Review of Wagon Master (1950) by Luck D K — 05 Feb 2010

Oh joy. Another John Ford western. It didn't annoy me too much, probably because it doesn't have John Wayne in it, but it is pretty simplistic and forgettable. Most of the characters are bland western archetypes, none more bland than Ben Johnson in the lead.

Only Ward Bond stands out... his speech is peppered with a lot of ridiculous "dadblasted"s and "consarnit"s but he does command the screen, and his character is the most complex. The photography is the definite highlight, Ford's beautiful landscapes looking gorgeous as ever (the scenes shot on sets, however, look kinda tacky).

The moments of humor are hit and miss... more miss than hit, I'd say, but the misses aren't too groan-worthy. I could have done without the square dancing, which comes right after line dancing and Irish step dancing in terms of lame dances.

Overall, I didn't hate the movie but I doubt much of it will stick with me.