Movie Cosmos - Westward the Women

Description:

There's a deficit of good, honest women in the West, and Roy Whitman wants to change that. His solution is to bring a caravan of over 100 mail-order brides from Chicago to California. It will be a long, difficult and dangerous journey for the women. So Whitman hires hardened, cynical Buck Wyatt to be their guide across the inhospitable frontier. But as disaster strikes on the trail, Buck just might discover that these women are stronger than he thinks.

Top Cast >

Robert Taylor

As Buck Wyatt

Denise Darcel

As Fifi Danon

Hope Emerson

As Patience Hawley

John McIntire

As Roy E. Whitman

Julie Bishop

As Laurie Smith

Lenore Lonergan

As Maggie O'Malley

Henry Nakamura

As Ito

Marilyn Erskine

As Jean Jackson

Beverly Dennis

As Rose Meyers

Renata Vanni

As Mrs. Maroni

Frankie Darro

As Jean's Awaiting Groom (uncredited)

Roy Jenson

As (uncredited)

I. Stanford Jolley

As Gambler (uncredited)

Stevie Myers

As Pioneer Woman

Carl Pitti

As Outrider (uncredited)

Milicent Patrick

As Flashy Woman (uncredited)

Ted Adams

As Bartender (uncredited)

Raymond Bond

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Polly Burson

As Preacher (uncredited)

Archie Butler

As Outrider (uncredited)

Claire Carleton

As Flashy Woman (uncredited)

Bill Cartledge

As Outrider (uncredited)

John Cason

As Margaret's Awaiting Groom (uncredited)

George Chandler

As Mackeral Face (uncredited)

Doris Cole

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Mikel Conrad

As Rose's Man (uncredited)

Pat Conway

As Sid Cutler (uncredited)

Gene Coogan

As Outrider (uncredited)

Bruce Cowling

As The Cat (uncredited)

Michael Dugan

As Jean's Awaiting Groom (uncredited)

Opal Ernie

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Evelyn Finley

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Patrick Ford

As Outrider (uncredited)

Clem Fuller

As Outrider (uncredited)

Marilyn Gladstone

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Dorothy Granger

As Rejected Woman (uncredited)

Tom Greenway

As Bart (uncredited)

Karen Hale

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Donna Hall

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Earle Hodgins

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Mary Alan Hokanson

As Cora (uncredited)

Don House

As Outrider (uncredited)

Lucille House

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Tennessee Jim

As Second Man (uncredited)

Chubby Johnson

As Jim Stacey (uncredited)

Eddie Juaregui

As Outrider (uncredited)

Bert LeBaron

As Ken (uncredited)

Marilyn Lindsey

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Guido Martufi

As Tony Moroni (uncredited)

Frank McGrath

As Outrider (uncredited)

Edith Mills

As Sadie (uncredited)

Tom Monroe

As First Man (uncredited)

Mary Murphy

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Elmer Napier

As Walt (uncredited)

Lou Nova

As Blacksmith (uncredited)

Kathleen O'Malley

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Fiona O'Shiel

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Ann Roberts

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Gene Roth

As Bartender (uncredited)

Clint Sharp

As Outrider (uncredited)

David Sharpe

As Awaiting Groom (uncredited)

Ray Thomas

As Outrider (uncredited)

Joan Valerie

As Flashy Woman (uncredited)

John War Eagle

As Indian Chief (uncredited)

Alice Wills

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Henry Wills

As Outrider (uncredited)

Carey Wilson

As Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Terry Wilson

As Lon (uncredited)

Zacharias Yaconelli

As Mrs. Moroni's Man (uncredited)

Norma Young

As Pioneer Woman (uncredited)

Top Crew >

William A. Wellman

Director

Frank Capra

Story

Charles Schnee

Screenplay

Dore Schary

Producer

Jeff Alexander

Original Music Composer

William C. Mellor

Director of Photography

James E. Newcom

Editor

Daniel B. Cathcart

Art Direction

Cedric Gibbons

Art Direction

Polly Burson

Stunts

Evelyn Finley

Stunts

John Truwe

Makeup Artist

Stevie Myers

Stunts

Douglas Shearer

Recording Supervision

Edwin B. Willis

Set Decoration

Ralph S. Hurst

Set Decoration

Walter Plunkett

Costume Design

Jim Louck

Technical Advisor

Henry Russell

Songs

Reviews:

John Chard (7/10)

Caravan of graft, guile and stoicism.

Westward the Women is directed by William Wellman and adapted to screen by Charles Schnee from a story written by Frank Capra. It stars Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel, John McIntire, Hope Emerson, Julie Bishop and Henry Nakamura. Music is by Jeff Alexander and cinematography by William Mellor.

A most important Western, one that demands to be seen by lovers of the genre. Plot finds Taylor tasked with escorting over 100 women from Chicago to California, their goal is to find marital harmony at Whitman Valley. They must overcome extreme conditions, from that of the natural terrain, hostile invasions, and inner fightings via passions and suspicions. This is a wagon train of some difference.

The key issue here is that this MGM production puts up front and centre the fact that women played a key part in the shaping of the frontiers. It manages to have the expected cute and funny scenarios, but not at the expense of viable assertive drama, nothing denigrates how strong, brave and driven these women were.

Some of the gender politics look a touch suspect today, and occasionally some of the framing devices for the women are over staged. There's also the irritant of stereotyping Nakamura's Asian character, but these are small quibbles all told. For this is a unique and fascinating Western, something of a banner movie for telling a side of the "West" we hardly have ever see on film. 7/10

2018-08-02