"Buffalo Bill and the Birth of American Celebrity" by Kellen Cutsforth focuses on the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show and the man who created it, becoming not just an entertainment phenomenon but a key reflector of the vision and perception of the American West. Bill Cody's early entertainment efforts, how he depicted frontier life, his stage career, and those who wrote about him and fictionalized his dramatic life are all covered in energetic history reviews that consider the evolution of the Wild West's image and Cody's influence on it. Black and white illustrations throughout depict advertising, capture images of the show, and add visual enhancement to a lively saga of American history designed to intrigue history and entertainment readers alike.
Description
Buffalo Bill and the Birth of American Celebrity commemorates the rise of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and tells the tale of a visionary whose real-life experiences (and embellishments) created an entertainment phenomenon that became a worldwide sensation.
From Bill Cody's earliest ideas of entertainment spectacles using Indians and examples of frontier life in their productions; the elements of Cody’s early life that found their way into his Wild West spectacle; his friendship with Ned Buntline and early stage career; Cody’s inclusion in outlandish dime novels; how the Wild West show idea was hatched with Cody’s partner Doc Carver and their tumultuous relationship; early financial wobbles and European influence to take the Wild West overseas culminating in the 1887 American Exhibition; the hiring of Annie Oakley and treatment of Native Americans in the enterprise, and finally a look at Cody’s lasting influence on today’s entertainment culture.
Pages224
Released2021
LanguageEnglish
PublisherGlobe Pequot Publishing
ISBN9781493047437
SellerSimon & Schuster
