Iowa-born Jock Mahoney was an elite athlete and U.S. Marines fighter pilot prior to falling into a film career. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest stuntmen in movie history, having taken leaps and bounds for Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Randolph Scott, and Gregory Peck. One of the first stuntmen to successfully move into acting, he was the popular star of the 1950s television westerns Range Rider and Yancy Derringer and twice played Tarzan on the big screen, presenting a memorable portrayal of an educated, articulate and mature jungle lord true to author Edgar Rice Burroughs' original vision. Filming in real jungles around the world took a physical toll on Mahoney that transformed him from leading man to burly character actor. He had to overcome the effects of a stroke but true to his tough guy nature rose above it to resume his life's many adventures. Mahoney was beloved by fans at conventions and appearances until his untimely demise in 1989 from a stroke-caused motor vehicle accident.

From 1947 through 1963, the merged studios of Universal and International produced mostly highly entertaining westerns that ranged from classics like Winchester '73 to forgettable films better left unmade. Entries on the 114 Universal-International westerns of the period are collected here. While other films may have contained western elements, only films that truly fit the genre are included. Films are arranged alphabetically by title, and each entry includes release date, alternate title, cast, credits, songs, location of filming, source if the film was an adaptation, running time, plot synopsis, commentary from the author and from the actors and directors, and representative excerpts from contemporary reviews. Also included are tag lines used in the original advertising for each film. An introduction to the book provides details on the Universal-International merger and a history of the studios' productions.

Many of the stars of silent westerns were young horse wranglers who left the open fields to make some extra money bulldogging steers and chasing Indians around arenas in traveling Wild West shows. They made their way to Hollywood when the popularity of the Wild West shows began to decline, found work acting in action-packed silent westerns, and became idols for early moviegoers everywhere. Over 100 of those cowboys who starred in silent westerns between 1903 and 1930 are highlighted in this work. Among those included are Broncho Billy Anderson, Art Acord, Harry Carey, William Desmond, Hoot Gibson, William S. Hart, Jack Hoxie, William Farnum, Jack Holt, Buck Jones, J. Warren Kerrigan, Tim McCoy, Ken Maynard, Tom Mix, Fred Thompson, Fred Cody, Bob Custer, Jack Daugherty, William Duncan, Neal Hart, Leo Maloney, Pete Morrison, Jack Mower, Dustin Farnum, George Larkin, Jack Perrin, Buddy Roosevelt, William Russell, Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, and Wally Wales, to name just a few. Biographical information and a complete filmography are provided for each actor. Richly illustrated with over 300 picture stills.