How the West Was Won (1962) Review

***SPOILER ALERT***

Directed by Henry Hathaway, George Marshall and John Ford.
Cast: Jimmy Stewart, Carroll Baker, Debbie Reynolds, John Wayne, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Agnes Moorehead, Walter Brennan, Carolyn Jones, Lee J. Cobb, Eli Wallach, Andy Devine, Thelma Ritter, Harry Morgan, Russ Tamblyn, Spencer Tracy.

Playlist for all my Westerns Content:

*Image used for thumbnail is taken from IMDB*

[bangbgood]

One of the things I love about HTWWW and that is very rarely mentioned is that it is a female-centered western. It follows Debbie Reynolds' character from beginning to end. Her character, very remarkably for the time, neither wishes to be a wife nor a mother. She is independent, strikes out on her own, makes her own living, enjoys herself, and turns down a very reasonable and secure proposal to maintain her freedom to choose how to live. She does eventually marry Gregory Peck's character but on her terms. I also find Reynolds' performance excellent for its emotional breadth and for its range which includes singing and dancing. Odd that she's barely mentioned in this review when she and George Peppard are the only characters who are central to the ongoing narrative. Because most westerns are male-centered, I wonder if the idea of not connecting to the characters has to do with the lead character not being male.