How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won
Setting off on a journey to the west in the 1830s, the Prescott family run into a man named Linus who helps them fight off a pack of thieves. Linus then marries daughter Eve Prescott (Carroll Baker), and 30 years later goes off with their son to fight in the Civil War, with bloody results. Eve's sister Lily heads farther west and has adventures with a professional gambler, stretching all the way to 1880s San Francisco.
Mister Arn reviewedJune 17, 2025
“How the West Was Won” is a sweeping Hollywood epic directed by John Ford, George Marshall, and Henry Hathaway, featuring a star—studded cast that includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck, and Karl Malden. Told in five chapters, it follows a single family across generations as they navigate key moments in the settling of the American West.
At nearly three hours, the film runs long, and its episodic structure leads to uneven pacing—some segments soar, while others drag. Still, many scenes are gorgeously shot, and the scale is undeniably impressive. This isn’t a film built for emotional nuance, but for spectacle. If you’re looking to feel deeply, you may be left cold. But if you want to see Hollywood’s grand, romantic vision of the West in full Technicolor glory, this is the ride to take.