How the West Was Won (1962)

[Scott]

HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962) - A film done on a grand scale and directed by 3 directors. With stars like Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, Karl Malden, Henry Fonda, Eli Wallach, and even Lee Van Cleef gets an uncredited role as a river pirate. The film follows one pioneer family from the Erie Canal to San Francisco. Great film. Can't believe I've never seen this one before.

Hard to rate the last six Westerns that I've seen. Note the 3 way tie:

1) How the West Was Won (this is much more than a film)
2) The Scalphunters (interesting story and direction)
2) Bandolero (very entertaining)
2) Ride the High Country (solid western)
3) Cimarron (it deserves better for a 1930 film)
4) Duel at Diablo (catchy tune)

Well I knocked off six westerns since my last list and added Face to Face. Only 20 that I can find at the rental store.

Cheyenne Autumn
The Man From Laramie
Bandido
The Tin Star
The Naked Spur
Hour of the Gun
Commanche Station
Westbound
Buchanan Rides Alone
Decision at Sundown
The Tall T
Seven Men from Now
Rooster Cogburn
Cahill: U.S. Marshall
Rio Lobo
Mclintlock
Chism
The Undefeated
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
McCabe and Mrs Miller
Cable Hogue
Mountain Men
A Town Called Hell
Purgatory
The Angel and the Badman
Stagecoach
Support Your Local Sheriff
Support Your Local Gunfighter
Nevada Smith
Lonesome Dove
Destry Rides Again
Ox Bow Incident
El Topo
Blazing Saddles (Believe it or not, I've only seen parts of this)
Major Dundee
Escape from Fort Bravo
The Big Country
Villa Rides

Italian Westerns that I still have to find are:

Face to Face
A Bullitt for the General
The Great Silence
Companeros
Keoma
Fist Full of Lead (a.k.a. Get your Coffins Ready, Sartana is Coming)
Texas, Adios
Four of the Apocalypes
Sabata
Django Prepare a Coffin
Bandidos
Los Amigos
Adios Sabata
Have a Good Funeral, Sartana Will Pay
Boot Hill
The Smell of Onion
Cut-Throats Nine
A Bullit for Sandoval
Django Strikes Again
Django The Bastard
Blood for a Silver Dollar
Winnetou - Last of the Renegades
Winnetou - The Desperado Trail
Blood and Guns
Johnny Oro
Jonathan of the Bears
The Stranger and the Gunfighter
Revenge of a Gunfighter
Blood at Sundown
Today It's Me
Massacre Time
Cemetary Without Crosses
Any Gun Can Play
The Price of Death
Life is Tough, eh Providence
Viva Django
The Five Man Army
Trinity is Back
Day of Anger
Ballad of Django
Old Shatterhand
Pistol for Ringo
The Return of Ringo
Sartana in Death Valley
If You Meet Sartana, Pray for Your Death
Seven Winchesters for a Massacre
The Big and the Bad
I'll Dig Your Grave
Drop Them or I'll Shoot
God Forgives......I Don't

Here are a few others that I'd like to see, but they don't exactly fit the list

Birth of a Nation (Film History)
The Long Ships
Johnny Got His Gun
Old Gringo


Movie Quote: I don't think I'll let you arrest me today - Wyatt Earp to the County Sheriff

[Deena]

I haven't seen this movie in question, but my 5th grade play was the same title.  I don't think it was the same story, cuz our play was about two pen-pal gal pals over the years.  I was an ox rangler, I got to crack a whip. =)

Deena

[The Burgomaster]

I saw HOW THE WEST WAS WON about 15 - 20 years ago. I didn't really like it . . . it seemed like there was too much happening in a short period of time. I think I'll have to watch it again and see if I enjoy it more now.

[Scott]

Burgomaster watch the film from the beginning. It shows 3-4 genterations of the Prescott and Rawlings family. The movie deals with about 4 segments. If you caught it in the middle then it may have looked confusing. Watch it from the beginning with the Prescott family going down the Erie Canal.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Scott barely scratched the list of stars who in appear in this. Among those he failed to mention are Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Carolyn Jones, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Richard Widmark, and Spencer Tracy, and Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, Raymond Massey, Agnes Moorehead, Harry Morgan, Thelma Ritter, Mickey Shaughnessy, Russ Tamblyn, and, of course, John Wayne.

The uncredited actors appearing in it, if credited, would also make up a fairly good western. Scott has already mentioned Lee Van Cleef, but here are some more who appear uncredited: Rudy Acosta, Ken Curtis, Jay C. Flippen, Jack Lambert, Joe Sawyer, Harry Dean Stanton, and Karl Swenson.

Of the other westerns, seen about 70% of the non-Italian ones. And of those, liked about 80% of them.

Is that "Stagecoach," the orginal, or the remake? Seen both. Liked both. Though the original is the better of the two.

If one does see the orignal "Stagecoach," one ought to try to get out where it was made. Monument Valley, Utah. Talk about your mystical places.