Did Our Fear of Snakes Come from Movie Westerns?

While channel surfing around college football games, I discovered an airing of the original 1969 True Grit starring John Wayne.  I happened upon the scene where the girl falls into the rattlesnake pit.

I remember seeing this scene as a little kid and being absolutely terrified.  Of course John Wayne repelled down into the pit, shot a couple snakes and rescued the young lady, but she had been bitten.  Next came a mad horserace to save her from the poison.  Because of that one scene, I had refused to see True Grit for years.

My father was truly scared of rattlers, and he shot them on sight.  The tall tale is that one day while fencing he saw a snake between his feet.  The way he said it, he leapt into the air and was shooting on the way down.

An actual incident with Dad and brother Bob started the same, a rattler between the feet.  But Dad didn't hear the snake at all.  After shooting the reptile, Dad asked Bob if it ever buzzed and Bob said yes like a mad mother.

Dad was in the doctor's office that afternoon to start getting hearing aids.

The 2010 True Grit

Looked up the same scene in the remake starring Jeff Bridges.  The deeper fall down the pit should've killed her or busted her up worse than whatever harm from a snakebite.  But where's the drama in that?

The Scariest Scene: Lonesome Dove

My most horrifying scene in film is not from a horror/slasher film; it's from a Western mini-series.  Lonesome Dove has a scene in the first episode where a cattle drive crosses a murky river and a cowboy falls into the water.  Unseen by anyone is a swarm of water moccasins.

The cowboy thrashes in the snake-filled water.  The episode ends with him screaming as a moccasin latches onto his cheek.

Note to self: buy heavy duty waders before fixing water gaps over dirty creeks.

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