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Movies / On DVD / How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won

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How the West Was Won (1962)

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93 %
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Reviews Counted:15

Fresh:14

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7.1/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 46 mins

Genre: Westerns

Synopsis: Hollywood's most celebrated luminaries--behind the camera as well as in front of it--combined talents to present this epic tale of the development of the American West from the 1830s through the... Hollywood's most celebrated luminaries--behind the camera as well as in front of it--combined talents to present this 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. The film, divided into three chapters--"The Civil War" (directed by John Ford), "The Railroad" (directed by George Marshall), and "The River, the Plains, the Outlaws" (directed by Henry Hathaway)--tells the story of the Prescotts, a spirited group of easterners who make a declaration to migrate west. When their parents are lost in a tragic river accident, Eve (Carroll Baker) and Lilith (Debbie Reynolds) go their separate ways. Eve remains on the land that took her parents, settling down with the well-intentioned Linus Rawlings (James Stewart), while Lilith becomes a singer who is courted by the conniving Cleve Van Valen (Gregory Peck) when he learns that she has inherited a fortune in California. As time passes and the Civil War takes the life of Linus, the newest generation of Prescott offspring struggles with even greater danger and loss, in the form of fierce Indians as well as family archrivals. Top-notch production values and an endless string of solid performances have earned HOW THE WEST WAS WON the well-deserved label as one of Hollywood's most revered classics. [More]

Starring: Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones

Starring: Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Spencer Tracy

Director: John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall

Director: John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall
Screenwriter: James R. Webb
Producer: Bernard Smith
Composer: Alfred Newman, Ken Darby

[See More Credits]

Reviews for How the West Was Won

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Delivered big with breathtaking location work and an all-star cast...

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
09/10/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

A story as big, as brash, and as exciting as the west itself.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
09/10/08
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
DVDTalk.com

There is no denying the spectacle, the adventure, and the romance in How the West Was Won.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
09/08/08
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

People have always been, and always will be, impressed with big movies; this Western was one of the very biggest.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
09/04/08
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
08/26/08
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Immense, sprawling western epic loaded with great stars, acting, music, direction.

comment Comment
03/02/08
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

Though boasting the innovative technology of Cinerama, this film anthology of the Old West is a long, tedius saga replete of cliches that offers minor pleasures like spotting all the star cameos.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
02/28/08
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Watching it at home without the three-strip Cinerama process takes most of the sparkle out of the film.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
10/14/05
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
08/03/05
Jonathan R. Perry
Jonathan R. Perry
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/09/05
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
04/16/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
02/10/04
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

No review available.

comment Comment
10/31/03
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

comment Comment
03/05/03
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/04/03
Shannon J. Harvey
Shannon J. Harvey
Sunday Times (Australia)

No review available.

comment Comment
12/24/02
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

No review available.

comment Comment
10/25/02
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
08/17/02
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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