Recently, in the pursuit of tracking something down in my American history studies I ran across a silent (1923) Western film called “The Covered Wagon.” It’s considered by some folks to be the first Western Epic movie, and I decided to watch it. I found a good print on YouTube () which included the soundtrack and was obviously (to me) lovingly restored. It's 138 minutes, so over 2 hours. The only actor I knew was Alan Hale - the villain - best known (again to me) for producing a son, Alan Hale Jr. who played the captain in Gilligan’s Island, and who looks just like his Dad. I hooked my computer up to my t.v. with an HDMI cable (thanks to Larry) and watched and completely enjoyed the film. So if you are a Western movie fan, or just want to try something different, and if you can stand b/w silent films you might want to check this out. Let’s enjoy the fruits of 100 (plus) years of American culture.
I am wondering if I am the last, well second last, I know at least one other and he is, I think, older than me, Western movie fan. I looked at my film database and I have . . . ..... a lot of westerns. One of the interesting ( to me) things about the Covered Wagon (1923) is that most of the male characters don't wear sidearms and dress more like the post spaghetti-westerns than the 50s and 60s westerns show them.
Thanks for sharing this gem of a movie! Especially enjoyed the score by Hugo Riesenfeld, master of silent movie music magic! HERE
You are welcome. After I move on from movies I suspect that my next post will be music from the 1920s. It is often asserted that Americans who criticize some aspects of the way America behaved in the past and present do so because they hate America. In most cases nothing could be further from the truth and I am in the process of exploring what it is that I love about America. Starting with this old movie.
Dang, just clicked on a news feed link this week on the ten best male actors in westerns. Unfortunately I blew through the list, more out of curiosity than paying attention. There was a good mix of relatively current mixed in with some long gone. If memory serves me, number one was Clint Eastwood. Not sure I agreed but he did lead the charge in “spaghetti westerns.”
Peaked my own curiosity and did a quick Google search. They claimed it was easily the Duke, John Wayne. He was in more than 140 western movies, I find that hard to believe. Maybe quantity over quality was the case.
Jo hn Wayne is usually noted beomes a star after doing John Ford's "Stagecoach" in 1939. I just looked his filmography up in wikipedia and he starts acting in movies in 1929, so silents, and between then and Stagecoach he's in 70 films. So 140 westerns is very likely a pretty close number. I found a list of the 20 best western actors and it had Eastwood on top. Above Wayne. If I am looking for a western I will chose a flic with James Stewart or Gary Cooper or Randolph Scott or even Audie Murphy before Duke, or Clint, but there are (opinion) few if any westerns better than "The Searchers" or "Good Bad & the Ugly" so . . . . . ........ So it's a mood thing.
On Halloween, John Wayne passed out silver dollars to the first 50 kids who came to his Encino CA home! My brothers and I were never early enough to see him. His housekeeper passed out full size candy bars to everyone else.
