The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 85, July 1981 - April, 1982 Page: 103

Book Reviews

Indian themes. This trend, as succeeding chapters point out, was re-
placed in the late 1960os by plots that increasingly stressed violence and
the dehumanization of society. Particularly interesting are the author's
comments on the changing nature of John Wayne's movies and Sam
Peckinpah's films. Unfortunately, the book ends abruptly, with no
summary or evaluation.
Lenihan's study is a valuable piece of work, for it not only tests the
effectiveness of the Western in mirroring national concerns, but also
reflects the insights, values, and methodology that scholars of popular
culture brought to their studies during the 1970s.
The back matter of the book is extensive. Divided into six sections,
it includes: a list of over 500 Westerns (1939-1978) with director and
studio; guides and bibliographies; references to unpublished material;
pertinent books and articles; a film-title index; and a subject index
(poor). Shots from some thirty classic Westerns enhance the text. Leni-
han's study suggests that historians should take a more serious look at
Westerns, and maybe they should. For this reviewer, Lenihan's work
has struck a mortal blow-it has ruined the Western as escapist
entertainment.
University of Arizona HARWOOD P. HINTON
Clara Driscoll: An American Tradition. By Martha Anne Turner.
(Austin: Madrona Press, 1979. Pp. xviii+185. Preface, appen-
dices, index. $15.)
Had the Daughters of the Republic of Texas held the Alamo in
1836, some wags say, the old fort would never have fallen. And had
Clara Driscoll commanded them, the Texan Revolution would have
been won there rather than at San Jacinto.
Granddaughter of two San Jacinto heroes and daughter of a South
Texas cattle baron, Clara Driscoll became a Texas legend early in the
twentieth century. At age twenty-one she launched a move to save the
Alamo from commercial encroachment, and, when that move attract-
ed only token attention, she dramatized it by using her personal for-
tune to purchase the property. Her action caught the popular imagina-
tion, with the result that the Alamo was preserved and she won the
title of its "Saviour."
She then turned her considerable energy and talent to other pur-
suits. Briefly, she became an author, writing a novel, a collection of
short stories, and a play that reached Broadway. After her marriage to

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