The Last Wagon (1956)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers:

James Edward Grant (screenplay) and
Delmer Daves (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 September 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Western

Tagline:

ROMANTIC WESTERN ADVENTURE! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

When a handful of settlers survive an Apache attack on their wagon train they must put their lives into the hands of Comanche Todd...

Plot Keywords:

Attack | Wagon Train | Revenge | Capture | Children

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Comanche Todd
Felicia Farr	...	Jenny
Susan Kohner	...	Jolie Normand
Tommy Rettig	...	Billy
Stephanie Griffin	...	Valinda Normand
Ray Stricklyn	...	Clint
Nick Adams	...	Ridge
Carl Benton Reid	...	Gen. Howard
Douglas Kennedy	...	Col. Normand
George Mathews	...	Sheriff Bull Harper
James Drury	...	Lt. Kelly
Ken Clark	...	Sergeant

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (as De Luxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 | USA:Approved (certificate #18072) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~6.7 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~6.1 seconds. Both values are fast for a reasonably early CinemaScope film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Just before The End title comes up you can see the shadow of the camera crew as Todd rides off.

Quotes:

Sheriff Bull Harper: On foot through Apache country without no gun.
Cole Harper: Yeah.
Sheriff Bull Harper: This is his third day without food or water. I'm going to tell one and all that Commanche Todd was the bravest man I ever hung.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 2 (1999) (TV)

Widmark was Attached To A Wagon Wheel !

It was great viewing this 1956 film and enjoying the great acting of a very young Richard Widmark,(Comanchi Todd), "Garden of Evil",'54, where he plays a very well experienced man who can deal with almost any situation and understands the Native Americans like a book. The film has great photography through out the entire picture and brings you back to the Old West and the troubles that men and women had to face in the wilderness. Susan Kohner,(Jolie Normand), gave a great supporting role along with Nick Adams,(Ridge), both these characters had their own feels toward Comanchi Todd and some doubted if he was man enough to get them out of many death threatening situations. Comanchi Todd had his problems with a Wagon Wheel and I thought he was never going to get himself away from its burden of weight. If you are a fan of Richard Widmark, you will greatly enjoy this film which he made into a great Western Classic.