John Ford was a big fan of this John Ford movie, presumably because it included so many things he loved: Monument Valley, endless shots of wagons going over the horizon, plenty of character actors, a community feel, religion (Mormons instead of Catholics), outlaws, sensible cowboys, colourful character actors, and horseplay.
Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jnr lack star power as two cowboys who get involved in leading a wagon train of Mormons across country; they encounter Navajo Indians, a troupe of travelling players, and some outlaws. Joanne Dru is sexy as the girl, Ward Bond excellent as the Mormon leader, Jane Darwell creeps me out as a horn blowing Mormon. There's a lot of wagons, and character actors and shenanigans and not much action. I wasn't wild about it, but it has a certain charm.
No comments:
Post a Comment