Westerns are no longer male dominated to the point of parody - indeed it seems that many contemporary directors of the genre now anchor a production around a strong female lead. It is not that enlightened, after all, there must have been many women involved in the push west otherwise we would have had a birth problem at a time of above average mortality.
My sense is that the women who ran saloons like the Silver Dollar Saloon, 10,000 feet up in the Rocky Mountain of Colorado would have been tough, uncompromising characters, who dealt with every conceivable issue with steely resourcefulness. Their daily routine would not have been compromised by drunken fights, troublesome prostitutes, crippling snowstorms or even the occasional shoot out. Far from being exposed, they would have dealt with these minor adversities with a wry but steely smile. They bossed the saloon and its patronage seven days a week. Cara Delevingne was made to play the character of a landlady - she is sassy and hardened, as well, of course, as being one of the most celebrated models of her generation. When I took her out in this snowstorm in Leadville - America’s highest town - at minus 15 degrees,
I might as well have been taking her for breakfast at Tiffany’s. That is just one of the qualities that makes her a very special person. She wears her sovereignty with a light touch. I think the Silver Dollar Saloon - founded in 1879 - is one of the most authentic wild west bars in America and we were lucky to be there with Cara as a storm rolled through.
Having said that, we had been watching the weather forecast for a good week and were fully prepared.