MovieChat Forums > Westward the Women (1951) Discussion > Glad to see other people know this movie...

Glad to see other people know this movie...

posted 17 years ago by ghostfan
20 replies | jump to latest

Hurray!

Last time I checked this board, there were no comments at all --- my first experience with this film came when I was about ten. (that's long before the days of VCR's DVD's or cable TV.) My late mother saw that it was showing -- didn't start until 11 pm on a Friday night, and insisted that I stay up and see it with her.

I was for any reason to stay up past my bedtime, so I watched it with her, and loved it -- then I didn't see it again for fifteen years, and then I still loved it!

What about anyone else? First experience with this film?

BTW -- didn't catch it for ages, but it is a script by the legendary Frank Capra!

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[–] ghostfan 17 years ago

I just sent a copy of it to a friend of mine -- so far our tastes have been similar -- I hope she loves it, too!

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[–] geotalker-1 16 years ago

"All the bad people do not die,"

What bad people? true the one guy who committed a rape got his, but there really wasn't anybody else that was "bad".

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 14 years ago

Ghostfan,
You place a "SPOILER ALERT" warning before your reply, so those who want to avoid premature disclosures can avoid what you say. Not so hard, eh?

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's living!!!"
Augustus McCrae

[–] calime-2 17 years ago

Out of curiosity, is there a child born in the movie that gets named Cali, short for California? I asked the question in another thread and it was suggested that it might be this movie.

[–] ghostfan 17 years ago

No -- not unless it was in the original screenplay and got cut.

There is a child born, but it never has a name given. It is simply born, and comes slightly into play, as a previous poster mentioned, toward the end of the movie.

[–] calime-2 17 years ago

Thank you very much!!

[–] ghostfan 17 years ago

You're welcome.... still a great film ... catch it if you can!

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[–] liberalmedia 17 years ago

It's funny you should mention novels, chezarie. I finally watched Westward the Women today after taping it off Turner Classic Movies last night, and it reminded me a bit of the novels of Annabel and Edgar Johnson. The couple wrote historical novels with a Western theme, and I happened to read the two that concerned women, Torrie and Wilderness Bride. The first concerns a teenaged girl traveling by wagon train from Missouri to California, and the second deals with a young woman whose father converts to Mormonism and arranges for her to marry into a Mormon family moving to the West. It's been decades since I read both novels, but I remember both were quite enjoyable. Each is written from a woman's point of view and discusses the hardships of frontier life.

As for the movie Westward the Women, I had read about it many years ago but never had a chance to see it until now (Thank you, Turner Classic Movies). I wound up completely engrossed in it and couldn't budge from in front of the TV until all plot lines were resolved. Oh, and Patience RULES, in my opinion.

First rule of movie-going: never confuse the actor with his role.

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[–] monet2004 17 years ago

I just saw it today on TCM and I enjoyed it very much. Luckily, I recorded it because it was on so early. I was surprised to read that Frank Capra wrote it. Capra is one of my favorite directors of all time.

This movie made me think of the women who went to the west for a better life. I can't imagine anyone walking 1,500 miles with all the rugged terrain and the danger. It was a touching movie to see. I especially loved the end. It is now added to my all time classic favorite list.h

[–] tmills777 17 years ago

Now if we can only get a western in the "Sgt. Rutledge" [played by Woody Strode] black cavalry [9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments] who played a large role in settling the west.
That aside, Westward the Women is a tremendous movie and based largely in fact. The women actresses looked and played the part. I place it up there with "Two Flags West" [finest Indian attack fort scene] western ever made, and the afore mentioned "Sgt. Rutledge." I play Two Flags alot. I intend to get Westward the Women and watch the movie many times.

[–] uluwehip 16 years ago

I have loved this movie ever since I first saw it in the 60's on TV. It made a huge impression on the young girl I was then to see these women rise to meet the many challenges they faced and be SO strong while enduring such hardship. Now that I'm grown, I realize there's so much more to appreciate about this movie -- not only the drama, heartbreak, and romance, but the beautiful yet harsh scenery, thankfully shot on location and not filmed in a studio. To think that people actually went thru this in search of a new life -- we really don't know suffering and sacrifice in our time, do we? Time has not "dated" this movie either, I'm happy to say. I just now finished watching it for probably the 10th time but also for the 1st time in many years. I made a friend who'd never heard of it watch it w/ me and she came away from it very impressed. Once again, I had my tissue in hand and found myself tearing up in anticipation of the many so emotional scenes. WTW is simply one of my all-time favorites.

[–] chayo2 16 years ago

I love this movie. I used to watch it on TV with my brother when we were kids. I remember how we always cracked up at Henry Nakamura's "You pay the rent" scene.