PHOENIX- On Tuesday, Jan. 29, museum curator Andrew Patrick Nelson hosted a screening of the 1963 Western film “McLintock!” followed by a post-show discussion led by Susan Wilson, the education coordinator, as part of the Western Spirit Museum’s Western Week.

The western festivities began with a flashback to Old Town Scottsdale in 2017, serving as a bridge to a broader recollection of the city’s history.

“It wasn't that long ago when Scottsdale Road wasn't paved,” Nelson said. “We don't think of Scottsdale that way, but it's an important part of its history.”

For this year’s Western Week, Nelson said he chose to showcase a series of comedic western films because “it reminds us that even the best cowboys are okay with making fun of themselves.”

“McLintock!” stars John Wayne as a cowboy named George Washington McLintock who oversees a conflict between local government, settlers and Native Americans while balancing the return of his absent wife.

This film also touches on racial discrimination. Nancy Dopke, an audience member, mentioned similarities between the lack of respect shown towards the Native Americans in the time the film takes place and how other minorities are treated today.

“I've never cried during this movie, but I did especially with everything going on now,” Dopke said.

“McLintok!” also reflects outdated gender norms toward the end, where McLintok chases his wife through town in her undergarments as a humiliation ritual, which is resolved by him publicly shaming her.

“For a comedy, I did not find that ending funny,” Wilson said.

Aside from the movie, Nelson says the Western Spirit Museum plays a significant role in remembering Scottsdale’s history.

“What we do at the museum is we tell the history of the West through arts and culture,” said Nelson.

Guests come from all over the valley to experience the various events the museum hosts, according to Nelson.

“When you're visiting Scottsdale, this should be your first stop,” Nelson said. can follow your own path after that, and if you look through the guest book, you'll see folks from all over the world.”

According to the guest book, one woman traveled from Boston to visit the Western Spirit Museum for this year’s Western Week.

Scottsdale’s official website posted this screening on its event calendar, along with other activities such as western-themed parades, food, and live music from Jan. 24 through Feb. 1, 2026.

Nelson said, “This week is not only about Scottsdale’s western history but the larger history of the Americas”.

According to Nelson, Western films allow people to contemplate the nation's history, and this week's events remind locals and tourists about the vast historical significance of Scottsdale's pioneers.

Nelson said, “If the ability to laugh at oneself is indeed a measure of strength, then the glorious history of Western comedies is yet more evidence of Western’s greatness.”