Wagon Master

"John Ford's lusty successor to "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon""

1950 1h 26m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 168

AdventureWestern

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two young horse traders guide a Mormon wagon train to the San Juan Valley and encounter rugged terrain, the cutthroat Clegg gang, hospitable Navajo, and moral challenges on the journey.

“John Ford's lusty successor to "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"”

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Cast

Ben Johnson
Travis Blue
Joanne Dru
Denver
Harry Carey Jr.
Sandy
Ward Bond
Elder Wiggs
Charles Kemper
Uncle Shiloh Clegg
Alan Mowbray
Dr. A. Locksley Hall
Jane Darwell
Sister Ledyard
Ruth Clifford
Fleuretty Phyffe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Ford
Writers: Frank S. Nugent, Patrick Ford, John Ford
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Ford, shot by Bert Glennon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Richard Hageman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jack Murray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ben Johnson and Joanne Dru and Harry Carey Jr. carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "John Ford's lusty successor to "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0043117 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Ford directs. Bert Glennon behind the camera. Richard Hageman scores. Jack Murray cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
276 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by John Ford, shot by Bert Glennon. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Richard Hageman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jack Murray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ben Johnson and Joanne Dru and Harry Carey Jr. carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "John Ford's lusty successor to "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"".
8IMDB entry: tt0043117 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 23 themes, including "native american", "caravan", "migration", "medicine show".

The technical file

Cinematography: Bert Glennon
Original score: Richard Hageman
Editing: Jack Murray
Makeup / hair: Anna Malin
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Wagon Master (1950)

Also by

John Ford

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-12-27
★ 6/10
This is quite an unremarkable little pioneering yarn that sees two cowboys - Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr. guiding a Mormon caravan across the Wild West. En route they encounter a motley collection of folks with a medicine show - and the sultry Joanne Dru ("Miss Denver"); then a bunch of less savoury characters led by Charles Kemper ("Shiloh Clegg") before they are invited to join some Navajo at their camp - and that's where it all turns a bit sour with our two gallant lads left to try to protect the travellers from the vengeful "Cleggs". John Ford seems to have lost his way with this pretty fluffy amalgam of stories; there's way too much singing and not enough action - and it lacks an anchor; either a John Wayne or a Henry Fonda - someone just to inject some strength of character to it. Even the score drifts along aimlessly, too. Ward Bond and Hank Worden do their best to keep the "Rio Grande" spirit flowing, but it's all just a bit too tepid.

Production companies