IMDb RATING
6.2/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
In 1843, a former U.S. Senator leads a wagon train of settlers to Oregon, but his megalomania leads to growing dissatisfaction with his leadership.In 1843, a former U.S. Senator leads a wagon train of settlers to Oregon, but his megalomania leads to growing dissatisfaction with his leadership.In 1843, a former U.S. Senator leads a wagon train of settlers to Oregon, but his megalomania leads to growing dissatisfaction with his leadership.
Harry Carey Jr.
- Mr. McBee
- (as Harry Carey)
Elisabeth Fraser
- Mrs. Fairman
- (as Elizabeth Fraser)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRobert Mitchum and Richard Widmark reportedly did not get along with Kirk Douglas because of his tendency to usurp control of the project from Director Andrew V. McLaglen.
- GoofsThe tall case clock that Widmark and family are taking in their wagon is operational during the journey. A tall case clock has to be level and stationery in order for its pendulum to function and enable the clock to keep time. This clock is working as it chimes while crossing the rolling hills of the Great Plains as well as going up a very steep incline of the mountains west of Fort Hall. Being transported inside a jarring wagon over this rough and uneven terrain would have caused the pendulum to swing wildly about inside the tall case and rendered the clock inoperable. In other words, no such clock under such conditions could chime.
The pendulum keeps the hands at the correct time. If the clock has a mainspring, (which it does- Becky wound it at 0:08;18) the chimes can sound without the pendulum, just not at the right time.
- Quotes
[first lines]
[Mercy flirts silently with Brownie]
Lije Evans: Best not be lookin', Brownie.
Brownie Evans: I ain't lookin'... as hard as I can.
- Crazy creditsIntroducing Sally Field as "Mercy" and introducing Katherine Justice.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Discovering Film: Sally Field (2020)
- SoundtracksThe Way West
Music by Bronislau Kaper (uncredited)
Lyrics by Mack David
Sung by The Serendipity Singers (as Serendipity Singers)
Featured review
An attempt at an epic old-style Western from a journeyman director - he made a better stab at it later with Chisum. Perhaps its the lack of John Wayne and the rest of the John Ford rep but this is a film of striking set-pieces separated by far too much time! Douglas and Widmark both do some stirring scenery-chewing but this is a melodrama so that is allowed. Mitchum is laid-back and laconic as only Mitchum could be - and looks wonderful as ever. Not sure why others were surprised to see him in a Western - Mitchum made his share and some very good ones too (El Dorado, Five Card Stud and Bandido are all favourites of mine). The Fort Hall sequence is fun - just as a reminder that the Sioux and the French weren't the only folks that got there before the Americans! ;-)
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 2 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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