7.0
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.
Debbie Reynolds
Lilith Prescott
George Peppard
Zeb Rawlings
Carroll Baker
Eve Prescott Rawlings
James Stewart
Linus Rawlings
Gregory Peck
Cleve Van Valen
Karl Malden
Zebulon Prescott
Robert Preston
Roger Morgan
Henry Fonda
Jethro Stuart
Richard Widmark
Mike King
Carolyn Jones
Julie Rawlings
Agnes Moorehead
Rebecca Prescott
Lee J. Cobb
Marshal Lou Ramsey
Thelma Ritter
Agatha Clegg
John Wayne
Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
Harry Morgan
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Eli Wallach
Charlie Gant
Walter Brennan
Col. Jeb Hawkins
Brigid Bazlen
Dora Hawkins
David Brian
Lilith's Attorney
Andy Devine
Cpl. Peterson
Raymond Massey
Abraham Lincoln
Mickey Shaughnessy
Deputy Stover
Russ Tamblyn
Confederate Deserter
Spencer Tracy
Narrator (voice)
Harry Dean Stanton
Gant Henchman (uncredited)
Lee Van Cleef
River Pirate (uncredited)
Rodolfo Acosta
Gant Gang Member (uncredited)
Clinton Sundberg
Hylan Seabury (uncredited)
Willis Bouchey
Civil War Surgeon (uncredited)
Claude Johnson
Jeremiah Rawlings (uncredited)
Kim Charney
Sam Prescott (uncredited)
Bryan Russell
Zeke Prescott (uncredited)
Stanley Livingston
Prescott Rawlings (uncredited)
Jay C. Flippen
Huggins (uncredited)
Tudor Owen
Parson Alec Harvey (uncredited)
Karl Swenson
Train Conductor (uncredited)
James Griffith
Poker Player with Cleve (uncredited)
Jack Pennick
Cpl. Murphy
Jim Michael
Barfly (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson
Officer (uncredited)
Claude Akins
Man (uncredited)
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
Barfly (uncredited)
John Breen
Waiter (uncredited)
Charlie Briggs
Flying Arrow Barker (uncredited)
Buddy Bryan
Music Hall Dancer / Wagon Train Traveler (uncredited)
Paul Bryar
Auctioneer's Assistant (uncredited)
Walter Burke
Wagon Poker Player (uncredited)
Polly Burson
Stock Player (uncredited)
Ken Curtis
Cpl. Ben (uncredited)
John Damler
Lawyer (uncredited)
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
Staff Officer (uncredited)
Jerry Holmes
Railroad Clerk (uncredited)
Roy Jenson
Henchman (uncredited)
Walter Kightly
Cavalryman (uncredited)
Jack Lambert
Gant Henchman (uncredited)
John Larch
Grimes (uncredited)
Robert P. Lieb
Bartender (uncredited)
Herbert Maneval
Schoolboy (uncredited)
J. Edward McKinley
Auctioneer (uncredited)
Gary Menteer
Music Hall Dancer / Wagon Train Traveler (uncredited)
Harold Miller
Auction Guest (uncredited)
Harry Monty
River Pirate (uncredited)
Bob Morgan
Member of Train Robbery Gang (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan
River Pirate (uncredited)
Forbes Murray
Auction Guest (uncredited)
Robert Nash
Lawyer (uncredited)
Cliff Osmond
Bartender (uncredited)
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
River Pirate (uncredited)
Victor Romito
Henchman (uncredited)
Jamie Ross
Bruce Harvey (uncredited)
Gene Roth
Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)
Bing Russell
Man (uncredited)
Danny Sands
Trapeze Man (uncredited)
Joe Sawyer
Riverboat Officer (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre
Auction Guest (uncredited)
Phil Schumacher
Bartender (uncredited)
June Smaney
Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Kelly Smith
Little Girl (uncredited)
Dub Taylor
Man (uncredited)
Ken Terrell
River Pirate (uncredited)
Jack Tornek
Barfly (uncredited)
William Wellman Jr.
Officer #2 (uncredited)
Harry Wilson
Cattleman at Barricade (uncredited)
Carleton Young
Poker Player with Cleve (uncredited)
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
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