Westward the Women
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| Westward the Women | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | William A. Wellman |
| Produced by | Dore Schary |
| Written by | Charles Schnee Frank Capra (story) |
| Starring | Robert Taylor Denise Darcel John McIntire |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | 31 December 1951 |
| Running time | 118 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Westward the Women (1951) is a western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
In 1851, Roy Whitman (John McIntire) decides to bring marriageable women west so his lonely men will put down roots in his California valley. In Chicago, Roy recruits 138 "good women" by telling them about his valley and encouraging them to pick their prospective mates from photographs he has tacked to a board. Among the women present are two saloon girls determined to change their lives: Fifi Danon (Denise Darcel) and Laurie Smith (Julie Bishop). Roy hires a reluctant "tough guy", Buck Wyatt (Robert Taylor) to lead the wagon train.
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 challenge this decision. Roy agrees that the women can learn to do "a man's job," and should continue the journey to California. Preparations are made to go on. But during pistol and rifle lessons, the only child in the group is accidentally shot by his own mother, widow Mrs. Maroni (Renanta Vanni). Buck must knock the woman out when the inconsolable Mrs. Maroni refuses to leave her son's grave, where she will surely die if left behind.
The women perform heroically, persevering through many hardships. There is 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, and of her in particular.
When the survivors finally reach their California 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 scrape together curtains, tablecloths, Indian blankets, any material they can find. The women freshen up and they then ride trimphantly 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.
[edit] 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
[edit] Production
The film was shot on location at Surprise Valley, Paria Canyon and Johnson Creek, Utah, according to Turner Classic Movies.
[edit] External links
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