Westward Ho, The Wagons! (1956)
1h 30m | PG-13
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.
Director: William Beaudine
Studio: Walt Disney Productions
Genre: Adventure, Western
Video: 720p
Cast
Fess Parker
as John 'Doc' Grayson
Kathleen Crowley
as Laura Thompson
Jeff York
as Hank Brekenridge
David Stollery
as Dan Thompson
Sebastian Cabot
as Bissonette
George Reeves
as James Stephen
Reviews
Simply boring. <em>'Westward Ho, The Wagons!'</em> is a slow watch, despite a relatively low run time of 90 minutes. Fess Parker, who I enjoyed in fellow 1956 release <em>'The Great Locomotive Chase'</em>, 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.