The 1962 Oscar-winning epic Western How the West Was Won is set to air on BBC Two this Sunday afternoon at 1:35pm, offering viewers a chance to see one of the most ambitious films ever made. Directed by Henry Hathaway, John Ford, and George Marshall, the film features an ensemble cast of 24 major stars, including John Wayne, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, and Debbie Reynolds. Despite its critical acclaim and eight Academy Award nominations, the production was plagued by significant challenges, including near-death incidents and directorial conflicts.
Production Challenges and Cinerama Difficulties
The film was shot in Cinerama, a three-lens process designed for projection on enormous curved screens. This technology required actors to perform out of sync with each other, as synchronization only occurred when the three prints were projected together. Director Henry Hathaway, who helmed three of the film's five chapters, complained: "That damned Cinerama. Do you know a waist-shot is as close as you can get with that thing?" John Ford, who directed the American Civil War segment, struggled with the wide shots necessitated by Cinerama, which differed from his usual single-camera approach.
According to Ronald L. Davis' book Just Making Movies, Hathaway later admitted that making the film was a "goddamn trouble," blaming producer Sol Siegel for being "drunk most of the time." The budget ballooned to $15 million (approximately $138 million in 2022), and at one point, executives nearly cut the final segment. Hathaway insisted: "You can't quit. You've got to show how the West was won. The West was won when the law took over."
Near-Fatal Stunt Accident
During the filming of the "Outlaws" segment, stuntman Bob Morgan, husband of actress Yvonne De Carlo, suffered a devastating accident. While doubling for a U.S. marshal on a moving locomotive, Morgan held onto a log swaying between two flatcars, one carrying several tons of timber. The chains holding the logs snapped, crushing him under the falling timber. Morgan lost a leg and nearly died, taking five years to recover. With her husband permanently crippled, De Carlo sought work wherever possible, including nightclub acts. John Wayne later helped by offering her a supporting role in the 1963 film McLintock!.
Improvised Scene and Box Office Success
On a lighter note, during the Civil War segment, actor George Peppard improvised an impression of James Stewart's voice to remind audiences of his character's father, played earlier by Stewart. Director John Ford initially objected, but Peppard pushed for the scene, which ultimately stayed in the film. Despite the production issues, How the West Was Won grossed $50 million worldwide (approximately $460 million today), making it a massive financial success for MGM.
The film will be broadcast on BBC Two this Sunday at 1:35pm and will be available for a limited time on BBC iPlayer.
