Westward Ho, The Wagons! (1956)
The pioneering trail to Oregon was littered with constant danger. Yet, the hope of the "promised land" keeps American families westward bound despite overwhelming odds. A calm, clear-thinking pioneer attempts to lead a wagon train through territory occupied by Pawnees and Sioux. Along the way, the hardy settlers face horse thieves, kidnappers, and unpredictable Indian attacks in their push to establish a new life in the rugged West.
- William Beaudine
- Thomas W. Blackburn
Rating: 5.5/10 by 10 users
Alternative Title:
Sur la piste de l'Oregon - FR
A Odisseia do Oeste - BR
Vestens Karavane - DK
Caravana de pioneros - ES
Länteen! Länteen! - FI
Vankkurit valtaavat Lännen - FI
Carovana verso il West - IT
La Odisea del Oeste - MX
Wozy jada na Zachód - PL
Spre Vest, carutele! - RO
Mot väst! Mot väst! - SE
Children of the Covered Wagon - US
Sobre la pista del Oregón - ES
Westwärts - Die Karawane der Furchtlosen - DE
Westwärts - Der Treck durch das Indianergebiet - DE
Westward - The trek through the Indian territory - DE
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 30 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: horse, native american, wild west, horse thief, colonist
Simply boring. 'Westward Ho, The Wagons!' is a slow watch, despite a relatively low run time of 90 minutes. Fess Parker, who I enjoyed in fellow 1956 release 'The Great Locomotive Chase', and Jeff York, co-star in the latter, fail to entertain. Some of the music is catchy, namely the opening/closing theme, but that's about it. The plot is as problematic as you'd expect. It basically splits itself in two in terms of its portrayal of Native Americans, one is exactly what you would unfortunately predict from a '56 release but the other part is actually, surprisingly, well intentioned. Even taking all the aforementioned out, it feels pretty disjointed and majorly uninteresting throughout. I just found it all underwhelming, sure Disney have done much worse but that doesn't stop it leaving negative thoughts.
