About This Quiz
"Ambitious" is an understatement. "How the West Was Won" is one of the most expensive and amazing spectacles in the history of Western films. How much do you know about this incredible production?"How the West Was Won" was an epic production. It featured a crazy number of established stars and the storyline was outrageously complicated for a typical Western.
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The movie tells a sprawling tale that follows four generations of one family, as it journeys from the East Coast to the borderline savagery of the Old West.
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The story starts in 1839, about the time the settling of the Wild West began in earnest. The story follows the Prescotts (and then Rawlings) across 50 years and finally ends in 1889.
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"The Indian Menace" wasn't one of the parts. The actual five parts were "The Rivers," "The Plains," "The Outlaws", "The Civil War" and "The Railroads."
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Karl Malden plays the part of Zebulon. Malden won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "A Streetcar Named Desire."
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The journey ends badly. Both parents perish on the river, leaving just two daughters, Lilith and Eve, to fend for themselves in a wild land.
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Spencer Tracy got the gig of the narrator, and his unforgettable voice guides audiences through the expansive storyline. During his legendary career, Tracy won two Oscars and was nominated for seven more.
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Three directors received credit. They were John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall. But a fourth director, Richard Thorpe, also played a critical role in the creation of the film, particularly the transitional portions of the story.
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Linus and Eve decide to get married. But their journey west is over. They settle near the river and raise a family.
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The second part of the movie is called "The Plains." It begins in 1851 and follows the story of Lilith, the other surviving Prescott daughter.
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After bouncing around the Midwest, Lilith chases gold in the West ... but in vain. She finally settles in San Francisco and marries a man named Cleve.
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Cinerama required three cameras for filming and then three projectors in order to properly show the film on a huge curved screen. The idea was to give audiences a super-wide view of expansive scenes. By the mid-70s it was mostly a forgotten concept.
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Critics were blown away by the massive production. Decades later, reviewers still give the movie almost unanimous high marks for production and acting.
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Even today, the number is nearly astonishing. The studio reportedly needed about 12,000 extras in order to shoot some of the film's epic sequences.
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Even though his wife Eve doesn't want him to fight, Linus joins the Union Army. He dies in battle, and Eve dies soon after.
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Zeb miraculously saves generals Ulysses Grant and William Sherman from the sights of a Confederate soldier. After the war, Zeb leaves behind his life for a new start in the West.
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Harry Morgan received the highest praises for his portrayal of Gen. Grant. Morgan went on to become a worldwide celebrity thanks in large part to his role in the TV show "M.A.S.H."
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The epic Western cost more than $14 million, far more than most movies of the 60s. "The Sound of Music," for example, cost half of what it took to make "How the West Was Won."
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The film was a huge risk for the studio that bankrolled production. But that initial $14 million investment turned into gross ticket sales of around $50 million, making the film a smashing success.
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"The Railroad" begins in 1868, as two competing railroads duke it out to become the titans of transcontinental transportation. Both companies know that the first railroad to reach completion will make a fortune during the rush to settle the West.
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Zeb is a cavalry officer who protects railroad workers from hostile elements such as Indians. But when the white men violate a treaty, the Indians attack and kill many people.
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Zeb is thoroughly disappointed in life after the Indian attack. He pulls up roots again, and this time he heads to Arizona.
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It was a celebrated movie, to be sure. It earned a fantastic eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Music.
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"How the West Was Won" did win three Oscars, but not Best Picture. That particular award went to "Tom Jones," a comedy starring Albert Finney.
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No one in the olden days lived that long. No character made it into all five segments, but two characters survived for three parts of the movie.
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Because the Cinerama process used three cameras, it was impossible to remove two vertical lines in the final movie. However, thanks to digital magic, the modern version no longer has these odd lines.
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Morgan was on a railroad car loaded with logs during one gunfight scene. The logs came loose and crushed him, but he survived with the loss of one leg. It took him about half a decade to regain any sort of normal walking ability.
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Cooper intended to play the role of Linus Rawlings, but he died of cancer before he could do the work. James Stewart got the part instead ... and he clearly felt weird about the way he fell into the job.
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Lilith made heaps of money in San Francisco and wants Zeb to take over her huge ranch. Zeb is now a sheriff in the Arizona area.
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Zeb is smarter (and more vicious) than the cunning outlaws. He sets a trap and kills them all … and then takes over Lilith's ranch.
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