I saw this movie for the Alfred Newman soundtrack (outstanding, but a little too punctuated by the folk music) and a handful of the overwhelmingly star-studded cast (Carroll Baker, Gregory Peck, Brigid Bazlen, Debbie Reynolds, and, of course, Carolyn Jones). I have never been a fan of Westerns, but this one actually made me officially lift my "Western embargo." It's less than a masterpiece-- the 2.89:1 Cinerama aspect ratio is uncomfortable, though I imagine it looked quite special on that enormous screen-- but considering the sheer scale of the production and the number of well-known headliners thrown in (almost enough to rival George Stevens' tacky "Greatest Story Ever Told") it's pretty good. Reynolds and Baker are marvelous all through the movie; other big-name actors pop up when you least expect them but it's not as distracting as in other "extravaganzas." The story of the family trying to go out west is touching in its simplicity. And most films with multiple directors betray a certain lack of unity, but I was taken aback to discover that this one is made in a flowing, uniform style. Extravagant? Yes. Kitschy? You bet. But it's a Western I'm not embarrassed to be caught watching. And every time I hear Alfred Newman's driving, adventurous theme music, I can't help but feel just a little bit better about the corny mythology that comes standard in every American history textbook. Movies like this really class that up a bit.
Review of How the West Was Won
