Directed by James Cruze
Starring J. Warren Kerrigan, Lois Wilson, Alan Hale
Kino Lorber has announced the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release of the first epic Western, The Covered Wagon (1923). This thing was a blockbuster in its day, establishing the Western as a genre that could be taken seriously. Fox tried to get in on the taming-of-the-West craze with their The Iron Horse, directed by a young John Ford, the next year.
If The Covered Wagon seems a bit predictable today, it’s because it created so many of the conventions we know from the countless movies that ripped it off over the years. All this will be covered in the commentary, put together by some guy named Toby Roan.
Good to hear you’re involved once again. Those Kino guys obviously feel they’ve come upon a valuable source of info in yourself. And they’re right!
Thanks for that vote of confidence.
This one was a real challenge. I’d seen the film a time or two, but knew almost nothing of its production or the people who worked on it — aside from Alan Hale and Tim McCoy.
Toby ,all the best of luck with this project and I’ve no doubt that this is an important film historically ,but it would take a lot for me to buy a silent film .I have one that came in a Gary Cooper boxset and I haven’t even played it ,and I’m a big Coop fan.
Epic!
Silents are’nt my thing either but I’m pleased it’s getting a nice release. Us western fans obviously owe it a lot and curiosity may get the better of me. What a great photo of the title card.
For all you BLU RAY fans,THE WAY WEST is getting a BLU RAY release from Kino Lorber .Not a bad film,but not really in my top 10 .Happy birthday to Grace Kelly who was born Nov.12 ,1929 .RIP.
Twilight Time has some of its blu-rays all the way down to $9.95 for a short while. The Glory Guys is one of them, so maybe if someone didn’t want it at the original price, now’s the time….
THE WAY WEST has been released on Blu Ray by Germany’s
Black Hill Pictures at a budget price…it’s a stunning transfer as is their
recent TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE. Black Hill’s THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO is also very good-the best version thus far of this early Boetticher.
Black Hill,I understand will later release WINCHESTER ’73 on Blu Ray.
THE GLORY GUYS is very good ‘though I could do without
Harve Presnell. The film SHOULD have starred James Garner and
James Coburn-then it would have been a classic.
The film is saved by superb James Wong Howe photography and
brilliant combat scenes plus the fact the Indians WIN!!
Hollywood Scrapheap are back in business with a BANG-lots of new titles
including THE HARD MAN in Widescreen!!! the recent French DVD was 4×3.
MAN FROM THE ALAMO must be one of the most anachronistic
Westerns ever made-apart from BEND OF THE RIVER and RAW EDGE.
All three offer good fun-the heck with history I say!
I watched Black Hill THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO last night and agree that the transfer is excellent. The fact that the picture depicted six-guns as the preferred weaponry in 1840 (!) in no way detracted from my enjoyment either. Excellent early Boetticher 77 minute Western with text-book economy of story telling.
Nick, THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO is set in 1836!!!
BEND OF THE RIVER is set in 1840 where they use not only Colt ’45’s
but also Winchesters. The clothing is also very non 1840’s but who cares
when a film is that good.
Are you still following this thread, Graham??
Have you seen the latest terrific batch of new releases from the Hollywood Scrapheap? A whole raft of great little westerns that are unavailable in the U.S. up to now. Some unavailable anywhere!!
Jerry ,I checked out Hollywood Scrapheap yesterday and just read Toby’s story on it as soon as I got up this morning .I already have European copies ,French and Italian I think of THE HARD MAN and REPRISAL but they do have some rare films.I wonder when Renown Pictures will release Vol 2 of THE EARLY COWBOY COLLECTION .I received a newsletter the other day,the last one before Christmas but there was no mention of it.I already have Vol 1 .Toby,I received WINTER A GO GO yesterday and one of the actors is William Wellman Jr ,son of the legendary director .
Watched this today & listened to the commentary. Looks like the critics agree, it’s great!
http://ia601706.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/3/items/variety70-1923-03/variety70-1923-03_jp2.zip&file=variety70-1923-03_jp2/variety70-1923-03_0262.jp2&scale=7.5249500998003995&rotate=0