The covered wagon silent film

As a covered wagon film, we need one accident, one shortage and one disastrous interaction with native americans. Mary miles minter was slated to appear in the film, but her mother turned down the. Silent western from 1923 still entertains the covered wagon is an elaborate production for 1923 a grand scale western. Wagon tracks is a bit moodier and more of a drama set in the west than an actual western. The plot concerns a group of pioneers who travel west on the oregon trail in 1848. The covered wagon is a 1923 silent western epic movie directed by james cruze. The film was directed by james cruze based on a novel by. New york, ny january 30, 2018 kino classics is proud to announce the release of the silent film classic the covered wagon, available on bluray and dvd for the first time. Because film stock was on nitrate material we are fortunate that it survives as well as it does. The western movie genre, among the first film genres, started being filmed during the silent film era between 1894 1929.

In this film a group of people are heading out west to hollywood so they pack up their wagons and head out where they must battle various elements including crossing a dangerous river and battling indians. Some of those characters speak broken english or at least southern style english with words like git etc. This listing is from the progressive silent film list by carl bennett. Also enlivening the film to a degree are the performances of tully marshall as a fur trapper and, in particular, ernest torrence as a grizzled wagon scout. The gesticulations common to much silent film acting are apt to strike modernday audiences as simplistic or campy. Its an iconic western epic with an allstar cast and a dedication to authenticity. Each represents the pride of american manhood and womanhood of pregold discovery days in california. To complicate matters further, a love triangle develops, as pretty molly must chose between sam, a brute. A silent forerunner of western epics, this film follows two wagon caravans as they depart from the newly crowned kansas city and begin their journey westward, determined to settle in oregon. But while the covered wagon isnt a silent john ford western or directed by one of the acknowledged masters of the medium, isnt one of the widely known antecedents to the most american of movie genres, its impressive in ways that any film buff can appreciate. This 20 page souvenir program features a full color cover with black and white photographs and articles about the movie inside. Two wagon caravans converge at what is now kansas city, and combine for the westward push to oregon. The screening begins with an introduction by jeff mccarty of the paramount archives and features live accompaniment by cliff retallick.

The covered wagon 1923 on bluray heres a title that has been eagerly anticipated, at least by the silent movie fans i pal around with. Many of these early westerns were considered melodramatic or sentimental plots centered around the goal of maintaining law and order on the frontier. Uncovered wagon, the 1923 out of 4 hal roach short is a spoof of the 1923 western covered wagon, which was a huge hit for paramount. Paramount remake of silent epic will have new plot terry moore in fox film by thomas m. To complicate matters further, a love triangle develops, as pretty. Producer jesse lasky replaced director george melford with james. The covered wagon bluray disc, 2018 for sale online ebay. The film was directed by james cruze based on a novel by emerson hough about a group of pioneers traveling through the old west from kansas to oregon. This 1923 epic is almost like a documentary of a pioneer company as it contains the largest collection of authentic wagons ever captured on film.

The medium of silent film required a great emphasis on body language and facial expression so the audience could better understand what an actor was feeling and portraying on screen. Warren kerrigan should be listed from the covered wagon one of his many films. It uses printed words onscreen to show you what the characters are saying. Lasky presents the covered wagon a james cruze production the covered wagon is a paramount picture made by the famous players lasky corporation in the regular course of production activities during the year 1923. Silent era home page psfl the covered wagon 1923 a growing source of silent era film information. The covered wagon is a 1923 american silent western film released by paramount pictures. Yet when the film plays out its story of pioneer hardships, power struggles and love triangles, the covered wagon is not much more than a largescale western programmer. Filmed on location in utah and nevada with painstaking attention to historical detail, the film was an enormous financial success, and cruze became one of. On their quest the pilgrims will experience desert heat, mountain snow, hunger, and indian attack. We encourage them to continue and for film fans to support them. Its a silent film without dialogue, just a musical score. The covered wagon 1923, about a wagon train traveling to oregon, was the first epic western. The story was adapted from emerson houghs novel by the same name, released only a year earlier. Silent film stars had to use their faces to express every emotion a skill that was lost on most actors when talkies came into favor.

The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the technical challenges involved. Yet when the film plays out its story of pioneer hardships, power struggles and love triangles, the covered wagon is not much more than a largescale western. A great caravan of covered wagons, filled with hearty pioneers and their families and possessions, are waiting. What others said about the covered wagon richard koszarski. Companies like flicker alley, criterion, masters of cinema, kino lorber, bfi, olive films, artificial eye, gaumont, carlotta and many more, are our heroes for producing essential bluray packages of silent era films. Eversons survey of the american silent film industry and art is still considered a good primer for newbies, but to be honest, i found the book quite dated and irritating. Kino lorber just released the covered wagon on bluray with reversible bluray art and bonus materials that include a wurlitzer organ score by gaylord carter, audio commentary by film historian toby roan, booklet essay by film scholar matt hauske, and the onereel 1932 spoof, the piecovered wagon, starring shirley temple. Warren kerrigan, lois wilson, alan hale, ernest torrence. The covered wagon 1923 letterboxd your life in film. Missy whiteman has a complicated relationship to the covered wagon, a 1923 silent film considered one of the first westerns.

The covered wagon has some impressive action sequences, interesting plot, fine acting and cinematography, but that interesting plot is unfortunately. Both the covered wagon and the widescreen version of the big trail. A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound and in particular, no audible dialogue. The screening begins with an introduction by jeff mccarty of the paramount archives and features live accompaniment by cliff retallick showcasing a wide variety of early cinema in the best available formats, the silent treatment. Media in category the covered wagon the following 11 files are in this category, out of 11 total. The covered wagon tells a love story of great sweetness. Largely thanks to the camerawork of karl brown, who photographed most of cruzes silent films, the covered wagon set a visual standard for. Ive read a lot of silent film books for the past ten years. For this reason, silent comedies tend to be more popular in the modern.

The covered wagon is credited with being the first bigbudget epic western. Paramount pictures 1923 silent film classic the covered wagon was the first of the high budget epic western movies. In silent films for entertainment, the plot may be conveyed by the use of title cards, written indications of the plot and key dialogue lines. The covered wagon, dvd, silent movie, westerns, dramaclassics silent films, 738329228637. It is the biggest thing since griffith made the birth of a nation. A great caraven of covered wagons, filled with hearty pioneers and their families and possessions, under the leadership of jesse wingate, are.

This leaves us with the covered wagon, a film whose value, even at the time of its initial release, was the subject of some debate. I dont know just how accurate it is though in depicting that era. Largely thanks to the camerawork of karl brown, who photographed most of cruzes silent films, the covered wagon set a visual standard for western epics to. Provided to youtube by rhino covered wagon danny okeefe danny okeefe classics. Directed by james cruze and produced by paramount in 1923, this romantic drama set against the backdrop of the westward expansion was the first epic western. Warren kerrigan and lois wilson as a romantic team.

As curator of the indigenesis film festival, she selected the film for opening night. Enjoy the original aladdin theatre experience as it was in 1924 showing silent films. Barbara brower in the covered wagon 1923 the covered wagon 1923 barbara brower. Some were bad, others indifferent, but the majority are of noble texture, staunch and true. This epic silent western by the now forgotten james cruze is. On their quest they experience desert heat, mountain snow, hunger, and indian attack. Warren kerrigan starred as will banion and lois wilson as molly wingate.