Film Stories From The Book:
Hollywood of the Rockies
By: Frederic B. Wildfang
How The West Was Won
1962 — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Cinerama — produced by Bernard Smith — written by James R. Webb; directed by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall; photography by William Daniels, Milton Krasner, Charles Lang Jr., and Joseph LaShelle; music by Alfred Newman; art directed by George W. Davis, William Ferrari, and Addison Hehr — starring Debbie Reynolds, Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Lee J. Cobb, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Eli Wallach, Richard Widmark; and co-starring Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, Raymond Massey, Agnes Moorehead, Harry Morgan, Thelma Ritter, Russ Tamblyn, and others
Academy Award Nominations: Best Picture, Photography, Music
Academy Award: Best Screenplay
“...not only a tribute to the American past, but to American moviemaking.” — New York Herald Tribune
This is an epic western on a grand scale, following the adventures of Lilith Prescott (Debbie Reynolds) and three generations of her family as they make their way west across the newly expanded continent — from the Erie Canal to California. Struggling through raging rapids by raft, pushing over the plains by wagon train, fighting through the battle of Shiloh, enduring through buffalo stampedes, Indian attacks, train robbers, and gun-fighters — nothing impedes their quest for new land, gold, and glory.
Some of the most spectacular scenes — revolving around the building of the railroad — were set right here in the panoramic San Juan Mountains: on the Durango-Silverton narrow-gauge railroad line just north of Rockwood, at the head of the Animas Canyon just south of Silverton, high in the San Juans at Molas Lake and at Coalbank Hill overlooking the magnificent Twilight Peaks area.
In an article published in the Durango Herald in November of 1961, Chamber of Commerce Manager (and also, coincidentally, former owner of The Rochester Hotel), Mike Valentine, announced that “MGM had already made arrangements for leases, and is now negotiating with the D&RGW for use of equipment and right of way, as well as for special rough ties to be used in the filming.” Shooting was not to start until December, though, as Valentine continued, “since the company wants about eight inches of snow, and cold enough weather that the snow should last a couple of weeks.”
Valentine said that the company would not be using the actual Durango-Silverton narrow-gauge train itself — “‘since the canyons the train runs through are too narrow to accommodate the Cinerama wide-angle lenses.’” Instead, Valentine explained, “‘The company plans to make a prefab train to be taken to the location sites between Molas Lake and Coalbank pass.’”
Valentine also put out a call for extras to be used in the movie:
‘About 60 extras will be hired — all men,’ he said. ‘They prefer to get men between 25 and 40 years of age,’ he continued, ‘and they must have at least a two-day growth of beard.’
In an article published in December of 1961, Valentine gives us a progress report, noting that “Snowplows have been clearing areas on Molas Pass and Coalbank Hill” and that “MGM crews are making progress on construction of the mock up train” — but complaining that MGM still “‘needs rugged beards for the movie.’”
‘One thing we want to stress — those men who plan to appear in the film have been asked to stop shaving,’ Valentine continued.
Apparently, however, by the time the filming was finished, everything worked out fine. The company “‘got just what it wanted’ for the railroad building sequences in the picture,” said MGM’s location manager:
The weather remained ideal for shooting at Molas Lake, although it was necessary to blow some snow onto the roofs of the buildings since there was no new fall.
In fact, the train scenes in the movie were noteworthy enough to win an Academy Award nomination in cinematography for William Daniels, Milton Krasner, Charles Lang, Jr., and Joseph LaShelle; How the West Was Won also received nominations for music and best picture. James Webb walked away with an Academy Award for best screenplay.
