As far as Westerns are concerned, there have been many great fall guys. These stuntmen not only allowed our sagebrush heroes to stand a bit taller, they also managed to make the bad guys look good. Certainly many an Oater has been raised out of the dust and manure pile by the daring exploits of such individuals as Yakima Canutt and Dave Sharpe. In 1962, however, even the legendary stunt pioneers had to gasp and applaud when an epic called How the West Was Won leapt off the wildest, curviest screen ever. Those who were able to see it in its original Cinerama format were sure to appreciate the unique spectacle. Whether it was the visual impact of the river raft sequence, the buffalo stampede, the Indian attack or the outlaws trying to rob the train, How the West Was Won was a truly great Western that blazed a trail when it came to action.
Western fans fascinated by the behind-the-scenes side of Hollywood must have been delighted when the owners of How the West Was Won, Ted Turner and Warner Bros., finally released this classic MGM masterpiece on DVD; and even more delighted to discover a “making of” documentary on the same disc. In this case, the documentary is greatly comprised of home movie footage taken on the set during those great action scenes. This is priceless and historic 16-mm color footage shot, not by the studio, a film scholar, or even one of its many stars, but by a man who broke new ground by literally hitting the ground. He’s actually the film’s stuntman who broke his fall from the top of a moving train with a 16 foot…………………………………………………………………………………………