It’s difficult to believe that so many prominent actors (both in front of and behind the camera) could be brought together for this sweeping story about the spirit of early American settlers. From the very beginning, Alfred Newman's music signals that something substantial is coming – and visually, it doesn't disappoint. The narrative unfolds as a series of connected events, showing three periods in the lives of fami…

_**A sprawling, star-studded Western epic assembled from separate stories offers a mixed experience**_ Released between 1962 and 1963, "How the West was Won" is an expansive Hollywood Western penned by James Webb, spanning fifty years from 1839 to 1889. The film follows the Prescott family’s journey westward and features narration by Spencer Tracy, blending historical elements with melodrama, romance, adventure, v…

A journey to what was hoped would be a better place. Considered one of the final grand-scale productions from MGM that achieved significant popularity, How the West Was Won remains impressive enough to earn considerable approval. The storyline is based on a series published in "Life" magazine in 1959. It centers around the Prescott family’s westward trek beginning in 1839. Their experiences and those of their chil…