Die Karawane

Unfortunately time has not been particularly kind to this slow moving curiosity piece about a wagon train of pioneers headed to Oregon. The story is ordinary, the characters, not surprisingly, strictly archetypes, from the noble but modest hero (the incredibly dull J. Warren Kerrigan), to the wide eyed heroine (pretty but bland Lois Wilson), who never can seem to make up her mind who she prefers, Noble Hero (who has a rumored tarnished past) or conniving bad guy fiancée (Alan Hale, yes, I said Alan Hale, without a sign of a smile on his face). The audience is way ahead of the double minded lady as to whom she will finally choose.

James Cruze directed the production and failed to enliven or distinguish any of the much needed action sequences, whether it be a big scene, an Indian attack on the wagon train, or a smaller one (a fist fight between Kerrigan and Hale).

The film is noteworthy, however, for its photography, and in showing the far flung vistas on the horizon, does convey a sense of bigness. Also enlivening the film to a degree are the performances of Tully Marshall as a fur trapper and, in particular, Ernest Torrence as a grizzled wagon scout, stereotypes as they may be. Torrence and Marshall are entertaining enough that eight years later they would be reunited for essentially the same roles in a 1931 wagon train tale of negligible entertainment value, Fighting Caravans.

The Covered Wagon might have been considered to be a big deal for the film world in 1923 but today this trip put west is, I'm sorry to say, is just not a standout. Maybe I just expected more because Paramount silent are so hard to find and, many times, they really are standouts.

THE COVERED WAGON is an ordinary programmer western dressed up with epic scenes of wagon trains and sudden ambushes. The spectacle is incredible, but it's barely enough to keep interest. The cast is at the very least enlivened by the presence of several wonderful character actors, like Tully Marshall and Ernest Torrance. I really love Torrance-- I wish he was the main character instead. They really make the movie. Otherwise, it's just very generic and it's hard to see what made it such a massive hit back in 1923. Maybe there was an ardent desire for footage of wagon trains moving back and forth?

The first great western epic, The Covered Wagon established many of the cliches that appear in many subsequent westerns, both "A" and "B" features alike.

Here for the first time, we have the wagon train of eastern settlers trekking west in search of a new land and a new start. We have the circling of the wagons in preparation for the Indian attack, the attack itself and the ride to the rescue of the besieged wagons.

Cruze captures the feel of what a real wagon train journey must have been like. The long lines of slow moving covered wagons, the dusty trails, life and death situations on the prairie, as well as the celebrations around the campfire.

The sub-plot of boy-girl-villain is "B" western calibre, however, the players carry it of admirably. J. Warren Kerrigan as the hero is adequate but not memorable. The lovely Lois Wilson as the heroine and a young Alan Hale as the villain are much better. It is curious that the Cruze portrayed legendary mountain man Jim Bridger (Tully Marshall) as an absent-minded, liquor swilling comedy relief.

The ending is strictly Hollywood. Boy gets girl of course and the villain is defeated, but I thought that the final shoot-out left a little to be desired.

Despite its apparent faults, The Covered Wagon remains today as powerful a film as it must have been in 1923.

Good accuracy on most of the equipment and clothing. The leading characters' make-up was almost clown-like and over-acting was running rampant, but that was the norm of the time and cannot really be criticized. What cannot be excused is the pathetically weak and insipid story line.

Jim Bridger's only surviving child, Virginia K. Bridger Wachsman Hahn, reacted violently after viewing Tully Marshall's portrayal of her father in the then newly-released `The Covered Wagon' in 1923. She instituted a $1,000,000 libel action against the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, charging that they wrongfully depicted her father as a drunkard and a man of questionable morals, defaming his character and casting a stain upon her birth.

Judge Albert L. Reeves, of the federal court at Kansas City, sustained a demurrer filed by the defendants on the grounds no one could recover damages for defamation of the character of an ancestor, setting the precendent for Hollywood's dismal record of accuracy in its portrayal of historic personages.

The Covered Wagon (1923)

*** (out of 4)

Highly entertaining and influential Western about a large wagon train that starts off in the Midwest and plans to head out West and up into Oregon. Along the way there are various internal battles as well as dangerous issues with Indians as well as other problems with their journey.

One could watch THE COVERED WAGON today and say that it doesn't have anything original to it but they would be missing the point. This was a very original movie when it was originally released and it has been copied so many times since 1923 that some people might forget or just overlook the fact that the rules were formed here for all future Westerns. There are certainly some flaws in the film but at the same time there's no question that this is a highly entertaining movie and one that works on many levels.

As I said, the film is basically about this large wagon train heading out West and we see the various problems that happen on the journey. This includes a love triangle between the three main characters. You've got the good guy Will (J. Warren Kerrigan), the bad guy Sam (Alan Hale) and then there's Molly (Lois Wilson) who both want. This leads to some very fun scenes including an extended fight sequence that was perfectly directed by James Cruze. You've also got some other great action including a river crossing, a buffalo hunt and a sequence where the wagons are attacked by Indians.

There are some flaws with the film including Kerrigan not being that strong as the lead. I thought he gave a fine performance and I thought he was good to watch but at the same time I think the film would have benefited from a stronger lead. Hale was wonderful as the villain and Wilson was cute enough for what she was asked to do. The film featured some very good cinematography and I'd also argue that the editing itself was good. The locations were great and while the story itself wasn't the strongest, it was at least good enough to hold your attention throughout.

THE COVERED WAGON is certainly a landmark Western and one that influenced everything that was to follow. The movie isn't perfect but it's about as entertaining as you can get.