Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Westward the Women Blu-ray Movie Review

Hoes before bros.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 5, 2023

A deceptively substantial drama ahead of its time, William A. Wellman's Westward the Women is the rare Golden Age Western that may have gotten better with age in the past 70+ years. It might not look that way on paper, but this story -- written by none other than Frank Capra, with a screenplay by Charles Schnee (Red River, They Live by Night) -- has incredibly progressive elements that may likely have baffled 1951 audiences unaccustomed to strong female characters and minorities playing firmly against type. Though not without a few small speed bumps, this is still a surefire crowd-pleaser with high entertainment value and effective character arcs that help it stand out from the pack.

Its setup is simple enough: the Californian ranch community Whitman's Valley is need of women, so town founder and frontiersman Roy Whitman (John McIntire) heads east to wrangle up enough suitable gals to help the thirsty fellas put down roots. He ends up recruiting 140 willing participants who choose their prospective mates based on pictures alone, and veteran scout Buck Wyatt (Robert Taylor) is recruited to lead the wagon train back west. Fifteen men are hired to assist, a headstrong Japanese cook named Ito (Henry Nakamura) hitches a ride too, and a week's worth of training helps to prepare the less experienced members. It'll still be a rough and perilous ride, one that perhaps a third of the convoy won't survive, and "mingling" between men and women is strictly forbidden along the way.

Unsurprisingly, Westward the Women feels episodic during most of its deliberate but steady 118-minute running time, which typically places more importance on the journey than the destination. Danger lurks around every corner -- some of it man-made, some natural -- and internal conflicts are just as numerous as Indian attacks, sudden storms, and the occasional stampede. Along the way, many of the women including thickset widow Patience Hawley (Hope Emerson), former prostitutes Fifi Danon (Denise Darcel) and Laurie Smith (Julie Bishop), and skilled gunslinger Maggie O'Malley (Lenore Lonergan) either hone their abilities or learn new ones, and the same goes for our men. This is a well-crafted, uniquely interesting, and gorgeous-looking production that was largely shot on location in Utah -- a key element in its original marketing -- that can and will surprise newer audiences. Although portions of its story don't quite hold up to scrutiny (Roy's decades of experience as a frontier scout would have led him to at least a few strong and capable women before this, for example), it's such a likable story that any such speed bumps are easy to ignore.

It's reported that writer Frank Capra initially wanted to direct Westward the Women himself, but studio heads at Paramount weren't interested in his idea. Capra's friend William Wellman, a director with more Western experience including Yellow Sky and The Ox-Bow Incident, later pitched it to new MGM studio head Dore Schary, who had recently replaced studio co-founder Louis B. Mayer after several years of declining post-war profits. It turned out to be a modest hit (despite its post-Christmas release date in 1951) but has been unsurprisingly lost in several decades' worth of more conventional genre entries. Warner Archive hopes to remedy that situation with yet another of their welcome Blu-rays, led by an outstanding A/V restoration and a well-rounded roster of extras that balances movie-specific retrospective material with enjoyable pre-show entertainment including two new-to-Blu Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Westward the Women Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Westward the Women's new 1080p transfer is advertised as being created from a brand-new 4K scan of "preservation elements", which typically means a mixture of the original camera negative -- here, of the nitrate variety -- and at least one other best-available source, such as an interpositive. Whatever the specifics may be, it's clear from the look of this Blu-ray that the former was a primary ingredient, with long stretches of the handsomely-shot and mostly outdoor film boasting the kind of crisp, defined clarity you'd see in a first-gen source. There are small, relatively seamless patches where texture quality and grain structure are different -- not necessarily worse -- and stray levels of softness creep in, but they're remarkably kept under control and collectively resemble what audiences might have seen during a first-run theatrical showing in excellent condition. Of course, those who have kept up on Warner Archives' consistently solid Blu-ray output should know exactly what to expect here: a top-tier image that's clean and polished yet true to the source, perfectly encoded on a dual-layered disc with no obvious compression artifacts. Another A+ for effort.

Westward the Women Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The split mono DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio likewise holds its own, staying true to the original source while wiping away decades of age-related wear and tear including hiss, crackle, and distortion. Trace elements remain, but their numbers can be counted on one hand and they absolutely don't distract from what's otherwise an understated restoration job. Dialogue remains clean and crisp, background effects are handled nicely, louder moments -- including a few scenes of action -- enjoy a decent dynamic range, and there's plenty of room left over for the original score by Jeff Alexander; his name may not ring a bell, but he's credited in the music department of Singin' in the Rain and he even composed a few episodes of The Twilight Zone. It's a deceptively solid track that gets the job done, and then some.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature, not the extras listed below.

Westward the Women Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with attractive vintage poster artwork and no inserts. The on-board extras, most of which are ported over from the Warner Archive's own 2012 DVD edition, are surprisingly well-rounded and approach "Special Edition" status for the boutique label.

• Audio Commentary - This DVD-era commentary features film Historian Scott Eyman, author of the acclaimed book "The Lion of Hollywood: The Story of Louis B. Mayer and MGM". It's a very well-informed and entertaining track, approachable to newcomers, and mostly covers director-specific material but goes into detail about its characters, themes, story, and production. Well worth a listen, especially if you never bought the DVD.

• Challenge the Wilderness (10:30) - A vintage promotional short created by MGM, this 1951 black-and-white featurette introduces a few of Westward the Women's stars but mostly focuses on its shooting locations in Utah and the numerous challenges faced during this eight-week leg of production.

• Lux Radio Theater Broadcast (49:14) - This abridged 1952 radio adaptation, hosted by producer Irving Cummings, is headlined by Robert Taylor and Denise Darcel playing their original roles.

• Tom and Jerry Shorts - Two vintage cartoons newly restored for their Blu-ray debut. Score!

• Texas Tom (6:44) - A personal favorite, this 1950 Hanna-Barbera cartoon finds Tom and Jerry duking it out on a cattle ranch with a record player, branding irons, and more. It features one of the all-time great entrances in film history but sadly doesn't include this bit of audio commentary (NSFW for language).
• Duck Doctor (7:03) - Another H-B standout, this 1952 short is similar to other T&J duck toons starting with 1950's "Little Quacker", from the plot to the voice acting. But it's still loads of fun, as a downed wild duck is carefully nursed back to health by Jerry while shotgun-packing Tom stalks them both.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:36) - This much more dated promotional piece can also be seen here.

Westward the Women Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

William A. Wellman's Westward the Women has aged better than most Westerns of its era, but perhaps not in the way many would expect. A progressive drama with memorable characters, terrific cinematography, and a true "something for everyone" vibe, it's a forgotten classic ripe for rediscovery and should play smoothly for newer audiences as well. Warner Archive's welcome Blu-ray is another standout release for the boutique label and perhaps their best of the month, pairing a top-tier A/V restoration with plenty of entertaining extras. Highly Recommended.