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The Civil War and Western Home Front Inspire National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Upcoming Film Series

Curated Western Movie Matinees to draw diverse crowds during Wide Open Wednesdays in October and November

OKLAHOMA CITY – The American Civil War’s far-reaching effect on life in the West is the theme of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s upcoming Western Movie Matinee film series. Screening Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m., October 24 – November 14, patrons can enjoy free Museum admission during Wide Open Wednesdays.

Curated and hosted by film historian Elizabeth Anthony, president of Reel Classics, the four films Anthony selected for the “Civil War and the Western Home Front” series offer insightful, moving depictions of the war’s impact on home life in the American West.

“The Civil War had a profound effect on life in the West that still reverberates to this day,” said Museum President & CEO Natalie Shirley. “Regardless of visitors’ backgrounds, this series promises to entertain, as well as educate, everyone in attendance!”

Films in the series include: on October 24, Dark Command (1940), starring John Wayne and co-starring Walter Pidgeon and Roy Rogers; on October 31, Friendly Persuasion (1956), starring Gary Cooper and a young Anthony Perkins; on November 7, The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947), starring Van Johnson and Janet Leigh; and on November 14, The Proud Rebel (1958), starring Alan Ladd and Olivia De Havilland. Free popcorn is provided at each showing.

“There is a tendency to try to simplify the Civil War, but it was as complicated as it was bloody, and its impact on the West is often lost in today’s oversimplification,” Anthony said. “I’ve chosen some classic Hollywood films that help illustrate how America’s deadliest war was felt on the home front in different areas of the West. Some of these movie are oft-overlooked gems that many people probably haven’t seen but should really enjoy nonetheless.”

Free Museum admission on Wide Open Wednesdays is provided courtesy of the Oklahoma Ford Dealers. The curated Western Movie Matinee film series is made possible with support from an anonymous donor and Oklahoma City University’s Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film & Literature.

About the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is located only six miles northeast of downtown Oklahoma City in the Adventure District at the junction of Interstates 44 and 35, the state’s exciting Adventure Road corridor. The Museum offers annual memberships beginning at just $40. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org. For high-resolution images related to the National Cowboy Museum, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/media-pics/.

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