It is an early classic for a number of reasons. It was an expensive production that ended in two movies--one filmed in 70mm which was an early widescreen version, and the other filmed in 35mm for use in theaters that had smaller screens. It was still quite an early sound film, and was not made in a studio at all. Walsh employed hundreds of actors, including up to 700 Native Americans, had 500 buffalo, 1,400 horses, and 185 wagons. The filming was actually done in seven states, and when things like river crossings were filmed, they were actually river crossings.
This was the first starring role for John Wayne, then aged 23; indeed Marion Morrison got the name John Wayne for this movie. He had mostly been a guy helping with props in earlier movie productions, with occasional bit parts. He had wanted to play football at the University of Southern California but had to drop out because of injury and lack of money. He turned to the movie business to make money.
The story is an epic one--following an early wagon train in 1843 from Missouri to Oregon in what would become the Oregon Trail. Breck Coleman (John Wayne) is a trapper who has explored the trail west but has come east to seek vengeance on two men who robbed and killed a good friend of his for several thousand dollars worth of furs. He agrees to be the lead scout for the wagon train after he realizes the two men he suspects of that murder are in charge of the drive. They are Red Flack (Tyrone Power, Sr.) and Lopez (Charles Stevens). Coleman's love interest in the trek is Ruth Cameron (Marguerite Churchill).
Several times on the trek, Flack and Lopez try to kill Coleman, but he always survives. Ruth has a very ambivalent relationship with Coleman until she learns the truth about Flack and Lopez from a friend of Coleman's. In the end, Coleman gets the wagon train to Oregon, temporarily leaves to track down Flack and Lopez, and then returns to a joyous reunion with Ruth.
I watched the 70mm version which allowed for grand vistas of the West, dramatic river crossings, winter scenes, the circling of the wagons to resist an Indian attack, etc. Its limitation is that the 70mm cameras of the day could not do closeups, but I didn't really miss them. The sound quality is marginal at times, partly because the filming was all outside with primitive equipment amidst surrounding activity. The acting is a bit stiff on occasion.
"The Big Trail" was a financial disaster because theaters were not equipped to show the widescreen version; this was the last early attempt to make a widescreen film. This failure stalled John Wayne's career until it was resurrected in "Stagecoach" in 1939.
This was the first starring role for John Wayne, then aged 23; indeed Marion Morrison got the name John Wayne for this movie. He had mostly been a guy helping with props in earlier movie productions, with occasional bit parts. He had wanted to play football at the University of Southern California but had to drop out because of injury and lack of money. He turned to the movie business to make money.
The story is an epic one--following an early wagon train in 1843 from Missouri to Oregon in what would become the Oregon Trail. Breck Coleman (John Wayne) is a trapper who has explored the trail west but has come east to seek vengeance on two men who robbed and killed a good friend of his for several thousand dollars worth of furs. He agrees to be the lead scout for the wagon train after he realizes the two men he suspects of that murder are in charge of the drive. They are Red Flack (Tyrone Power, Sr.) and Lopez (Charles Stevens). Coleman's love interest in the trek is Ruth Cameron (Marguerite Churchill).
Several times on the trek, Flack and Lopez try to kill Coleman, but he always survives. Ruth has a very ambivalent relationship with Coleman until she learns the truth about Flack and Lopez from a friend of Coleman's. In the end, Coleman gets the wagon train to Oregon, temporarily leaves to track down Flack and Lopez, and then returns to a joyous reunion with Ruth.
I watched the 70mm version which allowed for grand vistas of the West, dramatic river crossings, winter scenes, the circling of the wagons to resist an Indian attack, etc. Its limitation is that the 70mm cameras of the day could not do closeups, but I didn't really miss them. The sound quality is marginal at times, partly because the filming was all outside with primitive equipment amidst surrounding activity. The acting is a bit stiff on occasion.
"The Big Trail" was a financial disaster because theaters were not equipped to show the widescreen version; this was the last early attempt to make a widescreen film. This failure stalled John Wayne's career until it was resurrected in "Stagecoach" in 1939.