History of Western civilization through the 1970s. These musical artists were icons of radical social changes which saw many traditional notions of western culture alter dramatically. Hollywood, California became synonymous with film during the 20th century and American Cinema continued a period of immense global influence in the West after World War II. American cinema played a role in adjusting community attitudes through the 1940s to 1980 with seminal works like John Ford's 1956 Western "The Searchers", starring John Wayne, providing a sympathetic view of the Native American experience; and 1962's "To Kill a Mockingbird", based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee
John Ford which is now widely regarded as not only one of his best films, but also by many as one of the greatest westerns, and one of the best performances of John Wayne's career. Shot on location in Monument Valley, it tells of the embittered Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards who spends years tracking down his niece, kidnapped by Comanches as a young girl. The supporting cast included Jeffrey Hunter, Ward Bond, Vera Miles and rising star Natalie Wood. It was Hunter's first film for Ford. It was very successful upon its first release and became one of the top 20