Movie Review: How the West Was Won (1962)

How the West Was Won is one of the most ambitious American films ever made. At 164 minutes, it uses one of the finest casts ever assembled to explore the Old West in an epic anthology format, using three great western directors: John Ford (The Searchers, Stagecoach), Henry Hathaway (North to Alaska), and George Marshall (Destry Rides Again).

It’s probably not too much of a surprise that the best segment, “The Civil War,” is the one directed by John Ford.

This in and of itself is impressive in its scope, so it’s all the more impressive when this is just one segment. It’s great.

The entire movie, no matter the director, is beautiful to look at, and it has a fantastic score from Alfred Newman. It’s one of my favorite scores of all time.

Rating: 8/10