by Glenn Frankel (Get the Book)This is not your typical making-of book. Frankel covers the production of the classic 1956 John Ford movie based on Alan LeMay's equally respected novel, but he also discusses in a lot more detail the story on which LeMay's book was based. It might come as a surprise to fans of the movie and its literary inspiration to learn the basic story is true. In nineteenth-century Texas, Comanches really did attack a homestead, killing many people and making off with several others, including nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker, who was found years later and restored to her family. LeMay and, later, Ford fictionalized the story, altering its chronology (in reality, Cynthia Ann Parker lived with the Comanches for 24 years) and added new elements (John Wayne's character veers rather sharply from its historical inspiration). The author takes us through the historical story before examining the production of Ford's film, allowing us to see not just how a movie is made but also how it can alter reality while maintaining the real story's power. A must-read for film students, making-of fans, and students of American history. --Booklist
