The Way West (1967)

With the help of hired guide Robert Mitchum, Senator Kirk Douglas zealously leads a wagon train of settlers from Missouri to the untold wonders of Oregon. I’m not a huge fan of Douglas generally, but he perfectly encapsulates the fervent drive of a politician whom everyone quickly grows to hate. The rest of the cast, which includes the debuts of Sally Field and Sam Elliott in a tiny uncredited role, is capable but not given enough to outshine Douglas’s bombastic character. The film touches on some interesting themes for a Western (adultery, pregnancies resulting from same, child murder, hangings, mental illness) and it has a beautiful, natural setting, but otherwise feels like it’s trying to prolong a dying genre.