War Bonnets and Eagle Feathers in the Dust: The Technicolor Western

Although the brand name “Technicolor” might not initially conjure iconic images of cowhands and cavalrymen—for many viewers, it is more closely associated with elaborate musical numbers and swashbuckling action sequences—the Western emerged as an important color genre in postwar Hollywood. Aesthetically, the genre became a vital reservoir for a restrained mode of style, characterized by neutral palettes and tight color harmonies. The restrained mode set an appropriate mood or tone for the Western milieu, but this was not its only function. It also created opportunities for powerful color motif structures and, in some cases, foregrounded the craft of skilled color cinematographers. This article concludes with a case study, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON.