La caravane vers l'Ouest

Monumental in scope and mamouth in nature, March 1923's "The Covered Wagon" has been acknowledged as the first epic movie Western. One TV personality, Joe Franklin, even called this "the first American epic not directed by Griffith." What makes "The Covered Wagon" such a pioneering work is not because it was the highest production budget for a Western film yet, over $750,000, and was the number one box office draw for 1923. The movie established iconic scenes future Westerns films would copy. The motion picture was the first to show realistic views of the pioneering frontier, which included a convey of authentic covered wagons from California's first settlers that had been lovingly preserved. In addition, the trials the wagoners went through during their journey, such as river crossings, Indian attacks, severe weather, even quicksand, are all seen in one complete package. Lastly, a buffalo hunt, although minuscule in comparison to more impressive modern day episodes in today's films, is undertaken. The number of buffalos back in 1923 was a fraction of today's amount, so the producers gathered what small number of the animals living back then for the hunting sequence.

During the river-crossing scene where horses were hauling the wagons across a deep ford, actress Lois Wilson was so traumatized witnessing two horses drowning she returned to her tent and didn't work the rest of day.

"The Covered Wagon" was the final of many Lois Wilson and J. Warren Kerrigan movies where they paired up as a romantic couple. The irony of the matrimony roles they played through that span, neither one actually married in real life. Wilson, appearing in over 150 movies, made the transition to sound, but retired in 1941 over the type of roles she was offered. She wrapped up her acting career in three network soap operas, including 'The Guiding Light' and 'The Secret Storm.' Actor Kerrigan's career was sinking like a rock when he receive the romantic lead in "The Covered Wagon." A rising star in the mid-1910's, he made an insensitive comment when the United States entered the Great War in 1917, stating actors, musicians, great writers and other artists shouldn't be sacrificed on the battle front. "I think that first they should take the great mass of men who aren't good for anything else, or are only good for the lower grades of work," he callously said. That statement and the fact he was living with his mother as well as a partner, actor James Vincent, in the same house, sunk his standing in Hollywood. His friendship with director James Cruz got him the lead role in "The Covered Wagon." The movie was President Warren G. Harding's favorite film as well as the creator of Godzilla, Japanese producer Tomoyuki Tanaka. "The Covered Wagon" was also nominated for American Film Institute's '100 Most Thrilling Film Ever Made' category.

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.

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?

But unfortunately not wide known because belonging to the silent era. This western could be compared to CIMARRON, both versions, Wesley Ruggles and Anthony Mann, about the depiction of conquest of the West. The true, genuine story of America. It is a western that you can't miss, if you are a western lover, and not only. It is awesome, brilliant, riveting, splendidly made, with great spectacular sequences, such as the unavoidable indian attack which is really spectacular, especially for this period. The copy I watched was awesome in quality. It is available on you tube, so don't miss this opportunity to see this western made jawdropping on locations.