How the West Was Won
1962 film · Released 1962
How the West Was Won is a 1962 American epic Western film directed by Henry Hathaway (who directed three out of the five chapters: "The Rivers," "The Plains" and "The Outlaws"), John Ford ("The Civil War") and George Marshall ("The Railroad"), produced by Bernard Smith, written by James R. Webb, and narrated by Spencer Tracy. The film centers on a family and their descendants over the span of decades as they explore and settle the American frontier of the United States. Originally filmed in true three-lens Cinerama with the accompanying three-panel panorama projected onto an enormous curved screen, the film features an ensemble cast formed by many cinema icons and newcomers, including (in alphabetical order) Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne and Richard Widmark. The supporting cast features Brigid Bazlen, Walter Brennan, David Brian, Andy Devine, Raymond Massey, Agnes Moorehead, Harry Morgan, Thelma Ritter, Mickey Shaughnessy and Russ Tamblyn.
Cast ages when filming began (May 1961)
- Carroll Baker, as Eve Prescott Rawlings: 29–30
- Lee J. Cobb, as Marshal Lou Ramsey: 49
- Henry Fonda, as Jethro Stuart: 55–56
- Carolyn Jones, as Zeb Rawlings' wife: 31
- Karl Malden, as Zebulon Prescott: 49
- Gregory Peck, as Cleve Van Valen: 45
- George Peppard, as Zeb Rawlings: 32
- Robert Preston, as Roger Morgan: 42
- Debbie Reynolds, as Lilith Prescott van Valen: 29
- James Stewart, as Linus Rawlings: 52–53
- Eli Wallach, as Charlie Gant: 45
- John Wayne, as Gen: 53–54
- Richard Widmark, as Mike King: 46
- Walter Brennan, as Col: 66
- David Brian, as Lilith's attorney: 46
- Andy Devine, as Corporal Peterson: 55
- Raymond Massey, as President Abraham Lincoln: 64
- Agnes Moorehead, as Rebecca Prescott: 60
- Harry Morgan, as Gen: 46
- Thelma Ritter, as Agatha Clegg: 59
- Mickey Shaughnessy, as Deputy Stover: 40
- Russ Tamblyn, as Confederate deserter: 26
- Spencer Tracy, as Narrator: 61
- Brigid Bazlen, as Dora Hawkins: 16
- Harry Dean Stanton, as a member of Gant's gang: 34
- Jack Lambert, as a member of Gant's gang: 41
- Lee Van Cleef, as river pirate: 36