Warner Archive provided me with a free copy of the Blu-Ray I reviewed in this article. The opinions I share are my own.
William A. Wellman’s Westward the Women (1951)
In every genre there are certain films that make you rethink your preconceived notions about what that genre can be. It’s why blanket statements like “I don’t like musicals” or “I don’t like horror” can be so limiting. Westward the Women is a shining example of a western, but it’s also a western I would steer anyone towards who doesn’t think cowboys are for them.
Before Warner Archive’s announcement I had never heard of Westward the Women, but if it’s not discussed as regularly as anything directed by John Ford or starring John Wayne, hopefully this release changes that, because this is a film that deserves attention.
Basically the film follows a wagon train as it make the long, arduous journey west, except this train is mostly made-up of women and being led by Buck (Robert Taylor), who’s finally offered a price he can’t refuse to take the job.
The reason the women are going west is to get married (they’re essentially mail-order brides), and when Buck says a third of them will die over the course of the trip it doesn’t seem like anything to worry about at first, because surely no film from the 50’s is going to be that brutal in its depiction…
To say Westward the Women proves viewers wrong at every turn is an understatement. There are some horrible, senseless deaths in this movie and the way Wellman composes shots (like leaving a destroyed wagon in the foreground while another wagon attempts to do the same thing that got that wagon destroyed in the back) is artistry at its finest.
If Westward the Women makes one mistake its in trying to push a romance between Buck and Danon (Denise Darcel), where Buck never admits to doing anything wrong, and the whole relationship leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Compared to everything the film does right, though, it’s small potatoes.
Bonus Features:
Author Scott Eyman (whose written books on John Ford and MGM head Louis B. Mayer) recorded the commentary, and talks about everything from Kanab, Utah being a popular site for filming westerns, to the conditions that made Westward the Women possible (had Mayer been in charge of MGM at the time instead of Dore Schary it would be a very different film, or not exist).
Apparently, Frank Capra (who wrote the original story that screenwriter Charles Schnee (The Furies) adapted) had initially wanted to direct, with Gary Cooper instead of Taylor. Eyman also provides plenty of background on Wellman, who was able to use a friendship with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. to break into directing.
On the acting front, Eyman reveals that many of the characters were played by stunt women or men in drag during long shots. If there’s one person Eyman could’ve spent more time on it’s Henry Nakamura, whose performance as Buck’s second-in-command might be the film’s best kept secret. Eyman doesn’t always use Nakamura’s character’s name, either, when referring to him, and it gets old.
Next up are two Tom and Jerry cartoons. In “Texas Tom,” Tom is trying to impress a feline but Jerry keeps ruining his efforts, while in “The Duck Doctor” Jerry attempts to help a young duckling who’s become Tom’s prey.
The Lux Radio Theater broadcast from 1952 has Taylor and Darcel reprising their roles, while other characters are eliminated. Some of the visual gags (like Danon and Laurie (Julie Bishop) changing clothes after seeing other girls get turned away for similar attire) have to be reworked for the audio format, and it’s not as successful. The contemporary behind-the-scenes featurette, “Challenge of the Wilderness,” is forgettable, too, but at least it’s film-specific.
Westward the Women is available on Blu-ray now from Warner Archive and to purchase from Movie Zyng.
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