The western genre touched on ideals of honor, conquest, and freedom of spirit, and its stories packed cinemas of the early sound era. This volume covers 30 western film series produced from the mid 1930s to the early 1950s. Included are such long-running series as ""Hopalong Cassidy,"" ""The Durango Kid"" and ""The Three Mesquiteers"" as well as those that had moderate or brief runs like ""The Singing Cowgirl"" and ""The Texas Rangers."" Major genre stars like John Wayne, Ken Maynard, Tim McCoy, Buck Jones and Johnny Mack Brown headlined the popular Saturday matinee fare. The book contains a plot synopsis and analysis of each series' place in cinema history, many photographs and illustrations and a detailed filmography.