Project XX: The Real West (1961)

Silver-screen legend Gary Cooper narrates this insightful documentary, which aims to subvert the idealized notions of the Western frontier posited by Hollywood and unveil what life was really like in the rough-and-tumble Old West. Originally aired as an installment of the NBC News series "Project Twenty," the program uses vintage photographs, archival accounts and historical reenactments to paint a vivid portrait of the Wild West of the 19th century. (Note: This film was also distributed separately on 16mm for schools and libraries, qualifying it as a standalone documentary.)