Opened: February 20, 1963

Directed by: Henry Hathaway, John Ford & George Marshall

Starring: James Stewart, Carroll Baker, Debbie Reynolds, Karl Malden, Agnes Moorehead, Walter Brennan, Brigid Bazlen, Lee Van Cleef, Gregory Peck, Robert Preston, Thelma Ritter, David Brian, John Larch, Clinton Sundberg, George Peppard, Andy Devine, Harry Morgan, John Wayne, Russ Tamblyn, Raymond Massey, Ken Curtis, Henry Fonda, Richard Widmark, Lee J. Cobb, Eli Wallach, Carolyn Jones, Mickey Shaughnessy, Harry Dean Stanton, Jack Lambert & Spencer Tracy

A sprawling epic featuring the biggest-named stars of the early 1960s, How the West Was Won is an exciting film based on American history – just don’t expect anything other than the white point-of-view.

Zebulon Prescott (Karl Malden) moves his family including daughters Eve (Carroll Baker) and Lillith (Debbie Reynolds) to the southern edge of Illinois – the “West” of 1839. Over the next 50 years, their family expands as the United States continues to expand west.

Keeping the focus on the Prescott family gives the lengthy story a good center to keep the storyline moving. Beautiful scenery is seen throughout with three-lens Cinerama being employed, which you hardly notice.

Even though Native Americans are shown, and the Civil War is featured, there is little said about the oppression of non-white people.

Final say: A beautifully shot history lesson. ★★★★☆