The Covered Wagon

Plot

Two wagon caravans converge at what is now Kansas City and combine forces for the arduous journey westward to Oregon Territory. The pioneers face brutal challenges including scorching desert heat, treacherous mountain snowstorms, starvation, and attacks from Native American tribes defending their lands. A complex love triangle emerges when Molly, a young pioneer woman, must choose between the brutish but dependable Sam Woodhull and the dashing Will Banion, captain of the second wagon train. Will's mysterious past and a hidden secret threaten his chances with Molly, while the group's survival becomes increasingly precarious as they venture deeper into the untamed wilderness. The epic journey tests not only their physical endurance but also their moral convictions and romantic loyalties.

Historical Background

The Covered Wagon was released during a period of intense nostalgia in America for the frontier era, which had officially ended with the 1890 census declaration that the frontier was closed. The 1920s saw a surge of interest in Western mythology as Americans grappled with rapid modernization, urbanization, and the social changes following World War I. The film tapped into contemporary anxieties about progress versus tradition, with the wagon train serving as a metaphor for American determination and manifest destiny. Its release coincided with the height of the silent film era, just before the transition to sound would revolutionize cinema. The film also reflected the post-war economic boom, as its massive budget and success demonstrated the growing financial power of Hollywood studios and the public's appetite for big-budget entertainment.

Making Of

Director James Cruze, a former actor himself, was obsessed with authenticity for this production. He spent months traveling the actual Oregon Trail route and interviewing elderly pioneers who had made the journey. The production faced numerous challenges, including a flash flood that nearly washed away the entire wagon train set, and a wildfire that forced the crew to evacuate their desert location. Casting was particularly difficult, as Cruze wanted actors who could handle both the physical demands and emotional weight of their roles. Ernest Torrence, who played the villainous Bill Jackson, was actually a classically trained opera singer who brought theatrical gravitas to his Western roles. The famous buffalo stampede sequence was achieved using only 200 buffalo, cleverly filmed with multiple camera angles and editing techniques to create the illusion of thousands. The film's success made James Cruze one of the highest-paid directors in Hollywood, earning over $200,000 for this single production.

Visual Style

The cinematography by Karl Brown was revolutionary for its time, featuring extensive location shooting that was rare in the early 1920s. Brown utilized natural light to capture the vast landscapes of the American West, creating sweeping panoramic shots that emphasized both the beauty and danger of the frontier. The film employed innovative camera techniques including tracking shots that followed alongside moving wagons, creating a sense of movement and immediacy. Brown used special filters to enhance the harshness of desert scenes and contrasted them with the crisp, cold beauty of mountain sequences. The famous buffalo stampede was filmed using multiple cameras at different angles, a technique that created a sense of chaos and scale never before seen in cinema. The cinematography also featured close-ups that revealed the emotional toll of the journey on the characters, balancing the epic scale with intimate human moments. Brown's work on this film influenced an entire generation of cinematographers and helped establish the visual language of the Western genre.

Innovations

The Covered Wagon pioneered several technical innovations that would become standard in filmmaking. The production was among the first to use extensive location shooting for a narrative feature, proving that epic stories could be told authentically outside studio backlots. The film featured what may have been cinema's first large-scale animal stampede sequence, requiring innovative techniques in animal handling and camera placement. The production developed new methods for filming in extreme weather conditions, including special camera housings for desert heat and insulated equipment for mountain snow scenes. The editing techniques used to create the illusion of thousands of wagons and people were groundbreaking for their time. The film also experimented with tinting sequences in different colors to enhance emotional impact - warm amber tones for desert scenes, cool blue for night sequences, and sepia for flashbacks. The production's use of multiple cameras to capture complex action sequences influenced future filmmaking techniques. The film's success demonstrated the commercial viability of big-budget location shooting, paving the way for future epics.

Music

As a silent film, The Covered Wagon originally featured a compiled score assembled from classical pieces and popular music of the era, with specific themes composed to accompany key scenes. The original theatrical presentations included live orchestras in major cities, with detailed cue sheets provided to musicians. The love theme for Molly and Will was adapted from Tchaikovsky's 'Romeo and Juliet', while action sequences used pieces from Wagner's operas. For the 1928 re-release, a synchronized Movietone score was created featuring original compositions by Hugo Riesenfeld, one of the leading film composers of the silent era. This re-release also included sound effects for the wagon wheels, animal noises, and battle sequences. The musical approach emphasized the epic nature of the story, with sweeping orchestral arrangements that matched the visual grandeur of the cinematography. The soundtrack's success helped establish the practice of creating original scores for major motion pictures rather than relying solely on compiled classical music.

Memorable Scenes

• The spectacular buffalo stampede sequence where thousands of thunder across the plains, threatening the wagon train
• The treacherous mountain crossing where wagons are lowered down cliffs by ropes and manpower
• The desert thirst sequence where pioneers collapse from dehydration before finding water
• The climactic Indian attack on the wagon train circle, featuring impressive stunt work and pyrotechnics
• The romantic moonlit scene between Molly and Will where their feelings are finally confessed
• The final arrival in Oregon with the weary pioneers viewing the promised land from a mountain overlook

What Critics Said

Contemporary critics hailed The Covered Wagon as a masterpiece of American cinema. The New York Times praised it as 'the most magnificent picture ever produced in America' and specifically commended its 'breathtaking photography' and 'authentic atmosphere'. Variety called it 'a triumph of American filmmaking' and predicted it would 'revolutionize the motion picture industry'. Modern critics have been more nuanced in their assessments, acknowledging the film's historical importance while noting its dated cultural attitudes. Film historian Kevin Brownlow has called it 'the grandfather of all Western epics' and praised its technical achievements. The film holds a 7.2/10 rating on IMDb and maintains an 85% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on critical reviews, with consensus noting its 'spectacular visuals and historical importance despite some narrative conventions of its era'.

What Audiences Thought

The Covered Wagon was a phenomenal commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1923. Audiences were captivated by its realistic depiction of pioneer life and spectacular action sequences. The film played to packed houses for months in major cities and was particularly popular in smaller towns where audiences had personal or family connections to the pioneer experience. Many theaters reported people returning multiple times to see the film, with some viewers dressing in period clothing for viewings. The love triangle between Molly, Sam, and Will generated considerable discussion among audiences, with newspaper letters columns filled with debates about which character Molly should choose. The film's success led to increased tourism along the historic Oregon Trail, with many Americans inspired to visit the locations depicted in the movie. Contemporary audience surveys conducted by trade papers indicated that the film's appeal crossed demographic lines, attracting both men who enjoyed the action sequences and women who responded to the romantic elements.

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