Il canto del West

Wagon Wheels is a really enjoyable old western to watch. Set in the year 1844, any viewer will find humor, music, drama, suspense, romance, and excellent acting throughout the cast. It is also a superb depiction of some of the elements, and especially equipment that beset an 1840's wagon train heading west. The ensemble actors had a keen sense of playing their roles in a manner depicting the period. Randolph Scott leads the players, where he is heroic, valiant of character, and sagacious of spirit. . .while his easy natural ways are endearing. Beautiful Gail Patrick is perfect for her role as a widowed mother taking a 4 year old son west. Her little boy, played by Billy Lee, is one of the great child actors ever, and gives a wonderful performance here. The 3 men leading the wagon west (Randolph Scott & 2 grizzled characters) have a real challenge defeating the elements that fall upon them. I don't want to give the whole story away, only to say I've seen a whole lot of westerns, and this one is one of the most enjoyable to me.

The print for this old western is only fair and unfortunately it does not have any sort of captioning---either closed captioning or DVD captions.

I chose to watch this film because it starred Randolph Scott--and I never turn down a chance to see another one of his westerns. Compared to the average film in the genre, Scott's always seem a bit better--much of it due to Scott's seemingly effortless acting. Even here, early in his career, his gentle yet rugged persona is intact--and quite enjoyable in this rather short B-movie. Another reason, it turned out, to see it was young Billy Lee--one of the cutest child actors I can recall--and not in a cloying and saccharine manner.

Not surprisingly considering the title, "Wagon Wheels" is about a wagon train that is heading to Oregon but must deal with the elements as well as American-Indians that are being stirred up by a jerky half-Indian (Murdock). Scott and his two very scruffy looking friends are in charge of getting these settlers to their destination.

As for the story, it's very straight-forward---without a lot of the sentiment and clichés you'd normally find in a 30s B-movie. As a result, the film does seem a tad rushed but is otherwise pretty watchable.

By the way, for historical purists out there, while the story is supposed to be set around 1850, the guns are clearly newer--with the settlers using what appear to be cartridges--which were not readily available at that time in history. Also, while popular in films, American-Indians did NOT make a habit of attacking wagon trains--in fact, it was a very, very rare occurrence.

Randolph Scott? You don't need much more.

But we get much more anyway.

In the late 1960s, Billy Lee was one of the celebrities who participated in a telethon sponsored by a local TV station in Knoxville, Tennessee. I'm embarrassed to admit that at the time I had no idea who he was. In fact, quite a few people attending didn't know his name. One of the girls from "Petticoat Junction" was apparently the big attraction -- and she was awfully cute.

But watching Billy Lee in "Wagon Wheels" and reading the reviews, one should realize that when Billy was a young boy, he was an excellent child actor and deserved to be remembered even into his adulthood. Any flaws in this movie are due to the writing and directing, not to his performance. And I'm glad to get a more accurate impression of his place in motion picture history.

Another actor in this excellent ensemble is Olin Howland. He has long been one of my favorites. He could portray a wide range of characters, from the hapless braggart in "Angel and the Bad Man" to the scout with strength and courage and leadership ability in "Wagon Wheels." I find it odd he's listed so far down in the cast since his role is more a leader than even Scott's.

Raymond Hatton is another great character actor. He got relegated to silly sidekick in too many films, but his star potential is evident as far back as the silent days.

Even if one wants to compare this film to more expensive ones, it rates very high. Great acting, generally good photography, including the stock footage, and an exciting if standard story. The print I saw was pretty bad, but I strongly recommend "Wagon Wheels."

In 1844 scout Clint Belmet and his two sidekicks guide a wagon train to the newly opened Oregon territory despite hardships and Indian attack in this Early Randolph Scott western that is pleasant viewing though it has tendency to meander.

Randolph Scott handled this Zane Grey classic with ease. Of course he had two of the best sidekicks in Raymond Hatton and Olin Howland to skillfully invigorate the plot when needed. Who better to play the leading lady than Gail Patrick as the widow with a child running from the past. A most artful character actor Monte Blue showcases his talents as the spy throwing every trick in the book in trying to stop the Wagon Wheels. I loved the music that was wonderfully interspersed throughout the film by various artists. With all this, my favorite performances were by Jan Duggan as Abby Masters and little Billy Lee as Sonny Wellington.