This Week in the West: The Hollywood Drama of Broncho Billy Anderson

This Week in the West · Jan 19, 2026 · 5m

🤠This Week in the West

🎙️ Episode 64: The Hollywood Drama of Broncho Billy Anderson

📢 Episode Summary:

In this episode of This Week in The West, we remember Broncho Billy Anderson, one of the very first cowboy movie stars and a true pioneer of American cinema. Born Maxwell Henry Aronson in 1880 to Jewish immigrant parents, Anderson found his way from stage performances and odd acting jobs into film at a moment when movies themselves were still being invented. His early appearance in The Great Train Robbery helped launch both his career and the Western genre itself.

As co-founder of the…