The Donner Party

1h 30m
DocumentaryHistory
6.8

Doomed attempt to get to California in 1846. More than just a riveting tale of death, endurance and survival. The Donner Party's nightmarish journey penetrated to the very heart of the American Dream at a crucial phase of the nation's "manifest destiny." Touching some of the most powerful social, economic and political currents of the time, this extraordinary narrative remains one of the most compelling and enduring episodes to come out of the West.

Cast

David McCullough
Narrator (voice)
J.D. Cannon
voice
Timothy Hutton
voice
Gene Jones
voice
Amy Madigan
voice
Donal McCann
voice
George Plimpton
voice
Paul Roebling
voice
Lois Smith
voice
Frances Sternhagen
voice
Eli Wallach
voice

Crew

Ric Burns
Director, Writer, Producer
Bruce Shaw
Editor
Allen Moore
Director of Photography
Buddy Squires
Director of Photography
Lisa Ades
Producer
Ira Spiegel
Sound Editor
Brian Keane
Original Music Composer, Music Arranger

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