Westward the Women

Infobox Film
name = Westward the Women


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director = William A. Wellman
producer = Dore Schary
writer = Charles Schnee
Frank Capra (story)
narrator =
starring = Robert Taylor
Denise Darcel
John McIntire
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released = 31 December 1951
runtime = 118 minutes
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross =
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website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0044205

"Westward the Women" (1951) is a western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire.

Plot

In 1851, Roy Whitman (John McIntire) decides to bring marriageable women west so his lonely men will put down roots in his California valley. Roy hires a reluctant trail boss, Buck Wyatt, (Robert Taylor) to lead the wagon train. In Chicago, Roy recruits 138 "good women". After telling them about his valley, he encourages them to pick their prospective mates from pictures he has tacked to a board. Two saloon girls, Fifi Danon (Denise Darcel) and Laurie Smith (Julie Bishop), hastily change their flashy clothes when others like them are rejected. Roy is not fooled by the disguise, but convinced of their sincere wish to reform, he adds them to the group.

During the journey, Buck shoots one of his men as punishment for raping Laurie. As a result, all but two of the trail hands desert the wagons in the middle of the night, taking eight of the women with them. This leaves only Ito (Henry Nakamura), the Japanese cook, and Jim Stacey (an uncredited Chubby Johnson), who has fallen in love with an already-pregnant Rose Meyers (Beverly Dennis). Buck, lacking enough experienced trail help, decides he has no choice but to turn back.

The women flatly refuse to accept his decision. Roy agrees that the women can learn to do "a man's job," and should continue on to California. Buck starts training the women. During shooting practice, the only child in the group is accidentally shot by his own mother, widow Mrs. Maroni (Renanta Vanni). Buck is forced to knock out the inconsolable woman when she refuses to leave her son's grave in the desert, where she would surely die.

The women perform heroically, persevering through many hardships, including a stampede. An Indian attack kills Roy, Jim, and some of the women. Laurie drowns when a rainstorm overturns her wagon, trapping her inside. However, Fifi's bravery and determination begin to thaw out Buck's disapproval of women in general, and of her in particular.

When the survivors finally reach their destination, the women balk at entering town where their prospective grooms are waiting - until Buck can bring them decent clothing and "pretty things" so that they can look presentable. The men of the valley gather together curtains, tablecloths, Indian blankets, any material they can find. The women freshen up and then ride triumphantly into town.

As the women pair up with the men whose photographs they have carried across the country, Ito coaxes Fifi into convincing Buck to join her in the line to get married.

Cast

*Robert Taylor as Buck Wyatt
*Denise Darcel as Fifi Danon
*John McIntire as Roy E. Whitman
*Hope Emerson as Patience Hawley
*Julie Bishop as Laurie Smith
*Lenore Lonergan as Maggie O'Malley
*Henry Nakamura as Ito
*Marilyn Erskine as Jean Johnson
*Beverly Dennis as Rose Meyers
*Renata Vanni as Mrs. Maroni

Production

The film was shot on location at Surprise Valley, Paria Canyon and Johnson Creek, Utah, according to Turner Classic Movies.

External links

*tcmdb title|id=95389