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How the West Was Won
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How the West Was Won (1962) More at IMDbPro »

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How the West Was Won (1962) -- 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.
How the West Was Won (1962) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   5,706 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 128% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writer:
James R. Webb (written by) (suggested by the series "How the West Was Won" in LIFE magazine)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for How the West Was Won on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 February 1963 (USA) more
Tagline:
A FABULOUS ROMANTIC ADVENTURE more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Interview: Debbie Reynolds Dishes on Her Lucky Star Career
 (From HollywoodChicago.com. 23 November 2009, 9:04 AM, PST)

The Sunday Movie Quiz – The Answers
 (From HeyUGuys. 16 November 2009, 12:33 PM, PST)

User Reviews:
A Wow Of a Blue Ray!! more (94 total)
US TV Schedule:

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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)
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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)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Runtime:
162 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor) (credited as Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.89 : 1 more
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)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Spencer Tracy was only able to narrate the film rather than play a part due to his health problems. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When the wagon train on its way to California is attacked by Indians, it is in a mountainous area, yet the Indians are identified as Cheyenne. The Cheyenne tribe was a Great Plains tribe, and would not have been that far west. more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
What Was Your Name in The States? more

FAQ

How can I see How The West Was Won in CINERAMA?
more
17 out of 17 people found the following review useful.
A Wow Of a Blue Ray!!, 26 August 2009
9/10
Author: jpdoherty from Ireland

Three cheers are much in order for Warner Home Video with their release of this superb issue on Blue Ray disc of MGM's 1962 blockbuster epic HOW THE WEST WAS WON! Firstly the nine star rating adjudged the disc is NOT for the movie - which I think is generally agreed to be something of a much flawed western extravaganza - but for the quite awesome two disc presentation this time around on Blue Ray.

Virtually gone are the once irritating panel lines that were left by the filming with three cameras. Now we have the definitive version of the movie that is nothing short of stunning! With extremely well defined sharp as a button imagery, pluperfect colour resolution and outstanding audio sound (Alfred Newman's brilliant score comes across with dynamic clarity!) the entire visual experience is certainly something to behold!

The first disc presents the film in a terrific 2.35 widescreen version with some excellent extras that includes a documentary giving us the history of Cinerama and how the public responded to its introduction in the early fifties. There are also some great clips from the first Cinerama picture "This Is Cinerama" (1953) presented by explorer and Cinerama pioneer Lowell Thomas.

But it is disc two that really takes the biscuit! Here we get a "smile box" version of the complete HOW THE WEST WAS WON. This is the "wrap around" totally curved format of the film which simulates the cinema Cinerama viewing experience. And by simply moving your seat closer to your TV (the greater your TV screen the greater the effect) you can well imagine watching the movie in your bygone Cinerama theatre. It is all quite astonishing really and makes a great fun demo. to show off to your friends!

Amazingly this unique presentation - with all its technical brilliance - actually makes the movie better than it really is!

GO FETCH!!

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