watching it now on christmas eve

It's quaint, for sure, but jam-packed with highlights and undeniably entertaining (as long as the viewer can acclimate to the old-fashioned approach). The opening is weak with its eye-rolling "Disney Goes West" vibe, but there's a sudden shift when the travelers run into the malevolent gang of river pirates (featuring Lee Van Cleef cutie Brigid Bazlen). The switch from quaint family-friendly material to nigh shocking violence is notable -- with one villain getting an ax wung into his back and another a knife into his chest (!).

I must add that the producers knocked it out of the ballpark by featuring Carroll Baker, Debbie Reynolds and Bazlen in the female department; all three breathtaking.

This is a spectacular movie. 1950s-60s widescreen technicolor epics are one of my favorite styles of movie and HTWWW is one of the very best examples. My favorite segments are the Indian attack on the wagon train, the Civil War and the buffalo stampede.

This movie is a celebration of a great nation's past, by and for a people unafraid to be proud of the achievements of their forefathers. Too bad this sort of sentiment is despised today.