How the West Was Won (Three-Disc Special Edition)
The first feature film to be photographed and projected in the panoramic three-camera Cinerama process, this epic Western is almost as expansive as the West itself, chronicling a pioneering family's triumphs and tragedies in numerous episodes spanning three generations and a half century of westward movement. Divided into five segments directed by veteran Hollywood filmmakers Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, and the legendary John Ford (and including uncredited sequences directed by Richard Thorpe), the film was one of the most ambitious ever made by the venerable MGM studio. Its stellar cast reads like a virtual who's who of Hollywood's biggest stars. Debbie Reynolds plays a sturdy survivor of many pioneering dangers, and the eventual widow of a gambler (Gregory Peck), who is later reunited with her nephew (George Peppard), a Civil War veteran and cavalryman who heads for San Francisco as the transcontinental railroad is being built. Many more characters and stories are woven throughout this epic film, which is dramatically uneven but totally engrossing with its stunning vistas and countless outdoor locations in Illinois, Kentucky, South Dakota, Monument Valley in Arizona, California, Colorado, and elsewhere. --Jeff Shannon Customer Review: How the West Was Won
Some may not think the movie itself is a masterpiece, but the filming and sound process was far ahead of it's time. I saw this movie when it was first released in 1962 at the Ambassador theater in St. Louis, Missouri. Interestingly enough the same place the documentary mentions at it's beginning. It was an experience I will never forget. This movie has been restored so well you will rarely know this was filmed with three cameras. But the vistas of the West will truly amaze you for a 46 year old movie. The movie has a very well known cast for that period and the story is compelling. A family heads West down a river in Ohio and ends up in California and then Arizona. How they live and die over the course of a lifetime is inspiring. Fans of movie history will especially get a kick out of this movie and the documentary on Cinerama. The process rivals IMAX even today. I highly recommend this piece of cinematic history. The Blu-ray version is magnificent quality and has plenty of replayability. If you enjoyed this catch "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" when it is released. CA Luster
Customer Review: Definitely the Ultimate Edition
Cinerama. As a young spud, how I remember what a big, big deal it was to take in a movie filmed in what was then state-of-the-art virtual technology. Yesterday's Cinerama was today's Imax; only back then Cinerama was available in such limited theaters and locations it was an extra special event just to experience it. And of the handful of Cinerama productions, the film most closely associated with the process was the 1962 epic HOW THE WEST WAS WON. And this ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION is grand entertainment. . .but not necessarily because of the movie itself. The movie. Of course, the visuals were, and are, impressive, but the story of two families settling (and taming) the West over some 50 years in the mid-19th Century suffered from what so many other films of that period suffered from: gushy melodrama; cliches and stereotypes; grandiose overacting. Is it grand fun to watch, say, Henry Fonda and George Peppard share a scene? Sure. But you also are guaranteed to experience a handful of cliches and maybe one or two more "gosh darn it!"s than was really necessary. But again, merely a product of the times. I was surprised to learn this film did win an Academy Award for best original screenplay--especially when the viewer is treated to such lines as this (from Richard Widmark): "That ain't cryin'. That's just new life goin' on!" No, the real entertainment value of this edition resides in the special commentaries presented by filmmaker David Strohmaier; by director of Cinerama, Inc., John Sittig; by film historian Rudy Behlmer; by music historian Jon Burlingame; and by stuntman Loren James. Their commentary as the film is shown contains a wealth of facts, nostalgia, interesting tidbits, and priceless information. In particular, the commentary by James, who advises he performed around 80 percent of the stunts in the movie, is absolutely spellbinding. Also very enjoyable were the comments regarding the discomfort the actors and directors experienced when filming in the Cinerama format--when three cameras, or panels, were used to film each scene. Unless the two actors were in the same camera panel--and because the three-camera scene was so wide--the actors could not look directly at one another, but instead had to look off to the side, pretending they were seeing each other. Upon learning this, if you'll go back and look at the movie, you can discern this is indeed the case; the actors are looking over one another's shoulders. Fascinating stuff. And another treasure can be found in the third disc, a documentary entitled "Cinerama Adventure." This feature explores the development and history of how the Cinerama process came to be, the dynamic and colorful people who brought the format to the public, and the absolute cultural craze Cinerama brought to the entire world during the 1950s and early 1960s. During the presentation, the viewer is treated to remarkable clips from Cinerama travel features that mesmerized millions of theater goers. Alas, HOW THE WEST WAS WON was the last feature filmed in Cinerama (the studios realized the three-camera process was too cumbersome, problematic, and expensive), yet the format caused the entire motion picture industry to go to 70mm cameras, thereby ushering in cinematic widescreen still going strong today. This documentary is delightful and engaging. Finally, this ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION includes nifty replicas of the press booklets actually handed out to the media when the film was released, along with black-and-white and color photos taken while the film was in production. And to top it all off, the CDs and the collectibles are all encased in leather facade pouches--yet another salute to the Old West. This edition of HOW THE WEST WAS WON is a must-have for all movie collectors and film buffs. --D. Mikels, Author, Walk-On
