How the West Was Won (1962)

"I've never been kissed permanent before." Carroll Baker

A collaborative effort of three directors and many top stars, How the West was Won was one of the final gasps in Hollywood's battle for supremacy with the pesky TV.

A movie made in Cinerama, a three lens process that was projected on a deeply curved screen, this effect is lost on the DVD. What happened in Cinerama was true camera magic; you had the illusion of action taking place within the entire scope of your vision, from the limits of your peripheral vision on either side. The camera could put you in the middle of the action as in no other process I've seen. A vestigial effect is that the prints, whether DVD or VHS, have a pair of vertical seams where the three projections meet. The directors did their best to put vertical elements like trees or signposts to mask the transition points.

The movie tells the tale of the nineteenth century western expansion following the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Necessarily episodic, it uses a couple of representative characters to bridge the several generations shown. One of the weaknesses of the movie is the choice to use Debbie Reynolds as one of these key characters. She's a good singer and actress but not interesting enough to occupy such a central position in a 3-hour film.

The movie does move along at a good clip and there are several thrilling action sequences that will get your pulse rate up - a ride through the rapids, buffalo stampede, shootout on a train roof, and so on. If you are a classic movie fan (or an old geezer) you can play spot the star and sing out when you see Agnes Moorehead, Eli Wallach, Lee J. Cobb, or other bygone era stars. There is a rare appearance of Walter Brennan, usually cast as the garrulous sidekick, playing a purely evil character who preys on the unsuspecting.

Anybody viewing this film will probably agree on three things - first, the scenery is breathtaking. There is hardly a film you can name that has better cinematography and captures natural beauty better. Secondly, the Alfred Newman score is catchy and memorable, even though it runs heavily to variations on Greensleeves. Thirdly, the action is beyond reproach. You really get involved in the movie when the action breaks out, which is often.

The casting is great with many big stars playing what amount to bit roles - James Stewart, Gregory Peck, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, George Peppard, along with many substantial luminaries like Walter Brennan, Agnes Moorehead, Carolyn Jones, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, Debbie Reynolds, and others. A personal favorite was Brigid Bazlen who only made three movies during her career. She takes Jimmy Stewart to "go see the varmint," for those of you who may be wondering which one she is.

The Warner Bros DVD is presented in 2.35:1 format, which is what the Cinerama format was converted to. The movie is in color and runs 165 minutes - almost three hours. The directors (Henry Hathaway, John Ford, and George Marshall) did their best to hide the two image conversion zones with strong vertical elements. The print is in good condition and both looks and sounds good. Older MGM DVDs and VHS tapes are also available.

How the West Was Won won three relatively unimportant Academy Awards - Best Screenplay, Film Editing, and Best Sound, but the real reason you should see it is the entertainment value is immense. It represents the best they could do in terms of casting and camera technique and is pretty far above the average movie you'll encounter today.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV