The men and women who helped to tame the west were larger-than-life Americans - rebels, pioneers, and icons of the frontier culture. Both heroes and villains, they captured the imagination of a nation and inspired a stream of dime novels, television shows, and big-screen dramas. Step into the past with AMERICAN EXPERIENCE in this collection of eight one-hour documentaries, and uncover the real stories behind the legendary figures whose lives and exploits took center stage in the invention of the mythic Wild West.
Annie Oakley - Described as ""the greatest woman rifle shot the world has ever produced,"" Annie Oakley thrilled audiences with her shooting, but this uniquely American icon embodied many of the paradoxes of the nation.
Billy the Kid - One of the most notorious criminals of his age, 21-year-old Henry McCarty, alias Billy the Kid, outfoxed jailors and electrified the nation with a long line of daring escapes. Mythologized by big-screen dramas, the Kid's real story has largely been obscured.
Buffalo Bill - Part circus, part history, ""Buffalo Bill's Wild West"" toured for three decades, across the United States and Europe, and William ""Buffalo Bill"" Cody's legendary exploits helped create the myth of the American West - one that endures today.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Separating fact from fiction, the latest installment of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE's popular The Wild West series explores the last pair of outlaws to flee on horseback into a setting sun.
Custer's Last Stand - George Armstrong Custer was one of the Union's greatest cavalry officers, and a man with a reputation for fearless - often reckless - courage.
Jesse James - The story of Jesse James remains one of America's most cherished - and fictional - myths. Less heroic than brutal, James lived a life steeped in violence and bloodshed, and met his end like so many of his victims: unarmed, and shot in the back.
Kit Carson - His exploits on the American frontier inspired dozens of novels, but these wildly popular books belie his tragedy. When the West was a mystery to most Americans, Carson mastered it, ultimately helping to spur a migration that would change the West forever - destroying the life he loved.
Wyatt Earp - He is a legend in the American West, but how did the young gambler who spent his days in saloons and brothels use a shootout at the O.K. Corral to become the folk hero we know today?
Producer: WGBH
Production Year: 2014
Number of Discs: 3
Length: 570 minutes
Subtitled: Y
Subtitle Languages: English (SDH)
DVI: N
Audio Format: 5.1 Surround
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen