How the West Was Won (1962) | |
| Director(s) | John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, Richard Thorpe (uncredited) |
| Producer(s) | Bernard Smith |
| Top Genres | Action, Adventure, Drama, Epic, Romance, Western |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, Civil War, Frontier |
Featured Cast:
How the West Was Won Overview:
How the West Was Won (1962) was a Adventure - Drama Film directed by George Marshall and Richard Thorpe and produced by Bernard Smith.
SYNOPSIS
Epic, episodic 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 the pioneer Prescott family. As the Prescotts struggle with danger and loss, and newfound love, the vast canvas of U.S. manifest destiny unfolds around them. The breadth of the material required the contributions of the three greatest Western directors, Ford, Hathaway, and Marshall. With top-notch production values and a "who's who" of Hollywood stars, it was projected theatrically in the three-screen Cinerama process. The letterbox version on the laserdisc approximates the sweep of the gigantic Cinerama screen.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.How the West Was Won was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1997.
Academy Awards 1963 --- Ceremony Number 36 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Art Direction | Art Direction: George W. Davis, William Ferrari, Addison Hehr; Set Decoration: Henry Grace, Don G | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | William H. Daniels, Milton Krasner, Charles Lang, Jr., Joseph LaShelle | Nominated |
| Best Costume Design | Walter Plunkett | Nominated |
| Best Film Editing | Harold F. Kress | Won |
| Best Music - Scoring | Alfred Newman, Ken Darby | Nominated |
| Best Picture | Bernard Smith, Producer | Nominated |
| Best Writing | James R. Webb | Won |
BlogHub Articles:
THE CHRISTOPTHER LEE BLOGATHON: How the West Was Won, 1978
on May 22, 2021 From Caftan WomanCinematic Catharsis and Realweegiemidget Reviews present The Christopher Lee Blogathon, May 21-23, 2021. Thank you, Barry and Gill. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3When the auspicious 20-year run of Gunsmoke came to an end, executive producer Toronto-born John Mantley, his star James Arness, and his writing a... Read full article
How the West Was Won
By Rick29 on Feb 8, 2021 From Classic Film & TV CafeJames Stewart and Carroll Baker.The words “epic” and “”sprawling” are typically used to describe MGM’s 164-minute, 1962 all-star Western. At the risk of sounding mundane, that’s still an apt description. Filmed in the widescreen process Cinerama, How the Wes... Read full article
How the West Was Won (1962)
By Beatrice on Sep 19, 2017 From Flickers in TimeHow the West Was Won Directed by John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall Written by James R. Webb 1962/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Cinerama Productions Co. Repeat viewing/Netflix rental The big Cinerama moments are the parts I remember from my childhood. ?They are still the best thing about t... Read full article
How the West Was Won ( 1962 ) ....and How it Didn't Win the Cinematography Oscar
By The Metzinger Sisters on Feb 28, 2016 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film LoversThere were some years in Oscar's history that were stellar. In those years no matter how good a film was, compared to all of the fine films it was competing with, it would be just on par with the average. In such years as these it is understandable when a really good film loses an Academy Award. The... Read full article
How the West Was Won ( 1962 ) ....and How it Didn't Win the Cinematography Oscar
By The Metzinger Sisters on Feb 28, 2016 From Silver Scenes - A Blog for Classic Film LoversThere were some years in Oscar's history that were stellar. In those years no matter how good a film was, compared to all of the fine films it was competing with, it would be just on par with the average. In such years as these it is understandable when a really good film loses an Academy Award. The... Read full article
See all How the West Was Won articles
Quotes from
Narrator: The west was won by its pioneers, settlers, adventurers is long gone now. Yet it is theirs forever, for they left tracks in history that will never be eroded by wind or rain - never plowed under by tractors, never buried in compost of events. Out of the hard simplicity of their lives, out of their vitality, of their hopes and sorrows grew legends of courage and pride to inspire their children and their children's children. From soil enriched by their blood, out of their fever to explore and be, came lakes where once there were burning deserts - came the goods of the earth; mine and wheat fields, orchards and great lumber mills. All the sinews of a growing country. Out of their rude settlements, their trading posts came cities to rank among the great ones of the world. All the heritage of a people free to dream, free to act, free to mold their own destiny.
[final narrative from the film "How The West Was Won"1962 - narrated by Spencer Tracy]
Charlie Gant: There's only one kind of peace I know of, Marshal. That's the kind my brother's got.
read more quotes from How the West Was Won...
Facts about
The river-rafting sequence was filmed over a period of seven days.
Although James Stewart's character was only supposed to be 28 in the movie, Stewart was actually nearly 54 at the time of filming.
read more facts about How the West Was Won...
