Wagon Master
Directed By: John Ford
Starring: Ben Johnson, Joanned Dru, Harry Carey, Jr., Ward Bond, Charles Kemper, Alan Mowbray, and Jane Darwell
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Studio: Warner Bros.
Year: 1950
Rated: Not Rated
Film Length: 86 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Release Date: September 15, 2009
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The Film ****½
In John Ford's Wagon Master, Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr. play Travis and Sandy, two young horse traders in the mid 19th century American west who accept an offer to become wagon masters for a group of Mormons led by Elder Wiggs (Bond) who are trying to drive a wagon train to the San Juan River valley to establish a settlement. Along the way they come to the aid of a stranded medicine show wagon including Dr. A. Locksley Hall (Mowbray) and the lovely but worldly Denver (Dru). They encounter obstacles ranging from hostile terrain, lack of water, and potentially hostile Navajo, but the biggest threat to the success of their journey turns out to be a band of outlaws known as the Cleggs headed by the ruthless Uncle Shiloh (Kemper), who decide to use the Mormon wagon train to hide out from the posse that is looking for them.
Although very much a fan of the films of John Ford, I had never seen Wagon Master before viewing this DVD. One of the chief pleasures that comes with being a fan of classic films is when you stumble across something great of which you had previously been blissfully unaware. This proved to be one of those experiences. In Ford's canon, Wagon Master is something of a throwback to the films he was making in the 30s. It is free from a lot of the psychological darkness and complexity that would come to define many critics' ideas of the "postwar" cinematic period, and plays as a pretty straightforward tale of western good guys and bad guys elevated by Ford's stylistic touches. This film is a perfect example of the "Poet and Comedian" description of John Ford that is attributed to Orson Welles. It is filled with honest sentiment and joy, but it never feels treacly, and the sunnier moments seem earned and real. The film begins with a bravura opening where a robbery by the Clegg's ends in swift and brutal violence which hovers over the subsequent gentler moments like a dark cloud on the horizon. There are frequent interludes with folk music and dancing as well as a generous helping of songs on the soundtrack performed by the Sons of the Pioneers.
The film did not set the box-office ablaze, but it was also made on a tight budget (reportedly less than a million dollars) and was not a big money loser either. It is a unique Ford film for its time in that it was devoid of big stars such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda, or James Stewart. Instead, it elevated actors who were normally supporting players in Ford's "stock company" to leading roles. Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr. had both appeared in Ford's earlier films, Three Godfathers and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and Ward Bond had been a staple of Ford's films for more than two decades when Wagon Master was released. They are all perfectly cast, and embody their characters wonderfully. I don't think any man in movie history ever looked more at ease on a horse than Ben Johnson, and the use of such skilled riders as actors meant that they could do a lot of their own stunts.
Ward Bond is so convincing repeatedly yelling out "Wagon's West!", that it more or less laid the groundwork for his late career star turn on the massively successful television show "Wagon Train" that was largely inspired by this film. Joanne Dru is arguably the closest thing to a regular leading actor in the cast (she was frequently a top-billed actress in male-dominated films), and she turns in a wonderfully controlled performances as a sophisticated lady with a history who gradually falls for Johnson's cowboy "rube". The supporting cast is equally fine, with Alan Mowbray and Jane Darwell turning in gently comic turns as a medicine show leader who tries to maintain an appearance of dignity in rough surroundings and an ever-smiling Mormon woman who blows an improbably loud horn whenever it is time to get the wagon train moving.
One also sees many of the usual suspects from Ford's stock company filling out the smaller roles such as Ford's older brother Francis playing one of the senior Mormons and Hank Worden as one of the Cleggs who is short on brains but long on cruelty. Future TV superstar James Arness, in his first western role, plays another one of the Cleggs who is a mute, but makes an impression via sheer physical presence and what may be the longest duster in Western cinema history. Sharp-eyed viewers will also spot legendary American athlete Jim Thorpe among the Navajos in the film.
Ford had shot significant portions of several movies in Utah prior to this one including Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. While working in Utah, John Ford's son Patrick had developed a fondness for Mormon culture and learned about their 19th century migrations. He collaborated with screenwriter Frank Nugent on the screenplay which incorporated elements of this history into the plot. As such, the film is a rare portrayal of Mormons in classic Hollywood film. [Unless I am missing something, Fox's production of Henry Hathaway's Brigham Young: Frontiersman from 1940 and MGM's mid-40s Wallace Beery vehicle Bad Bascomb were the only significant Mormon-themed talkies from Hollywood studios prior to this one.] The Mormons wear costumes that look more like Puritan Pilgrim outfits than authentic clothing of the time, allegedly at the insistence of producer Howard Hughes (at the time, RKO was the distributor for Ford and Merian C. Cooper's Argosy Pictures). Perhaps they thought that viewers would visually associate the characters with their traditional idea of "Pilgrims", but it seems an odd choice.
Speaking of visuals, the film is beautifully shot in black and white by cinematographer Bert Glennon. The film reunited Ford and Glennon who had collaborated on a number of films through the 1930s including three films released in 1939 alone: Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, and Ford's first Technicolor film: Drums Along the Mohawk. The film gets maximum value out of its Moab, Utah location photography, shooting the spectacular landscapes from several angles to try to create the illusion of a long journey on a limited budget and tight schedule. The film can almost be said to consist of one beautifully composed perfect shot after another, and Ford's propensity for shots that establish small character details against immensely large and beautiful backdrops is in full evidence.
The Video ****
The film's beautiful cinematography is done justice by this highly detailed black and white transfer that is presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio appropriate to its original theatrical presentation. Light film damage is present but minimal. Compression is solid and free of significant artifacts. Very thin high contrast edge ringing is noticeable in a few specific shots, but is not pervasive. Shadow detail and contrast are very well handled, with few if any crushed blacks or blown out highlights.
The Audio ***½
The Dolby Digital 1.0 mono English track is nearly as good as the visuals, with solid fidelity with a surprising amount of low frequency information. High frequencies are somewhat rolled off. Noise reduction is handled judiciously with few artifacts save for a slightly rolled off high end (which could also be an artifact of the audio source used. I have no way of knowing for sure). This solid audio presentation serves teh frequent musical interludes especially well. There is also plenty of dynamic headroom which becomes all too evident every time Jane Darwell's character blows that dang horn! An alternate Spanish Dolby Digital mono audio track is also available.The Extras ***½
There is only one extra in this set, but it is an excellent one: A Commentary by Harry Carey, Jr. and Peter Bogdonavich with John Ford. This commentary has Carey and Bogdonavich sitting together for a discussion that is usually screen specific with Bogdonavich periodically inserting audio excerpts from a series of interviews he conducted with John Ford in 1966. Carey has an amazing memory and a treasure trove of anecdotes about the production of this and other films he made. Bogdonavich is clearly a knowledgeable proponent of Ford and this film in particular, and he and Carey have an easy chemistry which makes for a pleasant listen. There are only a few dead spots in the commentary, and even though Carey has a tendency to over praise, he sounds like such a genuinely nice guy that you never for a second doubt his sincerity. The Ford interview excerpts are an invaluable resource for those looking to understand more about the director. Only one of the vintage interview exchanges directly addresses Wagon Master, and the rest cover various aspects of Ford's career as a motion picture director.Packaging
The DVD comes packaged in an Amaray-sized "Ecobox" with holes in the hard case to reduce plastic use. The cover and disc art are derived from original theatrical promotional art, and there are no interiors inserts.
Summary ****½
Warner's retail SD DVD catalog output may have slowed lately, but they have done full justice to this title. This western tale of horse traders escorting a Mormon wagon train across the American west is a bona fide classic that sits comfortable alongside many of John Ford's better-known directorial achievements. It is presented on DVD with outstanding video quality which does justice to John Ford and Bert Glennon's breathtaking black and white cinematography. A newly recorded audio commentary by star Harry Carey, Jr. and Peter Bogdonavich features excerpts from vintage interview clips between Bogdonavich and Ford and is a treasure trove of interesting information about the director and this film.
