I’m not going to lie, I don’t think I even knew this film existed prior to this project. Maybe I noticed it when I was checking out Fess Parker’s IMDB credits but either way, I’m very glad I got the chance to experience it now. For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots, how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.
Update: In February 2022, I started a video version of the DFP on Tiktok. You can find the video below. Thoughts expressed in the video may be different than what are expressed in the blog post, due to the time difference in posting.
A Brief Summary
A group of emigrants experiences horse raids, war parties and more as they make their way towards Oregon. In spite of their troubles, they are able to make it through the next leg of their journey thanks to Captain Stephen who leads them; Hank, a skilled scout; and Doc Grayson, who keeps a level head throughout their journey. Includes a prairie dance, several buffalo robes, and a boy named Little Thunder.
What works
- It was so refreshing to have a larger cast of characters in this film. I feel like most of the movies in the 50s so far have had a smaller central cast. Which worked for those storylines but it was nice to have some variety with the number of characters here.
- Something that I loved was that there were built-in parameters with this movie. I mean, the main focus is this wagon train, so with that, the characters are stuck. They’re en route to Oregon, limited by their surroundings and their resources. It really forces their interactions together and I would say it intensifies their reactions because they’re not in normal circumstances.
- While there were some serious tension-building scenes, they didn’t overcrowd the film. Especially with a film of this type with pioneers heading west, it would be so easy to snowball the tense moments until it’s more a thriller picture than anything else. Instead, they found a way to balance the tense scenes with light-hearted moments which really helped keep the overall tone of the movie fun and easy.
What may or may not work
- One of the main characters is this young boy named Dan Thompson. I’d say he’s about 14 or so, helping his two sisters travel west. He’s a great kid HOWEVER he totally goes through this personality change halfway through the movie. When he first appears on the screen, he’s antsy, kind-of-moody kid who totally wants to prove he’s a man (nothing wrong with that). When his horse gets stolen and when he lets himself get taken by Pawnee warriors (to save his sister and friends), he is given the opportunity to show that he’s matured during this trek west.
- Now, none of that is bad. In fact, they are integral parts of the story and help it move forward. But after the wagon train moves beyond Pawnee territory, Dan acts just like the other kids. It was as if the moment he was no longer a story-centric character, he went back to being a normal kid. I’m all for kids getting the chance to be kids, but it’s a little odd seeing a kid work to prove he’s more of a man then to have him return to his carefree childhood games. It just feels as if that character development stopped and I don’t think it was enough.
Honorable Mentions
- Bissonnette is a Sioux-speaking Frenchman who is in charge of Fort Laramie. Honestly, he reminds me SO MUCH of Sallah from Raiders of the Lost Ark. He’s smart, he’s the go-between for people of different cultures and he even looks a little bit like Sallah.
- Shout out to Doc Grayson (Fess Parker) for singing two different songs during the movie. Apparently, Fess Parker even wrote the lyrics for the second song so that was pretty cool.
Side Questions
- How long have Doc Grayson and Laura Thompson liked each other? Their relationship isn’t really covered, at least not the history of it. Inquiring minds would like to know.
What I learned from watching this film
- I think the thing I loved the most from watching this was that there were no subtitles used for the Sioux language. Sure, Bissonnette was on hand as a translator through several of the Sioux scenes, but he couldn’t be in ALL of them. It was great though because it meant that rather than just
mindlesslylisten to the dialogue, I had to pay attention to not what was spoken but how it was spoken, and what the body language was saying. It also added a sense of realism to the film that would have been lost with the addition of subtitles. I felt more of a connection to the characters than I would have otherwise.- There was this really great scene towards the end of the film. The Sioux Chief’s son was injured and Doc Grayson had arrived with Laura and Hank to try to help him. The chief and the medicine both want them to leave, but the boy’s mother steps in. Even though what she says is brief, it’s clear from her expression and her tone just what her thoughts are.
If you’ve seen Westward Ho the Wagons!, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!
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