| How the West Was Won (Ultimate Collector's Edition) | 
| Directors: George Marshall, Henry Hathaway, John Ford, Richard Thorpe
Actors: James Stewart, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Carroll Baker
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $59.98
Buy New: $39.99
You Save: $19.99 (33%)
Buy New/Used from $23.85
Avg. Customer Rating:   (110 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6295
Format: Ac-3, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Original Recording Remastered, Restored, Special Edition, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Japanese (Subtitled), Thai (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 162 minutes
Number Of Items: 3
Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.6 x 2.1
MPN: WARD039866D
UPC: 883929026487
EAN: 0883929026487
ASIN: B0018O50W0
Release Date: September 9, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 1962
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Description
With courage, sinew and conflict: that?s how the West was won. With three directors, five interlocked stories, some of movie history?s most legendary action scenes and a constellation of acting talent: that?s how How the West Was Won was filmed. Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart and John Wayne are among the big names in this big saga following a family?s move West through generations ? marked by the spectacles of a heart-pounding raging river ride, a thunderous buffalo stampede and a bracing runaway train shootout. Via technological advances, this panoramic winner of three Academy Awards can now be seen with a resplendent, restored clarity eliminating its original "three- panel join lines" and in roof-raising Dolby 5.1 audio. Westward ho! Explore a new home entertainment frontier with a classic movie adventure in a stunning new version never before possible! Includes 2-Disc Special Edition DVD: The Winner of 3 Academy Awards Digitally Remastered from Restored Picture Elements in New Dolby 5.1 Audio With 3-Panel Cinerama "Join Lines" of Previous Theatrical/Video Versions Removed Via Pioneering Technology Plus 4+ Hours of Special Features, Including New Star/Historian Commentary, The Making of How the West Was Won Featurette and the Acclaimed Bonus Movie Cinerama Adventure, Nostalgically Chronicling the History of How the West Was Won?s Unique Filmmaking Process Bonus Collectibles Inside: ? 36-Page Cinerama Souvenir Book Reproduction ? 10 Color Production Photo Cards ? 10 Black-and-White Rare, Behind-the-Scenes Photo Cards ? 24-Page Reproduction of the Original General Release Pressbook ? Mail-in Offer for a FREE** Poster (**Limited time offer. Not included with Club skus)
Amazon.com
The first feature film to be photographed and projected in the panoramic three-camera Cinerama process, this epic Western is almost as expansive as the West itself, chronicling a pioneering family's triumphs and tragedies in numerous episodes spanning three generations and a half century of westward movement. Divided into five segments directed by veteran Hollywood filmmakers Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, and the legendary John Ford (and including uncredited sequences directed by Richard Thorpe), the film was one of the most ambitious ever made by the venerable MGM studio. Its stellar cast reads like a virtual who's who of Hollywood's biggest stars. Debbie Reynolds plays a sturdy survivor of many pioneering dangers, and the eventual widow of a gambler (Gregory Peck), who is later reunited with her nephew (George Peppard), a Civil War veteran and cavalryman who heads for San Francisco as the transcontinental railroad is being built. Many more characters and stories are woven throughout this epic film, which is dramatically uneven but totally engrossing with its stunning vistas and countless outdoor locations in Illinois, Kentucky, South Dakota, Monument Valley in Arizona, California, Colorado, and elsewhere. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 105 more reviews...
 Beautiful! December 1, 2008
The Blu Ray release of How the West Was Won is by far the best version released to date. The frames are nearly perfectly aligned and synchronized. The "smile box" format is a real treat. It simulates the Cinerama theatre experience very well. The soundtrack sounds great. Blu Ray has definitely improved home theatre audio which has suffered from low resolution and high data compression with DVD. If you are a fan of this film, an audiophile, a videophile, or a Cinerama enthusiast, you must own this. If you don't already own a Blu Ray player, get off your butt and go buy one! It is worth it for this version of How the West Was Won.
 The birth of widescreen November 30, 2008
A superb restoration (on Blu-Ray) of what is a mediocre film. Not even all of the featured Hollywood stars could rescue this Disneyesque look at America's westward expansion. The most interesting thing was the documentary extra on the Cinerama process and how it influenced all subsequent films. This is how widescreen was born. But the use of Cinerama for this film makes many scenes look awkward, as the characters eyes don't quite meet in a number of scenes, since the camera used three lenses and the actors had to "guesstimate" where, exactly, the other actor would appear on the curved Cinerama screen. Closeups were also impossible. Cinerama was made for big, expansive scenes, of which HTWWW has many. The directors actually had to compose their shots based upon the camera's unique characteristics. While some scenes were gorgeous, even displaying it in HD on my 106" projection screen looked awkward, because it was made for Cinerama's curved screen. All in all, an interesting, if underwhelming, movie.
Magnificent western saga! November 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am very pleased that this wonderful mini-series is finally available on DVD. I live in Colorado, and I was fascinated with Michner's story. The actors are mostly well chosen, and you can't beat the real scenery of the area around Boulder, CO. You might quibble with some 1970's production values, but there's no CG here! Some of the extra's on the DVD version include interviews with surviving actors about the filming experience. This is a very long mini-series, and I recommend viewing it one disk per night. There is just so much to experience. The earlier episodes are the best, and the message of land conservation and wilderness preservation are as topical today as they were 25 years ago. My only criticism is that the packaging is rather flimsy. Two of the disks had fallen off the plastic holders, and were somewhat scratched in the process. This did not interfere with playing. I must say that this series looks absolutely wonderful played on my blu-ray(upgrading to 1080p)onto my hi-def flat screen TV, than it did when it was first broadcast! Great story for families with older students interested in western history!
BluRay really Rocks November 25, 2008
well everybody here has already said it, the movie is great and the bluray transfer is fantastic, great movie all round, this was my first bluray purchase, well worth it.
WOW!!!!! November 25, 2008
WOW!!!! In Blu Ray this special addition is fantastic!
Can't wait to have our Grand Children over to learn and see," How the West Was Won!!!!!!!
GJH
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