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How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won

7.0

How the West Was Won

G·1962·164m

Summary

The epic tale of the development of the American West from the 1830s through the Civil War to the end of the century, as seen through the eyes of one pioneer family.

Cast

Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds

Lilith Prescott

George Peppard

George Peppard

Zeb Rawlings

Carroll Baker

Carroll Baker

Eve Prescott Rawlings

James Stewart

James Stewart

Linus Rawlings

Gregory Peck

Gregory Peck

Cleve Van Valen

Karl Malden

Karl Malden

Zebulon Prescott

Robert Preston

Robert Preston

Roger Morgan

Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda

Jethro Stuart

Richard Widmark

Richard Widmark

Mike King

Carolyn Jones

Carolyn Jones

Julie Rawlings

Agnes Moorehead

Agnes Moorehead

Rebecca Prescott

Lee J. Cobb

Lee J. Cobb

Marshal Lou Ramsey

Thelma Ritter

Thelma Ritter

Agatha Clegg

John Wayne

John Wayne

Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman

Harry Morgan

Harry Morgan

Gen. Ulysses S. Grant

Eli Wallach

Eli Wallach

Charlie Gant

Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan

Col. Jeb Hawkins

Brigid Bazlen

Brigid Bazlen

Dora Hawkins

David Brian

David Brian

Lilith's Attorney

Andy Devine

Andy Devine

Cpl. Peterson

Raymond Massey

Raymond Massey

Abraham Lincoln

Mickey Shaughnessy

Mickey Shaughnessy

Deputy Stover

Russ Tamblyn

Russ Tamblyn

Confederate Deserter

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy

Narrator (voice)

Harry Dean Stanton

Harry Dean Stanton

Gant Henchman (uncredited)

Lee Van Cleef

Lee Van Cleef

River Pirate (uncredited)

Rodolfo Acosta

Rodolfo Acosta

Gant Gang Member (uncredited)

Clinton Sundberg

Clinton Sundberg

Hylan Seabury (uncredited)

Willis Bouchey

Willis Bouchey

Civil War Surgeon (uncredited)

Claude Johnson

Claude Johnson

Jeremiah Rawlings (uncredited)

Kim Charney

Kim Charney

Sam Prescott (uncredited)

Bryan Russell

Bryan Russell

Zeke Prescott (uncredited)

Stanley Livingston

Stanley Livingston

Prescott Rawlings (uncredited)

Jay C. Flippen

Jay C. Flippen

Huggins (uncredited)

Tudor Owen

Tudor Owen

Parson Alec Harvey (uncredited)

Karl Swenson

Karl Swenson

Train Conductor (uncredited)

James Griffith

James Griffith

Poker Player with Cleve (uncredited)

Jack Pennick

Jack Pennick

Cpl. Murphy

Jim Michael

Barfly (uncredited)

Chuck Roberson

Chuck Roberson

Officer (uncredited)

Claude Akins

Claude Akins

Man (uncredited)

Mark Allen

Mark Allen

Colin Harvey (uncredited)

Don Anderson

Auction Guest (uncredited)

Beulah Archuletta

Arapaho Woman (uncredited)

Robert Banas

Dance Hall Dancer (uncredited)

Willie Bloom

Barfly (uncredited)

Bill Borzage

Bill Borzage

Barfly (uncredited)

John Breen

Waiter (uncredited)

Charlie Briggs

Charlie Briggs

Flying Arrow Barker (uncredited)

Buddy Bryan

Music Hall Dancer / Wagon Train Traveler (uncredited)

Paul Bryar

Paul Bryar

Auctioneer's Assistant (uncredited)

Walter Burke

Walter Burke

Wagon Poker Player (uncredited)

Polly Burson

Polly Burson

Stock Player (uncredited)

Ken Curtis

Ken Curtis

Cpl. Ben (uncredited)

John Damler

John Damler

Lawyer (uncredited)

Christopher Dark

Christopher Dark

Poker Player with Cleve (uncredited)

Kem Dibbs

Blacksmith (uncredited)

Forrest Draper

Bit Role (uncredited)

Craig Duncan

James Marshall (uncredited)

Ben Black Elk Sr.

Arapaho Chief (uncredited)

Raoul Freeman

Auction Guest (uncredited)

Sol Gorss

River Pirate (uncredited)

Tom Greenway

Bit Role (uncredited)

Barry Harvey

Angus Harvey (uncredited)

William Henry

William Henry

Staff Officer (uncredited)

Jerry Holmes

Railroad Clerk (uncredited)

Roy Jenson

Roy Jenson

Henchman (uncredited)

Walter Kightly

Cavalryman (uncredited)

Jack Lambert

Jack Lambert

Gant Henchman (uncredited)

John Larch

John Larch

Grimes (uncredited)

Robert P. Lieb

Bartender (uncredited)

Herbert Maneval

Schoolboy (uncredited)

J. Edward McKinley

J. Edward McKinley

Auctioneer (uncredited)

Gary Menteer

Music Hall Dancer / Wagon Train Traveler (uncredited)

Harold Miller

Harold Miller

Auction Guest (uncredited)

Harry Monty

River Pirate (uncredited)

Bob Morgan

Bob Morgan

Member of Train Robbery Gang (uncredited)

Boyd 'Red' Morgan

Boyd 'Red' Morgan

River Pirate (uncredited)

Forbes Murray

Forbes Murray

Auction Guest (uncredited)

Robert Nash

Robert Nash

Lawyer (uncredited)

Cliff Osmond

Cliff Osmond

Bartender (uncredited)

Harvey Parry

Harvey Parry

Henchman (uncredited)

Gil Perkins

Henchman (uncredited)

Red Perkins

Union Soldier (uncredited)

Murray Pollack

Auction Guest (uncredited)

Paul Power

Auction Guest (uncredited)

Frank Radcliffe

Music Hall Dancer / Wagon Train Traveler (uncredited)

Buddy Red Bow

Arapaho Man (uncredited)

Walter Reed

Walter Reed

River Pirate (uncredited)

Victor Romito

Henchman (uncredited)

Jamie Ross

Bruce Harvey (uncredited)

Gene Roth

Gene Roth

Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)

Bing Russell

Bing Russell

Man (uncredited)

Danny Sands

Trapeze Man (uncredited)

Joe Sawyer

Joe Sawyer

Riverboat Officer (uncredited)

Jeffrey Sayre

Jeffrey Sayre

Auction Guest (uncredited)

Phil Schumacher

Bartender (uncredited)

June Smaney

Saloon Girl (uncredited)

Kelly Smith

Little Girl (uncredited)

Dub Taylor

Dub Taylor

Man (uncredited)

Ken Terrell

River Pirate (uncredited)

Jack Tornek

Barfly (uncredited)

William Wellman Jr.

William Wellman Jr.

Officer #2 (uncredited)

Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson

Cattleman at Barricade (uncredited)

Carleton Young

Carleton Young

Poker Player with Cleve (uncredited)

Crew

Director

John Ford

Director

George Marshall

Director

Henry Hathaway

Lyricist

Johnny Mercer

Lyricist

Ken Darby

Lyricist

Sammy Cahn

Writer

John Gay

Writer

James R. Webb

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

May 4, 2017

9

Bound for the promised land, indeed.

One of the last great epic movies to come out of MGM that was a roaring success, How the West Was Won still has enough quality about it to warrant high praise. The story that drives the film on was suggested by the series of the same name that featured in "Life" magazine 1959. Narrative is formed around one family, the Prescott's, who set out on a journey West in 1839. They and their offspring fill out five segments of film that are directed by three different men, "The Rivers", "The Plains" & "The Outlaws" is under the guidance of Henry Hathaway, and "The Civil War" by John Ford and "The Railroad" by George Marshall.

Filmed in the unique Cinerama format, which in a nutshell is three cameras filming at once to project a fully formed experience for the human eye, the production has an all star cast and four supreme cinematographers aiding the story. To name all the cast would take forever, but in the main all of the major parts were filled by stars who had already headlined a movie previously. The cinematographers are naturally key since such a sprawling story inevitably has sprawling vistas, they come up trumps with some truly special work: William H. Daniels, Milton Krasner, Charles Lang Jr. & Joseph LaShelle, four great names who help to make the film a poetic beauty.

As a whole it's undeniably far from flawless, complaints such as it running out of steam towards the end (the irony of it since a steam train features prominently), and the plot contrivances, are fair enough. However, when the film is good, it's real good: raft in the rapids, Cheyene attack, buffalo stampede and train robbery, each of them are good enough to be a highlight in separate movies. Even the songs are pleasant, particularly when they revolve around the effervescent Debbie Reynolds, while home format transfers are now finally up to a standard worthy of investment, time and cash wise.

Hard to dislike for a Western fan, and carrying enough about it to lure in the casual viewer, How the West Was Won really is a case of they don't make them like they used to. 8/10

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$15,000,000.00

Revenue:

$50,000,000.00

Keywords

epic
river
settler
native american
caravan
outlaw
frontier
colonisation
family
riverboat
usa history