How the West Was Won (1962)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Directors:

John Ford
Henry Hathaway
(more)

Writer:

James R. Webb (written by) (suggested by the series "How the West Was Won" in LIFE magazine)
(more)

Release Date:

20 February 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

A FABULOUS ROMANTIC ADVENTURE

Plot:

A family saga covering several decades of Westward expansion in the nineteenth century--including the Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads.

Plot Keywords:

Railroad | Civil War | Erie Canal | Gold Rush | Wagon Train

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Carroll Baker	...	Eve Prescott
Lee J. Cobb	...	Marshal Lou Ramsey
Henry Fonda	...	Jethro Stuart
Carolyn Jones	...	Julie Rawlings
Karl Malden	...	Zebulon Prescott
Gregory Peck	...	Cleve Van Valen
George Peppard	...	Zeb Rawlings
Robert Preston	...	Roger Morgan
Debbie Reynolds	...	Lilith Prescott
James Stewart	...	Linus Rawlings
Eli Wallach	...	Charlie Gant
John Wayne	...	Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
Richard Widmark	...	Mike King
Brigid Bazlen	...	Dora Hawkins
Walter Brennan	...	Col. Jeb Hawkins
David Brian	...	Lilith's attorney
Andy Devine	...	Cpl. Peterson
Raymond Massey	...	Abraham Lincoln
Agnes Moorehead	...	Rebecca Prescott
Harry Morgan	...	Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (as Henry 'Harry' Morgan)
Thelma Ritter	...	Agatha Clegg
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Deputy Stover
Russ Tamblyn	...	Confederate deserter
Spencer Tracy	...	Narrator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Gant gang member (uncredited)
Mark Allen	...	Colin Harvey (uncredited)
Beulah Archuletta	...	Indian woman (uncredited)
Robert Banas	...	Dance Hall Dancer (uncredited)
Willis Bouchey	...	Surgeon (uncredited)
Charlie Briggs	...	Flying Arrow Barker (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Auctioneer's assistant (uncredited)
Walter Burke	...	Wagon poker player (uncredited)
Polly Burson	...	Stock player (uncredited)
Kim Charney	...	Sam Prescott (uncredited)
Ken Curtis	...	Cpl. Ben (uncredited)
John Damler	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Christopher Dark	...	Poker player with Cleve (uncredited)
Kem Dibbs	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Craig Duncan	...	James Marshall (uncredited)
Ben Black Elk Sr.	...	Arapajo chief (uncredited)
Jay C. Flippen	...	Huggins (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	River pirate (uncredited)
Tom Greenway	...	(uncredited)
James Griffith	...	Poker player with Cleve (uncredited)
Barry Harvey	...	Angus Harvey (uncredited)
William Henry	...	Staff officer (uncredited)
Jerry Holmes	...	Railroad clerk (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Claude Johnson	...	Jeremiah Rawlings (uncredited)
Jack Lambert	...	Gant henchman (uncredited)
John Larch	...	Grimes (uncredited)
Stanley Livingston	...	Prescott Rawlings (uncredited)
J. Edward McKinley	...	Auctioneer (uncredited)
Harry Monty	...	(uncredited)
Bob Morgan	...	Member of train robbery gang (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	(uncredited)
Robert Nash	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Cliff Osmond	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Tudor Owen	...	Parson Alec Harvey (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Jack Pennick	...	Cpl. Murphy (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Red Perkins	...	Union soldier (uncredited)
Buddy Red Bow	...	Native Man (uncredited)
Walter Reed	...	(uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Officer (uncredited)
Victor Romito	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Jamie Ross	...	Bruce Harvey (uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	Riverboat poker player (uncredited)
Bryan Russell	...	Zeke Prescott (uncredited)
Danny Sands	...	Trapeze man (uncredited)
Joe Sawyer	...	Riverboat officer (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Auction spectator (uncredited)
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Gant henchman (uncredited)
Clinton Sundberg	...	Hylan Seabury (uncredited)
Karl Swenson	...	Train conductor (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	...	River pirate (uncredited)
Lee Van Cleef	...	River pirate (uncredited)
William Wellman Jr.	...	Officer #2 (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Cattleman at barricade (uncredited)
Carleton Young	...	Poker player with Cleve (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford		(segment "The Civil War")
Henry Hathaway		(segments "The Rivers", "The Plains" and "The Outlaws")
George Marshall		(segment "The Railroad")
Richard Thorpe		(uncredited) (transitional historical sequences)

Writing credits
James R. Webb		(written by) (suggested by the series "How the West Was Won" in LIFE magazine)
John Gay		uncredited

Produced by
Bernard Smith	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels
Milton R. Krasner		(director of photography) (as Milton Krasner)
Charles Lang		(as Charles Lang Jr.)
Joseph LaShelle

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
William Ferrari
Addison Hehr

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Don Greenwood Jr.
Jack Mills

Costume Design by
Ron Talsky		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup creator
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: Henry Fonda/George Peppard (uncredited)

Production Management
Thomas Conroy	....	production supervisor: Cinerama

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Marshall Jr.	....	assistant director
William McGarry	....	assistant director
Robert Saunders	....	assistant director
William Shanks	....	assistant director
Wingate Smith	....	assistant director
Richard Talmadge	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Overbeck	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special visual effects (as A.Arnold Gillespie)
Robert R. Hoag	....	special visual effects

Stunts
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Polly Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Cordell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Johnny Hagner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Hall	....	stunt double: Debbie Reynolds (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunt double: Debbie Reynolds (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Leroy Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Juaregui	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted Mapes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Melton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louise Montana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carl Pitti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rusty Richards	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Romito	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Danny Sands	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Talmadge	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Bob Terhune	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Autry Ward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Ward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harold E. Wellman	....	photographer: second unit
Bill Johnson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
James V. King	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	video technician (uncredited)
Pete G. Papanickolas	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Fuca	....	assistant set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant
Mike Henry	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	music associate
Robert Emmett Dolan	....	music coordinator
Dave Guard	....	folk singer
Robert Armbruster	....	associate conductor (uncredited)
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Ken Darby	....	choir (uncredited)
Robert Emmett Dolan	....	associate conductor (uncredited)
Carl Fortina	....	musician: concertina (uncredited)
Tommy Morgan	....	musician: harmonica (uncredited)
Alfred Newman	....	conductor (uncredited)
Paul Salamunovich	....	choral singer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (present)
• Cinerama Productions Corp. (present) (as CINERAMA)

Distributors

• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1962) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Filmgesellschaft MBH (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (CinemaScope version)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (Germany) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (????) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Turner Pictures (I)

Other Companies

• Officials of the State of South Dakota  we express deep appreciation (as the Officials of the State of South Dakota)
• U.S. Forest Service  we express deep appreciation (as the United States Forest Service)
• The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation  we express deep appreciation (as Bureau of Reclamation)

Runtime:

162 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arapaho

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (credited as Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.89 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | Cinerama 7-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G | Portugal:M/12 | USA:Approved (certificate #20143) | USA:G (re-rating) (1970) | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (cut) | UK:PG (video re-rating) (1995) (uncut) | UK:U (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

John Wayne shot the key cameo of Gen.Sherman in five days.

Goofs:

Continuity: Linus Rawlings ('Jimmy Stewart') is depicted as having gray hair. The body of the man they identify as Linus Rawlings to the Civil War surgeon has red hair.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: [as the camera pans over the Rocky Mountains] This land has a name today, and is marked on maps. But, the names and the marks and the maps all had to be won, won from nature and from primitive man.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Leave It to Beaver: Wally's Practical Joke (#6.35)" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Home in the Meadow

"I Am Bound For The Promised Land."

I still remember seeing How the West Was Won in Cinerama when it made it into general release back in 1962. A motion picture theater equipped for Cinerama is the only way this one should be seen. The formatted VHS copy I watched tonight can't come close to doing it justice.

James R. Webb's original screenplay for the screen won an Oscar in 1962 and it involves an episodic account of the Presscott family and their contribution to settling the American west in the 19th century. We first meet the Presscotts, Karl Malden and Agnes Moorehead going west on the Erie Canal and later by flatboat on the Ohio River. They have two daughters, dreamy romantic Carroll Baker and feisty Debbie Reynolds. The girls meet and marry mountain man James Stewart and gambler Gregory Peck eventually and their adventures and those of their children are what make up the plot of How the West Was Won.

Three of Hollywood's top directors did parts of this film although the lion's share by all accounts was done by Henry Hathaway. John Ford did the Civil War sequence and George Marshall the sequence about the railroad.

The Civil War piece featured John Wayne and Harry Morgan in a moment of reflection at the battlefield of Shiloh. Morgan did a first rate job as Grant in his brief cameo and Wayne was playing Sherman for the second time in his career. He'd previously played Sherman in an unbilled cameo on his friend Ward Bond's Wagon Train series. I'm surprised Wayne never did Sherman in a biographical film, he would have been good casting.

If any of the stars could be said to be THE star of the film it would have to be Debbie Reynolds. She's in the film almost through out and in the last sequence where as a widow she goes to live with her nephew George Peppard and his family she's made up as a gray haired old woman and does very well with the aging. Debbie also gets to do a couple of musical numbers, A Home in the Meadow and Raise A Ruckus both blend in well in the story. Debbie's performance in How the West Was Won must have been the reason she was cast in The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Cinerama was rarely as effectively employed as in How the West Was Won. I well remember feeling like you were right on the flatboat that the Presscott family was on as they got caught in the Ohio River rapids. The Indian attack and the buffalo stampede were also well done. But the climax involving that running gun battle between peace officers George Peppard and Lee J. Cobb with outlaw Eli Wallach and his gang on a moving train even on a formatted VHS is beyond thrilling.

There is a sequence that was removed and it had to do with Peppard going to live with buffalo hunter Henry Fonda and marrying Hope Lange who was Fonda's daughter. She dies and Peppard leaves the mountains and then marries Carolyn Jones. Lange's part was completely left on the cutting room floor. Hopefully there will be a restored version of How the West Was Won, we'll see Hope Lange and more of Henry Fonda.

And it should be restored. All those Hollywood legends in one exciting film. They really don't make them like this any more.