Dream West
# Dream West

Dream West is a 1986 American television miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and directed by Dick Lowry.

## Development

The seven-hour miniseries was broken into three parts (2 hours, 2 hours, and 3 hours). Part 1 aired on Sunday, April 13, 1986. It was the 16th most-watched show of that week. Part 2 had been intended to follow the next day, but was postponed a day until April 15 due to a press conference by President Ronald Reagan about Libya (see 1986 United States bombing of Libya). Part 3 was moved to Sunday, April 20. Part 2 was the 15th most watched television show for its week, and Part 3 came in 8th place.

## Plot

The film was based on the 1984 novel of the same name by David Nevin, based on the life of 19th century explorer and politician John C. Frémont.

## Cast

* Richard Chamberlain as John Charles Fremont
* Alice Krige as Jessie Benton Fremont
* F. Murray Abraham as President Abraham Lincoln
* René Enríquez as General Castro
* Ben Johnson as Jim Bridger
* Jerry Orbach as Capt. John Sutter
* G. D. Spradlin as General Steven Watts Kearney
* Rip Torn as Kit Carson
* Fritz Weaver as Senator Thomas Hart Benton
* Anthony Zerbe as Bill Williams
* Claude Akins as Tom Fitzpatrick
* John Anderson as Brig. Gen. Brooke
* Lee Bergere as 'Papa Joe' Nicollet
* Jeff East as Tim Donovan
* Michael Ensign as Karl Preuss
* Mel Ferrer as Judge Elkins
* Gayle Hunnicutt as Mrs. Maria Crittenden

## Reception

The Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors (2009) refers to the film as a "bracing yet relatively little remembered miniseries."

The film was released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection in 2012.

