ActionAdventureDramaWestern

The Way West

- Cracking Like a Whip From Here to Excitement!

In the mid-19th century, Senator William J. Tadlock leads a group of settlers overland in a quest to start a new settlement in the Western US. Tadlock is a highly principled and demanding taskmaster who is as hard on himself as he is on those who have joined his wagon train. He clashes with one of the new settlers, Lije Evans, who doesn't quite appreciate Tadlock's ways. Along the way, the families must face death and heartbreak and a sampling of frontier justice when one of them accidentally kills a young Indian boy.

Release Date : 1967-05-24

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Harold Hecht ProductionsUnited Artists

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Sen. William J. Tadlock

Original Name : Kirk Douglas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dick Summers

Original Name : Robert Mitchum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lije Evans

Original Name : Richard Widmark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rebecca 'Becky' Evans

Original Name : Lola Albright

Gender : Female

Character Name : Preacher Weatherby

Original Name : Jack Elam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sam Fairman

Original Name : Stubby Kaye

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brownie Evans

Original Name : Michael McGreevey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. McBee

Original Name : Harry Carey, Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. McBee

Original Name : Connie Sawyer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Johnnie Mack

Original Name : Michael Witney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Michael Moynihan

Original Name : William Lundigan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Fairman

Original Name : Elisabeth Fraser

Gender : Female

Character Name : Little Henry

Original Name : John Mitchum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Grant

Original Name : Patric Knowles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Big Henry

Original Name : Hal Lynch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Middle Henry

Original Name : Timothy Scott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Saunders

Original Name : Roy Glenn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Turley

Original Name : Paul Lukather

Gender : Male

Character Name : William J. Tadlock Jr.

Original Name : Stefan Arngrim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Masters

Original Name : Roy Barcroft

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Masters

Original Name : Eve McVeagh

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Turley

Original Name : Peggy Stewart

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Moynihan

Original Name : Anne Barton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Calvelli

Original Name : Nick Cravat

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian Brave

Original Name : Michael Keep

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sioux Chief (as Michael Lane)

Original Name : Mike Lane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mercy McBee

Original Name : Sally Field

Gender : Female

Character Name : Amanda Mack

Original Name : Katherine Justice

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barber (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Wexler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cattleman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Coffer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cattleman (uncredited)

Original Name : Everett Creach

Gender : Male

Character Name : Missouri Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Elliott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Caleb Greenwood (uncredited)

Original Name : Clarke Gordon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bagpiper at Fort Hall (uncredited)

Original Name : Hollis Hill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sioux Warrior (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Little Sky

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paw-Kee Mah (uncredited)

Original Name : Gary Morris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Mitchell Schollars

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bagpiper at Fort Hall (uncredited)

Original Name : Hector Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cowboy Asking About Bethel Bartholomew (uncredited)

Original Name : Rex Trailer

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

_**The exploits of a wagon train on the Oregon Trail with Douglas, Mitchum and Widmark**_ The adventures of a wagon train in 1843 traveling from Independence, Missouri, to Willamette Valley, Oregon, are chronicled. Kirk Douglas plays the dictatorial leader, Robert Mitchum an aloof scout, Richard Widmark a fiery farmer, Lola Albright his wife and Jack Elam a stowaway Preacher. "The Way West" (1967) was based on the wagon train tome by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. There are elements reminiscent of earlier such movies, such as “Bend of the River” (1952) and “How the West was Won” (1962), as well as later ones, like “Meek’s Cutoff” (2011). It’s generally realistic, but some viewers don’t appreciate the occasional Hee Haw-like caricatures thrown in for light amusement, e.g. Widmark’s Lije, Elam’s preacher and Sally Field’s flirty teen. But I didn’t mind; I just rolled with it. What I didn’t appreciate was the use of extreme southern Arizona (Yuma & Tucson) as a substitute for locations along the Oregon Trail, which is geographically disingenuous. Thankfully, the bulk of the movie was shot in Oregon, including Crooked River Gorge shown at the end. Sally Field was 19 during shooting and cute as ever. Meanwhile redhead Katherine Justice is stunning as the newlywed wife. Overlooking the obvious flaws, “The Way West” is an entertaining enough mid-60’s Western, highlighted by the charismatic cast and the awesome locations, not to mention the realistic depictions of life on a wagon train. It just doesn’t rank with the greats of the genre. The film runs 2 hours, 2 minutes. GRADE: B-/C+