The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West

This was insipid, stupid, and lacked any of the charm of Gilligan's Island, AND YET we found ourselves watching the whole thing until the end.

It's the exact same formula as Gilligan. There is the leader (played by a guy who didn't get the role of Skipper,) the bumbling sidekick, the good girl, the bad girl, the know-it-all, the rich guy, and the wife who's entire identity is being married to the rich guy.

I'm not sure if we can call it a "rip-off" of Gilligan since this show is from Sherwood Schwartz also. Can you rip-off your own work? But it's obvious they just dusted off a few Gilligan scripts, scribbled out the words "hut" and "lagoon," penciled in "wagon" and "trail", and sent it to production.

RELEASED IN 1976, "The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West" is a compilation of four episodes of the Dusty's Trail TV series that ran for one season in 1973-1974. Producer Sherwood Schwartz tried to duplicate his success with Gilligan's Island by transplanting a similar group of seven people into the wild west: The wagon master (Forrest Tucker), his "little pal" subordinate (Bob Denver), an educated lawyer (Bill Cort), a saloon showgirl (Jeannine Riley), a winsome schoolmarm (Lori Saunders) and a filthy rich older couple (Ivor Francis & Lynn Wood). These seven are lost in the West, separated from their wagon train, and experience various misadventures.

While the characters are different enough for the show to work, the parallels are uncomfortably too close; moreover, the writing's nowhere near as good, and the show just lacks the magic of Gilligan's Island. It's basically a pale imitation. Nevertheless, it's worthwhile for Bob Denver fans; there are a few genuine laughs and Jeannine Riley is alluring as the showgirl (I prefer her to Ginger).

The episodes from Dusty's Trail, as featured in this movie, are in order: "Tomahawk Territory," "Horse of Another Color," "There is Nothing Like a Dame," and "The Not So Magnificent Seven." FYI: Only ONE of these episodes is included in The Almost Complete First (And Only) Season DVD set, which means you'll have to purchase the set AND this flick if you want all the episodes.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour, 36 minutes. I incidentally viewed the Catcom DVD and the video quality is horrible (speaking as someone who's easy to please in that department).

GRADE: C-

"Dusty's Trail" is a tepid rehash by Sherwood Schwartz of his earlier "success," "Gilligan's Island." The similarities are so blatant, it is hardly surprising that Bob Denver is playing the lead.

Each of "Gilligan's" seven characters has been transplanted to a very stereotyped Old West setting. Even many of the supporting characters in this "film" popped up on that remote island a decade earlier.

Check on the "Dusty's Trail" page for further comments of other users, and details of the actual show. (It aired in syndication during the 73/74 season; why this "movie" surfaced two years later, one can only guess.) I actually remember seeing the series during its first-run. One afternoon I sat with a bunch of neighborhood kids, viewing an episode, and we all agreed that it was a ripoff of "Gilligan," and not HALF as good.

The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West is another movie that goes and stitches four episodes of a TV series together (which aired in 1973). Here, we have four episodes of Dusty's Trail, a western comedy that lasted only 26 episodes due to the fact that it was nothing but an attempt at rewriting the beloved Gilligan's Island in a different genre (even down to casting Bob Denver, who played the silly, yet lovable Gilligan, as Dusty).

Basically, this "movie", as it's called, takes four episodes and tries to tie them together, removing the laugh track. The episodes are Tomahawk Territory, Horse of Another Color, There Is Nothing Like a Dame, and The Not So Magnificent Seven. If you've seen Gilligan's Island, then you know this uses the exact same formula, as the wagon and stagecoach is lost because of Dusty's bumbling, and on its way to reunite with its wagon train, the plans are usually foiled by Dusty's bumbling. Also, the characters are the same archetypes of Gilligan's cast (The Brookhavens are basically the Howells, and wagonmaster Mr. Callahan is basically the same role as The Skipper, acting as Dusty's boss and big buddy). Despite the change in setting and era, it is clear why Dusty's Trail never got far, as it was blatantly Gilligan's island in the wild west with little to no changes to separate it from Gilligan, and this movie is possibly a failed attempt to try and revive the series (which obviously failed).

This is a really bad movie. Bob Denver plays Dusty, a bumbling incompetent that is based on the Gilligan character of the sixties sitcom "Gilligan's Island." Unfortunately, the mishaps are even worse than what took place at the hands of Gilligan. Furthermore, they simply don't have the spark to generate a laugh as they are generally predictable.

Forrest Tucker plays Wagonmaster Callahan that is a combination of the skipper in "Gilligan's Island" as well as his role as Sergeant O'Rourke of "F-troop." He even wears his hat in the same manner as the Sergeant. Again, the role is old and tired.

Other characters are the very rich man and his elegant wife, (Thurston Howell and lovey from "Gilligan's Island,") the beautiful dance hall girl (Ginger), the plain girl, Mary Ann, and the smart man, (the professor.) Using recycled characters can work, but they clearly do not in this case.

The movie is boring, often plodding and predictable, it is hard to watch in one sitting.