Hearts of the West (1975)

In the heart of 1933, Lewis Tater, an ambitious Iowa native, dreams of mirroring the success of his hero, Zane Grey, and crafting his own Western novel. Inspired by an enticing magazine ad, he enrolls in a correspondence writing course at the seemingly reputable University of Titan and sets off to Nevada, hoping to submerge himself in the authentic Western atmosphere. Unbeknownst to him, his quest for enlightenment is built on a scam—the university is nothing more than a ghost town. However, destiny has a unique path for Lewis. During his adventure, he fortuitously stumbles onto the bustling set of Tumbleweed Productions, a Hollywood studio specializing in B-Westerns. Bert Kessler, the head of Tumbleweed, sees potential in Lewis and hires him as one of the stock "cowboys". Meanwhile, Lewis finds himself in a predicament with the loot box of two con artists who attempted to rob him back in Titan, and they're hot on his trail. As he navigates his unexpected film career and the relentless pursuit of the con artists, Lewis simultaneously clings to his dream of writing. He switches his idol from Grey to Billy Pueblo, a renowned Western writer and retired B-western star. Guiding Lewis through his new Hollywood life are Howard Pike, the lead cowboy at Tumbleweed, and Miss Trout, the production manager who shares a palpable attraction with him. In this captivating journey of self-discovery, Lewis Tater transcends from a naive dreamer to a Hollywood sensation, while keeping his passion for Western tales alive. Amidst the chaos of Tinseltown and the looming threat of the con artists, he finds himself living the very Western adventure he yearned to write. Hearts of the West is a captivating tale of dreams, destiny, and the magic of Hollywood in its golden era.

Hearts of the West is a comedy movie featuring Jeff Bridges and directed by Howard Zieff.

Hearts of the West is currently streaming on DIRECTV.

It is also possible to buy Hearts of the West on Amazon Video, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.