ith Spencer Tracy narrating, the West is introduced as an untamed, unclaimed land (save, of course, for the indigenous Indians), where early mountainmen or beaver trappers wandered about, surviving in the wilderness. With the creation of the Erie Canal, a new route was carved to the West, where adventurous souls could make a new life for themselves in Ohio, Illinois, or the open spaces beyond. Zebulon Prescott (Karl Malden) and his family are just one of the groups waiting to board a boat, but since Debbie Reynolds portrays daughter Lilith, it’s not long before a couple of songs are sung. Clearly, this is a romanticization of the era. “Ain’t polite to ask a girl why she does something for a man.”

Segueing to following legs of the journey, some by raft and some by land, additional tunes surface, while the eligible young women of the Prescott clan dream of dreamy men. On cue, in canoes Linus Rawlings (James Stewart), rugged mountainman and potential mate for the seductive, assertive Eve Prescott (Carroll Baker), who hopes to capture her man with a barrage of kisses. “He ain’t got a wife at all, yet.”

Curiously, even though Linus absconds early the next morning, his very next stop involves yet another seductress – this time Dora (Brigid Bazlen), the daughter of river pirate Colonel Jeb Hawkins (Walter Brennan). The former militiaman’s crew also contains Lee Van Cleef in an uncredited yet unmistakable role. A bit of action and violence arrives when the robbers inevitably encounter deserved comeuppance, but it’s not long before the Prescotts are back on the water, contending with a choppy current, injured party members, and other hardships that scare the majority of them into wanting to head back East. Intermittently to their rescue, however, is Linus, who keeps trying to get away from Eve, but continually goes back to her. Ironically, the moment he determines to give in to her cajolery, she’s no longer willing to blindly follow a man.

This initial love story isn’t the last of the airy romances in the Wild West. But the bulk of the film is basically vignettes on surviving standard environmental and social hazards of the wilderness, all told through unlikely unions. The next section, in 1848, covers the newfound demand for gold in the bustling, rowdy town of St. Louis, prompting Lilith Prescott, now a dancer, to head to California. As this portion chronicles a wagon train’s grand, perilous journey, it doesn’t forget to introduce a new coupling, here between Lilith and tinhorn scoundrel Cleve Van Valen (Gregory Peck), while also offering up a larger amount of comic relief (mainly thanks to Thelma Ritter). For the first time, however, there’s also a considerable altercation with the Cheyenne, boasting a ferocious chase sequence fueled by impressive stunts and countless extras.

The final parts (the second half after the intermission), covering pieces of the Civil War (and then the Pony Express, telegraph line construction, and the building of railroads – featuring Henry Fonda as a buffalo hunter), revisits Eve and her family (something of a dynasty) as her son (George Peppard as Zeb) wishes to join the militia to fight in what is supposed to be a short, prestigious-filled battle. By 1862, when the events of Shiloh give once-optimistic soldiers a newfound confusion and gloom over the reasons for combat, desertion begins to weigh on minds. “There ain’t much glory in looking at a man with his guts hanging out.” Afterwards, Zeb heads out West once more, this time to serve as a peacekeeper between railroad workers and the Arapaho.

With each section helmed by accomplished directors (John Ford, George Marshall, and Henry Hathaway), “How the West Was Won” is practically three (or so) separate movies strung together to encompass every major Western theme. No trope is left untouched. In the process, a tremendous ensemble cast forms, consisting of recognizable stars in minor roles – including Robert Preston, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Andy Devine, Raymond Massey, Harry Morgan, Lee J. Cobb, Eli Wallach, Russ Tamblyn, and more.

As the ending draws nearer, the quintessential Fordian landscapes appear, along with the more commonplace, quick-draw, gun-toting showdowns between sheriffs and outlaws, exhibiting the classic Western conflict. Heroes and villains are black and white here (following a premise akin to “High Noon,” with a climax proving to be the most riveting of the lot). But, ultimately, the picture is a touch too long, ambitious and epic as it may be, finding a few lulls as it comprehensively traverses notable milestones of America’s formation across the 1800s. Throughout, of utmost potency, is the music by Alfred Newman (the pre-film wagon train still and the accompanying medley of songs are striking, as an unofficial overture), which is instantly unforgettable, heightening the excitement and intensity of every scene over which it presides. Despite the amusement of the vast collection of stars and the whirlwind of Western adventure, it will surely be the score that persists beyond the other individual elements of this grandiose endeavor.

– Mike Massie