.vernay@free.fr>) for a special license contract. The same rules apply to the 2 different subsets of the Cinefan database : WESTERNS database and FILMNOIR database.
 

Updates to come will be found here as regularly as possible.

"The gunfighter"

Links and Documentation

° Sites dedicated to the WESTERN films :

• Westerns.com : download your Westerns on Internet.
• OldWest movies : lots of information on The Major Genre and serials.

• American Western Magazine - ReadTheWest.com
  The Internet Source for Western!
  

In French :

° PhareOuest : an interesting and personal site which evoques the early French Westerns ( (1907-1914)

° Books dedicated to the WESTERN films :

In English :

• "Westerns" by Philip French, coll. Cinema One, S&W.
• "The Western, an illustrated guide" by Allen Eyles, Zwemmer et Barnes.
• "Westerns films" by novelist Brian Garfield, Da Capo Publications.
• "The Western", by Phil Hardy, coll. Aurum film Encyclopedia.
• "The BFI companion to the Western", by Edward Buscombe, Andre Deutsch/BFI.
• "A pictorial history of the Western film" by William K. Everson, Citadel Press.
• "Westerns", coll. Ian Allan Film Albums.
• "The Westerns, a picture quizz book", by John Cocchi, Dover Publications.
• "The cowboy's trail guide to Westerns", by David Matuzak, a book which I never across with.

  "North to Alaska"

  In French :

• "Le Western", collective work, Tel coll., Gallimard.
• "Western", by Jean-Louis Lieutrat, Découvertes coll., Gallimard
• "Le Western" by Jean-Louis Lieutrat, Prisme coll. , Armand Colin.
• "La grande aventure du Western" by Jean-Louis Rieupeyrout, 7e Art coll., Cerf edition.
• "Le Western", collective work , Études cinématographiques coll., n°12-13 (1961).
• "Univers du Western", by G.-A. Astre and A.-P. Hoarau, Cinéma Club coll. , Seghers.
• "Géographie du Western", by J. Mauduy and G. Henriet, Nathan Université.
• "Le Western", par Patrick Brion, La Martinière edition.
• "Histoire du Western", Pierre Bordas edition.
• "50 ans de Western" by Christian Bossuyt, PAC.
• "Tonnerre dans la poussière", by John R. Hamilton, Nathan Image.
• Cinéma 62 magazine, n°68
• Cinéma 71 magazine, n°154 : "10 ans de western".
• "Le western aujourd'hui", revue du Cinéma et du son n°258 et 260, april 1972.
• "Western" magazine, printed from 1972.
  

Star and producer in "Alamo"

° Sites dedicated to the CINEMA:

- first thing first,

http://cinephil.cinefan.free.fr/

the movie database for the moviebuff : more than 11.400 films you can sort and use offline on YOUR computer...

my third site about the movies, this one dedicated to the film noir, thriller, detective or gangster film genres, etc. FilmNoir is also a subset of my CINEFAN database (in French and English).

- Internet Movie Database: the famous IMDB, at least 140 000 films ; but you can't download the database nor use it and adapt it to your taste as you can with... "WESTERNS" or "CINEFAN"!!!
- All Movie Guide: about as many films as in IMDB, but you can't downlaod the database and adapt it to your taste, make it yours, on your own PC, like with... but I seem to repeat myself !!!
- American Movie Classic
- The Movie sound page
- The Movies on line, interesting ressources for the amateur.

° Film encyclopedias on CD :

- Hallywell Film Guide, which works also on a Psion S5 (exists under book format also),
- All Movie Guide, Corel,
- Cinemania, Microsoft.