Tweet
Released by: Warner Brothers
Released on: July 9, 2013.
Director: Various
Cast: James Arness, Anthony Zerbe, Bruce Boxleitner
Year: Various
Purchase From Amazon
The Series:
Probably the last great TV western, the mid-70's HOW THE WEST WAS WON stars James Arness (from the legendary GUNSMOKE) as family patriarch Zebulon "Zeb" Mahican who is attempting to take care of his dead brother's family on the frontier in post-Civil war America. Though this was billed very much as a family drama, it has some surprising grit to it. The opening episode has Arness fighting against his own Union Army brethren to stop an Indian massacre - and the overall tone tends towards a more realistic portrayal of the Old West with 3 dimensional Indians and well-rounded settler characters.
The driving force of the plot concerns the Macahan's trip from their original homestead to Oregon. The major spanner in the works here is that Luke Macahan (Bruce Boxleitner) has been unfairly accused of desertion and is being hunted by a ruthless lawman (played to perfection by Anthony Zerbe of THE DEAD ZONE and KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK). One of the highlights of the first season is his confrontation with Zeb on the farm of his dead brother's widow (a very effective Eva Marie Saint). One of the more interesting aspects of the show is its focus on honor and the shades of gray involved in doing the right thing. There are a number of situations where it seems that something is obvious - often involving the use of deadly force - but further ramifications make the initial decision seem questionable. This is nothing new in modern drama but in the age of SWAT and even earlier shows its fairly radical. Call it "message TV" with some testicles.
The acting is strong overall with Arness in stellar shape. He's a growling bear of a man but with the teddy touch. Eva Marie Saint has a nice steely quality and Boxleitner is assured for a younger actor. Zerbe's bounty hunter is a real treat and plays a crucial role for a supporting character. This is also a very well shot show - the vistas are quite impressive and the scope of the photography has a "you are there" feel. Much like sister programs like BONANZA and even LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, HOW THE WEST WAS ONE has characters that you fall in love with and it is a pleasure to spend time with them on their journey. Warner's DVD covers the first very short season (3 episodes) and also includes the 2.5 hour original TV movie which deal with what happened to the members of the clan during the civil war.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The operative word here is "decent". This was a well-shot program with a slightly higher than average budget but the transfer here won't win any awards. While perfectly watchable colors are a tiny bit on the washed out side. Obvious DNR has not been applied but at the same time, it would appear that the original prints were on the slightly damaged side. Outdoor scenes fare best and interiors worse with a tendency toe wards darkness that can hurt image detail.
Audio is a serviceable Dolby Digital English mono track. Dialog is clear and centered and effects do not overwhelm. Its what you would expect from a 70's TV show.
There are no extras aside from the inclusion of the original TV movie that leads into the series.
The Final Word:
HOW THE WEST WAS WON is a strong and involving Western saga filled with good performances. Recommended.
