The Way West *** (1967, Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark, Lola Albright, Michael Witney, Sally Field, Stubby Kaye, Jack Elam) – Classic Movie Review 9,446

The  1967 Western film The Way West stars Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum and Richard Widmark, who make the most of this panoramic saga of a wagon train’s trek to Oregon in the 1840s through Native American lands.

Director Andrew V McLaglen’s 1967 American Western film The Way West stars the heavy-weight trio of Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum and Richard Widmark, who make the most of this panoramic saga of a wagon train’s trek to Oregon in the 1840s through Native American lands.

Script-writers Ben Maddow and Mitch Lindemann have problems turning A B Gurthrie’s 1949 Pulitzer-prize novel into a workable screenplay, making it seem often clumsy and clichéd, but the film is high, wide (Panavision) and handsome thanks to William H Clothier’s superb Color by Deluxe location cinematography.

Kirk Douglas makes much of his role as ex-Senator William Tadlock, who leads the wagon train with the help of trail scout Dick Summers (Robert Mitchum). Richard Widmark plays Lije Evans, one of the new settlers Tadlock clashes with.

Decent, well acted and highly professional though this Western is, there is nothing about it that suggests a Pulitzer-prize writer.

It is Sally Field’s second movie, aged 21, as Mercy McBee, her first film credited appearance. and Sam Elliott makes his feature film debut as an uncredited Missouri townsman.

Also in the cast are Lola Albright, Michael Witney, Sally Field, Stubby Kaye, Jack Elam, Katherine Justice, Michael McGreevey, Harry Carey Jr, Connie Sawyer, William Lundigan, Elisabeth Fraser, John Mitchum, Patric Knowles, Hal Lynch, Timothy Scott, Roy Glenn, Paul Lukather, Stefan Arngrim, Roy Barcroft, Eve McVeagh, Peggy Stewart, Anne Barton, Nick Cravat, Clarke Gordon, Gary Morris, Eddie Little Sky, Ken Murray, and Paul Wexler.

It was shot in Tucson, Arizona, and on locations in Oregon, including Bend, Christmas Valley, and the sand dunes and lost forest in Crooked River Gorge.

Douglas previously filmed another A B Guthrie adaptation, the 1952 film The Big Sky.

The Way West is directed by Andrew V McLaglen, runs 122 minutes, is made by Harold Hecht Productions, is released by United Artists, is written by Ben Maddow and Mitch [Mitchell] Lindemann, based on A B Gurthrie’s novel, is shot in Panavision and Color by Deluxe by William H Clothier, is produced by Harold Hecht, is scored by Bronislau Kaper and is designed by Ted Haworth.

Hollywood’s oldest working actress, Connie Sawyer, died at home after an incredibly long and prolific career on 21 January 2018, aged 105. She was born on 27 November 1912 and still filming in 2014.

RIP Kirk Douglas, who died on 5 February 2020, aged 103.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9,446

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