Scott Simmon, professor of English and co-director of the film studies program at UC Davis, has just published "The Invention of the Western Film." In it he explores the evolution of the genre from the American Indian's rise and demise during the silent era to the film-noir influenced Westerns of the 1940s. "Westerns have always felt free to express their belief in America and have been allowed to speak about race, religion and politics in ways usually taboo in contemporary Hollywood films," Simmon says. He pleased historic-cinema buffs in 2000 with a set of four DVDs containing 50 movies called "Treasures From American Film Archives." His forthcoming DVD set, "Silent Treasures" (summer 2004), will make available another 50 films preserved by American archives. A former curator of film retrospectives at the Library of Congress, Simmon wrote "The Films of D.W. Griffith" (1993) and has co-authored other books on film history and preservation. Contact: Scott Simmon, English, (530) 754-8911, sasimmon@ucdavis.edu. For a review copy, contact Barbara Gibson at (510) 531-4521, barbarawgibson@yahoo.com.