An action hero (sometimes action heroine for women) is the protagonist of an action film or other form of entertainment which portrays action, adventure, and often violence.[1] Action heroes are depicted in exciting or perilous chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. Other media in which such heroes appear include swashbuckler films, Western films, old-time radio, adventure novels, dime novels, pulp magazines, and folklore.
The origin of the action hero is rooted in the history of imperialism with adventure stories being primarily written for boys, to imagine being men on travels and experiencing exciting action. Shawn Shimpach wrote, "The young, white men who were (or became) the aggrandized subjects of these stories motivated the narratives through their penchant for action and resolved conflict through violence informed by grit, wits, and innate skill, securing, in each story, the future of the world for which they were responsible and in the process confirming their masculine identity." In the early twentieth century, this storytelling was commercialized, and the stories were "readily adapted" to film. One of the earliest action-hero actors was Douglas Fairbanks.[2] In the Chicago Tribune, Donald Liebenson wrote, "Douglas Fairbanks was Hollywood's first major action hero, best known for the costume epics that established him as the screen's most dashing swashbuckler."[3] One of the defining action-hero characters played by Fairbanks was Zorro, which Michael Sragow called "the most influential action figure in film history and the happiest movie warrior of all time".[4] Fairbanks was followed by Errol Flynn, who achieved fame as Robin Hood in the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood.[5]
In the middle of the twentieth century, "...the action genre was predictably populated by suave, attractive heroes living adventures of thrilling, exotic excitement, unimpeded by (if clearly aligned to) national, cultural, or state borders." When television became commonplace, shows that featured action heroes included Adventures of Superman (1952–1958), The Avengers (1961–1969), The Saint (1962–1969), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968), Batman (1966–1968), and Impossible (1966–1973). Shimpach said they "offered up extraordinary (if not always completely serious) white men who resolved conflict through direct action and violence while displaying their effortless mastery of urban spaces, new technologies, fashion, and their own bodies."[2]
^Barna William Donovan (2010), Blood, guns, and testosterone: action films, audiences, and a thirst for violence, Scarecrow Press, ISBN9780810872622
^ abShimpach, Shawn (2010). "The Hero". Television in Transition: The Life and Afterlife of the Narrative Action Hero. Wiley. pp. 33–34. ISBN978-1-4443-2068-8.
^Liebenson, Donald (June 14, 1996). "'King of Hollywood' a tribute to action-hero Fairbanks". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^Sragow, Michael (January 1, 2021). "Zorro at 100: Why the original swashbuckler is still the quintessential American action hero". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^Ehrlich, David (September 1, 2015). "From Swashbucklers to Supermen: A Brief History of Action-Movie Heroes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
Further readingedit
Osgerby, Bill, Anna Gough-Yates, and Marianne Wells. Action TV : Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks. London: Routledge, 2001.
Tasker, Yvonne. Action and Adventure Cinema. New York: Routledge, 2004.
action, hero, action, hero, sometimes, action, heroine, women, protagonist, action, film, other, form, entertainment, which, portrays, action, adventure, often, violence, depicted, exciting, perilous, chase, sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, stunt, wor. An action hero sometimes action heroine for women is the protagonist of an action film or other form of entertainment which portrays action adventure and often violence 1 Action heroes are depicted in exciting or perilous chase sequences fights shootouts explosions and stunt work Other media in which such heroes appear include swashbuckler films Western films old time radio adventure novels dime novels pulp magazines and folklore John Cena in The Marine 2006 Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksHistory editThe origin of the action hero is rooted in the history of imperialism with adventure stories being primarily written for boys to imagine being men on travels and experiencing exciting action Shawn Shimpach wrote The young white men who were or became the aggrandized subjects of these stories motivated the narratives through their penchant for action and resolved conflict through violence informed by grit wits and innate skill securing in each story the future of the world for which they were responsible and in the process confirming their masculine identity In the early twentieth century this storytelling was commercialized and the stories were readily adapted to film One of the earliest action hero actors was Douglas Fairbanks 2 In the Chicago Tribune Donald Liebenson wrote Douglas Fairbanks was Hollywood s first major action hero best known for the costume epics that established him as the screen s most dashing swashbuckler 3 One of the defining action hero characters played by Fairbanks was Zorro which Michael Sragow called the most influential action figure in film history and the happiest movie warrior of all time 4 Fairbanks was followed by Errol Flynn who achieved fame as Robin Hood in the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood 5 In the middle of the twentieth century the action genre was predictably populated by suave attractive heroes living adventures of thrilling exotic excitement unimpeded by if clearly aligned to national cultural or state borders When television became commonplace shows that featured action heroes included Adventures of Superman 1952 1958 The Avengers 1961 1969 The Saint 1962 1969 The Man from U N C L E 1964 1968 Batman 1966 1968 and Impossible 1966 1973 Shimpach said they offered up extraordinary if not always completely serious white men who resolved conflict through direct action and violence while displaying their effortless mastery of urban spaces new technologies fashion and their own bodies 2 See also editList of action film actors List of female action heroes and villains List of male action heroes and villains Anandalok Best Action Hero Award Bruceploitation Lists of superheroesReferences edit Barna William Donovan 2010 Blood guns and testosterone action films audiences and a thirst for violence Scarecrow Press ISBN 9780810872622 a b Shimpach Shawn 2010 The Hero Television in Transition The Life and Afterlife of the Narrative Action Hero Wiley pp 33 34 ISBN 978 1 4443 2068 8 Liebenson Donald June 14 1996 King of Hollywood a tribute to action hero Fairbanks Chicago Tribune Retrieved December 2 2022 Sragow Michael January 1 2021 Zorro at 100 Why the original swashbuckler is still the quintessential American action hero The Washington Post Retrieved December 2 2022 Ehrlich David September 1 2015 From Swashbucklers to Supermen A Brief History of Action Movie Heroes Rolling Stone Retrieved December 2 2022 Further reading editOsgerby Bill Anna Gough Yates and Marianne Wells Action TV Tough Guys Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks London Routledge 2001 Tasker Yvonne Action and Adventure Cinema New York Routledge 2004 External links edit The Lost Action Hero The Washington Post nbsp This article related to film or motion picture terminology is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Action hero amp oldid 1219697149, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
