The Wagons Roll at Night (1941) User Reviews

Much better than expected

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 17 May 2012]

For many years (I'm 62 now), I've avoided this film for two reasons. First, because although I really like Humphrey Bogart, I grew tired of his many gangster roles, and for some reason, in my mind, this was just another gangster film. The second reason was because although Eddie Albert was a fine actor, the emphasis was on "was"; I never forgave him for "Green Acres", and in that role I lost all respect for him.

I recently recorded this film on my DVR and figured I'd watch it for a few minutes, and then probably delete it. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this film. First, it's not a gangster film at all. Humphrey Bogart does play a less than stellar character -- the owner and manager of a circus-carnival, but here he is driven to an evil deed by a desire to prevent his younger sister from getting romantically involved with a "carnie". Second, Eddie Albert really is good here as a local who becomes a lion-tamer and then falls in love with Bogart's sister. Bogart plots the demise of Albert by putting him in with a man-killing lion.

Bogart is excellent here, as is Albert. In fact, despite the billing, I'd have to say that Albert is the real star of the picture. The female leads in the film are Sylvia Sydney (who does very nicely) and, in the lighter role, Joan Leslie as Bogart's sister. Cliff Clark is very good as one of the workers at the circus.

I see this film only gets a rating in the low-6 range, but I think it's better than that. Give it a chance. I think you'll enjoy it.

Don't try that again unless your tied of living

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 17 December 2009]

**SPOILERS** Having his sweet and innocent kid sister Mary, Joan Leslie, kept out of his business by having her put away in a convent for the first 18 years of her life carnival manager Nick Coaster, Humphrey Bogart, got the surprise of his life when sweet little Mary fell in love with one of his workers; Nick's young & handsome star lion tamer Matt Varney, Eddie Albert.

Matt a former grocery stock boy got the chance to strut his stuff when killer lion Caesar broke out of his cage-at Nick's Carnival-and almost ripped up the entire town. That's until Matt kept the big cat at bay, with a pitchfork, until the carvery, or posse, arrive. With his star lion tamer "The Great Hoffman" Gig Ruman always drunk on and off the job Nick's hired Matt as Hoffman's understudy until the old guy got so drunk that his booze breath actually attracted the wild cats more to attack and feast on him then his whip chair and pistol were able to keep them in their places!

It's when Matt achieved top billing at the carnival , or circus, that he accidentally got involved with Mary who was home visiting from collage. Nick in wanting to keep Mary away from the riff-raft, I guess like himself, that worked at his carnival then blew a fuse when he found that she was deeply in love with Matt and about to marry him. Trying to beak up the romance between Matt & Mary Nick came up with this sinister and diabolical plan to put Matt in a cage with killer lion Caesar and have the big cat do him in.

Caesar had already killed the other lion tamer-Bundy-at the carnival and with his taste for human blood now fully confirmed Nick knew that Matt , no matter how good he is, wouldn't stand a chance against the wild and blood thirsty, for human blood, Caesar. To make things even worse for the unsuspecting Matt Nick made sure that his pistol, a last resort in dealing with Caesar when everything else failed, had no bullets in it! With a sellout crowd at the Chicago Arena Matt now completely out of his league confronts the 500 pounds of fighting fury the man killer lion Caesar without realizing that he, like the Christians in the Roman Colosseum, has about a snowball chance in hell to survive! That's until Mary and and carnival fortune teller Flo Lorraine, Slivia Sidney, got wind of Nicks plan for Matt and then tried to stop the slaughter before it started!

***SPOILERS*** Even though he played a heavy Humphrey Bogart, or Nick Coaster, was anything but unlikable in the movie. Sure at times he came across as a sneering and deranged looking maniac and even his concern for Mary was anything but a case of brotherly love. But still, in his being overly protective of Mary, Nick's heart was nevertheless in the right place despite his crazed obsession to not only break up his sister and Matt's love affair but have Matt torn apart by one of his mean and ferocious jungle cats. ***MAJOR SPOILER*** It was when Matt was about to become hamburger meat for the raging and uncontrollable Caesar that Nick finally came to his senses. It was in that one brave and heroic act Nick earned the love respect and admiration of everyone in the movie but sadly enough ended up losing his life by doing it!

"What this turkey needs is some big shot in the arm..."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 16 November 2005]

The original theatrical trailer for "The Wagons Roll at Night" compares it favorably to Humphrey Bogart's prior two releases, "They Drive By Night" and "High Sierra"; in it, Bogie finds himself in a non traditional role as the hard driving owner of "Coaster's Combined Circus and Carnival". His character is Nick Coaster, a con man in his own right, always looking for the angle that will make his circus a top attraction. As his alcoholic lion tamer Hoffman the Great (Sig Ruman) becomes increasingly unreliable, the chance escape of Caesar the Lion results in his being subdued by a local grocery clerk, Matt Varney (Eddie Albert). Sensing the excitement that a home town hero would bring to his operation, Nick whets Varney's appetite for fame under the Big Top as his next major attraction.

Eddie Albert brings all the laid back corn pone demeanor to a role that would be a fitting rehearsal for his future "Green Acres" character. However "Varney of the Lions" hits a brick wall when he meets and falls in love with Nick's sister Mary (Joan Leslie); she's all starry eyed and hungry for romance, fresh from graduation yet stuck on Nick's country farm. Nick has always been protective of his sister, and wants to shelter her from the "road show vermin" that work for him. This Nick Coaster is not a nice guy, and his plan to take Matt out of the picture sinks him to a new level.

Rounding out the main cast is Sylvia Sidney as Nick's erstwhile girl friend and circus psychic, Madame Florina. Also smitten by Varney, she does the honorable thing and steps aside, as Matt confides his feelings for Mary to her - "Can you imagine anyone being in love with me?" For her part, Joan Leslie as Mary portrays the wide eyed innocence and goodness of the girl next door, who reminded me an awful lot of Judy Garland's Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz". Leslie looks like she could have been a natural for that role as well.

If nothing else, the film is memorable as one of the few in which Bogie's character cashes in his chips at the end. Coming to his senses at the provocation of Flo and Mary, Nick enters the circus cage that would have been Matt's death trap while facing down the killer Caesar. It's a moment of redemption for a con artist, who even at death's door is getting ready for his next gig - "I wonder if they can use a smart promoter where I'm going'?"

Bogart's Top Billing

[Michael_Elliott · 3 February 2009]

Wagons Roll at Night, The (1941)

** (out of 4)

Circus promoter Nick Coaster (Humphrey Bogart) finds himself in trouble when a dangerous lion escapes his act but a grocery clerk (Eddie Albert) ends up saving the day. Nick, seeing the possibility for money, hires the kid on as a lion trainer but soon jealously gets involved as Nick's girlfriend (Sylvia Sidney) starts to fall for the kid but even worse is when his sister (Joan Leslie) falls for him. This film really comes off as a watered down version of Kid Galahad, which also featured Bogart in a supporting role. If you've seen that earlier film with Edward G. Robinson and Bette Davis (or the later Elvis remake) then you're going to know all the twists and turns that this film offers. The one thing this film has going for it is seeing the pre-fame Bogart playing this type of role so fans of the actor might get a kick out of this thing. I've read that Bogart really hated this film but he's actually not too bad in it. He certainly isn't giving a classic performance but he does a good job showing off his tough side and again, it's always fun seeing him in this type of role. Sidney ends up stealing the film as his troubled girlfriend who wants a better life outside the circus. She comes off very charming in her role and add a lovely realism to her character. Albert is also very good in his role and really comes across well as that bright eyed kid who is about to learn a lesson in life. There are some nice touches of humor thrown in including a great sequence when the lion escapes and wonders into Albert's grocery store. A woman is sniffing limburger cheese when she first sees the beast and Albert's reaction to what happens is great. It's also worth noting that this is the first film in which Bogart received top-billing so that's one historic reason, which might draw people to watch this.

In this film, Bogart received top-star billing for the first time

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 6/10 · 17 April 2005]

The film was nothing more than a remake of "Kid Galahad," with the hero (Eddie Albert) as a lion tamer instead of a boxer… Bogart walked indifferently through his role as the owner of a traveling carnival whose plot was borrowed from Howard Hawks' "Tiger Shark."

Sylvia Sidney appeared in the Bette Davis as Bogart's troubled girlfriend, a fortuneteller with the carnival… The film was a very disappointing follow-up to Bogart's triumph in "High Sierra," but better things lay immediately ahead as Bogart was now ready for a new image, an image which was to dominate the screen for the next years, an image which found its basic construction in John Huston's "The Maltese Falcon."

"This is the game I woke up in; it's the only one I know."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 28 December 2015]

Humphrey Bogart runs a circus but doesn't want his kid sister Joan Leslie to have anything to do with circus men. Enter grocery clerk-turned-lion tamer Eddie Albert, who "aww shucks" his way to Joan's heart while also making an impression on Bogie's woman Sylvia Sidney. Lots of drama under the big top in this one. It's essentially a remake of 1937's Kid Galahad, a boxing film with the same plot. Bogart was also in that picture, only he played the villain there. This lesser Bogie pic came out between two of his classics, High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon. It obviously doesn't compare to either of those movies but it's pleasant enough for what it is. The WB flavor and circus setting help some. Bogie sells his part well as a guy who's neither all good nor all bad. Sidney is lovely and gives a nice sensitive performance. Leslie is also good in her small role. For his part, Eddie Albert does fine as the innocent hayseed bumpkin with a heart of gold. The solid supporting cast includes Sig Ruman, Frank Wilcox, and John Ridgely. It's an OK movie, especially for fans of Bogart or the kinds of dramas Warner Bros. put out in the '30s and '40s. But it's not remarkable in any way and the ending stinks.

The lion tamer

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 7 December 2012]

Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sidney, Joan Leslie, Eddie Albert, and Sig Ruman star in "The Wagons Roll at Night," a 1941 film from Bogart, most likely made before Bogart really hit the big time with High Sierra and Maltese Falcon. 1941 was certainly an important year for him.

Bogart plays Nick Coaster, the head of a traveling carnival. When a lion escapes, he ends up in a grocery store where the clerk, Matt (Albert) saves the day and becomes a local hero. Coaster thinks the kid's a natural and talks him into learning the lion tamer trade. He needs him - his usual lion tamer, Hoffman the Great (Ruman) is usually drunk.

One night, Hoffman is too drunk to go on and despite objections from other members of the carnival, Coaster sends the novice Matt into the ring. He does such an excellent job that Nick fires Hoffman. Hoffman retaliates, gets into a huge fight with Matt, and ends up mauled by one of the lions. Matt has to get out of town fast, so Flo (Sidney) suggests they take him to Nick's farm. This is a big no-no because Nick is determined that his sister (Leslie) not mix with carnival people. You can guess the rest.

The young Albert was adorable, extremely likable in his role. Bogart is terrific as Nick, a tough as nails guy who considers all carnival people, including Flo and himself, the scum of the earth. Sidney shows her vulnerability here, as a woman who's been hurt by Nick but still cares for him, even while she's attracted to Matt.

Entertaining and predictable, and I have to make a disclosure here that Eddie Albert holds a special place in my heart. I interviewed him when he was in his 90s and quite frail, and after the article was published, I heard from some Navy veterans who wanted to publish the story of my father in a magazine - they'd known he was in the Navy but had no idea of his heroism. I wrote back and said fine, but Eddie Albert isn't my father, had I written something that made them think so? It turned out that Albert's daughter has the same first name as I do, and they got confused. My father, who died in 2007, got a huge kick out of that email and kept it.

Kid Galahad with lions

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 12 December 2005]

This is a pretty good film, with decent acting all around. In fact, I always enjoy watching Eddie Albert in films just because, to me, it's like seeing "Oliver Wendell Douglas" perform in movies (you know, his character from GREEN ACRES). The problem with the film, though, is that it is a VERY CLOSE remake of Kid Galahad--which was only made a few years earlier. Hollywood had a habit of remaking films repeatedly in the 30s and 40s--often only years after the original film. So, if the original film is better, why watch the remake? I guess for this one, the only reasons would be to see Eddie Albert or Humphrey Bogart or because the plot is so unusual, with the theme being Lion Taming and not Boxing! Yes, I did say Lion Taming!

not very good

[kyle_furr · 6/10 · 24 March 2004]

A variation of Kid Galahad but without the Bogart character and the boxing. Humphrey Bogart plays the owner of a circus and Sylvia Sidney is his girl. The circus isn't very big and their lion tamer is always drunk. When a lion escapes and goes into a town, Eddie Albert winds up holding the lion back until Bogart shows up to get it. Bogart hires Albert as an assistant to the lion tamer but when the lion tamer gets really drunk, Albert has to go on by himself. He's a success and the other lion tamer is fired. The lion that escapes is very vicious and winds up killing a guy and when Albert goes to stay with Bogart's family after he is injured, Bogart gets an idea in his dead. The first part of the movie is pretty good but the ending is pretty obvious and also pretty bad.

lions oh my

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 8 August 2020]

Unscrupulous Nick Coster (Humphrey Bogart) runs a traveling circus. A lion escapes and bumbling store clerk Matt Varney (Eddie Albert) saves the day. He becomes a local hero and Nick convinces him to join his circus. Flo Lorraine (Sylvia Sidney) is the fortune teller.

The lion work is amazing. I'm always amazed at dangerous stunt work. This story would work much better with a love triangle. The injection of the sister muddies the waters. It's emotionally simpler to cut that out. It also works against the movie by leaving the circus. The circus is the most compelling setting in the film. It would be better to stay there.

The Lion Eats Tonight...

[Xstal · 4/10 · 28 August 2023]

It's a world that is forever in the past, a world where wild animals were cast, as entertainers to the crowd, at a whip they're cowed not proud, so many things of yesteryear we're pleased are passed. As for the story it's as dull as dirty ditch, as the circus wanders round with tent to pitch, the owner is a snob, although he makes a tidy bob, from the folks that he is trying to bewitch (quite easy in those days you fancy). At the end you'll be relieved that it has finished, if you're a Bogey fan it's one that does diminish, in the next there is a falcon, a statue, not a live one, put this away and you'll forget, just let it vanish.

The remake of ''Kid Galahad'', set in a circus

[bellino-angelo2014 · 8/10 · 3 December 2017]

In 1941 Humphrey Bogart was near to stardom, he starred also in ''High Sierra'' and his first classic, ''The Maltese Falcon''. I consider this a bit of a remake of ''Kid Galahad'', but instead of boxing it's set in the circus world. His co-stars here are Eddie Albert, Sylvia Sidney, Joan Leslie and Sig Ruman. The direction is by Ray Enright, the same who directed in 1936 ''China Clipper'' with Bogart

It begins when Matt Varney (a grocery store's clerk) saves a baby from an escaped lion and suddenly Nick Coaster, the circus manager makes him a star although Matt had never experienced lion-taming, and this because the other lion tamer, Hoffman the Great, is always drunk. One night Hoffman has a brawl with Varney and ends up mauled by a lion, and Flo (Coaster's girlfriend), tries to help Matt sending him to Nick's farmhouse. But trouble follows because Matt falls in love with Nick's sister, and Nick don't want her sibling mixed with circus people because they are the scum of the Earth! It ends with Coaster killed by Caesar, the fiercest of all the circus lions, after he wanted to punish Varney for his bad behavior.

Although Humphrey Bogart received top- billing Albert is the real star of the movie, as the grocery clerk- turned-lion tamer who suddenly becomes the circus star. The leading lady is Sylvia Sidney, as Bogart's girlfriend, torn between repulsion and love, and Joan Leslie in a supporting role, as Bogart's sister who falls in love with Albert's character. The always great Sig Ruman as Hoffman the Great, in a brief but interesting supporting role!

This movie is recommended to: (1) Humphrey Bogart fans (2) fans of movies set in carnivals.

Just Before The Decline

[boblipton · 6/10 · 27 January 2024]

Humphrey Bogart's failing carney operation starts to turn around when he hires yokel Eddie Albert. It starts to prosper when Albert takes over for drunk lion tamer Sig Ruman. But Ruman comes back for revenge, and Albert winds up on Bogart's farm, where he and Bogart's sister, Joan Leslie, fall in love, much to Bogey's displeasure.

Starting with this pretty good movie, Bogey would be star-billed in every film through his death, even though Albert is the principal in this remake of Kid Galahad. It's efficiently directed by Ray Enright, one of Warners' three workhorse directors.... but this was near the end for him. He would be consigned to shorts, westerns, and Brian Foy's B division, then cut loose. He continued to direct through 1956, and died in 1965 at the age of 69.

Just A Big Old Pussycat

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 6 August 2006]

A Lion escapes from Humphrey Bogart's circus during a performance in a small town. It wanders into a grocery store where Eddie Albert is clerking. He manages to trap the lion behind a counter and gets a lot of plaudits and an offer from Bogart to work in his circus.

But jealousy rears its ugly head as Bogart's sister Joan Leslie and his girl friend Sylvia Sidney both fall for who Bogart considers a nice kid, but a hick.

The Wagons Roll at Night was a transitional film between two acclaimed Bogart productions High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon. It was NOT the first time Bogart received number one billing. He did in a few other films like Black Legion for example. But with the acclaim he got from High Sierra, Jack Warner put him in this before the highly touted Dashiell Hammett adaption, I guess as a trial run.

The plot is based on Kid Galahad where oddly enough Bogart had a supporting role. Eddie Albert shows only a bit of his incredible talent. Joan Leslie as the nice sister basically repeats the part she had from High Sierra. Sylvia Sidney does well as the love lost carnival fortune teller with eyes for both Bogart and Albert.

Personally though I've always liked what Sig Ruman did in this film as the drunken lion tamer whose place Albert took. The film is at its best when he's on screen.

Rolling rolling rolling

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 12 February 2022]

A remake of KID GALAHAD (1937), THE WAGONS ROLL AT NIGHT (1941) is more faithful to Francis Wallace's original story. The boxing racket of the first picture is traded in for the razzle-dazzle and petty larceny of a traveling big top show.

The emphasis here is not on spectacle or animals (though one does run amok at the beginning)- see DeMille's GREATEST SHOW for that. Instead this is more of a character-driven piece about a group of down-on-their-luck types, led by Humphrey Bogart and his gal pal Sylvia Sidney. These roles were previously played by Edward G. Robinson and Bette Davis before she became JEZEBEL and scored a DARK VICTORY.

The troupe is facing bankruptcy. But fortunes change overnight when Caesar their lion escapes. These circumstances bring a store clerk (Eddie Albert, in the role played by Wayne Morris) into contact with the angry beast. He uses a handy pitchfork to keep the animal at bay in order to protect a small child.

Bogart's character thinks such heroism can be exploited as part of a new act. He reasons that local people will show up at an evening performance to see such a daring fete re-enacted. And he's right about this.

Albert is cajoled into leaving the grocery store business and joining the show permanently, which he does. Besides sudden fame, there is added incentive in getting to know Bogey's kid sis (Joan Leslie). Bogey is overprotective of his family and doesn't approve of the burgeoning relationship.

The film is engrossing if not somewhat implausible in spots. But it's easy to see why such cinematic fare was popular with moviegoing audiences in the early 1940s. It was a diversion from the winds of war blowing across Europe at this time. The leads are all perfectly charming, and to some extent this cast works better than the cast assembled for the first picture four years earlier. Miss Sidney photographs nicely, and Mr. Albert is an unsung hunk.

We have a sequence at the end where a routine with Caesar is performed during a live show. A standoff once again pits the novice lion tamer against the agitated cat, with Bogart giving Albert an unloaded gun to defend himself. It is sure to lead to the young man's death.

There is plenty of suspense, and things take a dramatic turn when Bogart decides to step in and sacrifice himself (so his sister can end up with the man she loves). The studio refrains from depicting any real gore, in compliance with the production code. The folks watching can at least say they got their money's worth.

Kid Galahad mutates into a lion tamer, and Caesar mutates into a dandy-lion

[estherwalker-34710 · 6/10 · 12 April 2023]

Clearly, the structure of the screenplay mimics that of the prior "Kid Galahad", with the exception that it's the story of the unlikely accent of a young man to become the lion tamer of a traveling circus/carnival, instead of his ascent to become a world champion boxer. However, interestingly, both were based on the 1936 novel by Francis Wallace, which was about a circus. Clearly, "Kid Galahad" has been more popular with IMDB voters. I have yet to see it.

Bogart plays Nick: the owner of a struggling traveling circus/carnival. Sylvia Sydney is especially beautiful as Nick's fortune teller and girlfriend, Flo. Although they are the nominal leads, actually the film is mostly about the unexpected growth of Eddie Albert's character, Matt, from backup to the regular lion tamer for the circus, and his unexpected meeting with Nick's much younger sister Mary(16yo Joan Leslie) and their whirlwind romance, to Nick's disapproval. Nick doesn't want Mary to mix with his circus people, whom he considers her social inferiors. He has paid for her education at a convent, and expects her to marry an important man. Regardless, behind his back, Matt continues to see Mary.

Nick is so determined to squash this romance, that he schemes to put Matt in a performance cage with just increasingly ill-tempered biggest lion: Caesar, hoping Caesar will tear him apart. He is given a whip and chair to defend against Caesar. Nick also gives him a pistol supposedly loaded with blanks, but actually, empty, as a last resort, to scare Caesar away. Unexpectedly, Flo and Mary arrive as Matt is performing. They see that he is having difficulty, shooting his gun, but with no sound. Mary begs Nick to do something to protect Matt. I won't divulge the happenings of the following film climax.

This film followed closely on the heels of Bogey's acclaimed performance in "High Sierra". Joan Leslie was one of his girlfriends in that film, whereas she even more incongruously plays his 25 years younger sister here! Oh well, not quite as bad as "Royal Wedding", where Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, 35 years apart in age, play brother and sister!

Although Bogey apparently didn't think much of the film, I enjoyed its relatively simple story, and always enjoy seeing the beautiful Sylvia Sydney. See it for free at You Tube.

More entertaining than it should be

[TeenVamp · 7/10 · 9 August 2020]

Very enjoyable but laughable. The ending cracked me up....yeah they sure will have a great life together when they always remember her brother (Bogart) getting killed by a lion huh? lol How romantic! Eddie Albert playing a "kid" at 36 years old is hilarious too. He is called "kid" about 100 times in this. I wish i had a time machine and could go tell Sylvia Sidney not to smoke. Compare her beautiful looks here to how she looks in Beetlejuice after 40+ years of smoking. Don't smoke kids!

Very ordinary and dull.

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 4/10 · 29 August 2017]

I would wager that given the choice, Humphrey Bogart wouldn't have bothered making "The Wagons Roll at Night." I daresay he hadn't any option, since he had only just become a star when the film went out on general release and hadn't signed a new contract when he could have more of a say in his choice of films. The film is merely a remake of the masterpiece, "Kid Galahad." That is everything the above film isn't. The story is as about as dull and predictable as could be. Fans of Bogart might want to see this but only to see him. Joan Leslie was worthy of being in better films as well. The setting is that of a circus, where Humphrey Bogart as the owner, is struggling to make his circus successful. Then by accident, a young fellow proves he has what it takes to be a lion tamer (Eddie Albert). I'm grateful that the running time is quite short.

An interesting setting, unlike the standard Bogie Fare...

[forsythe60-2 · 8/10 · 3 October 2000]

I liked this film. While a little predictable and such, it did offer Bogart and Sylvia Sidney, both of whom I admire a great deal. The scenes with the tigers were interesting. The film, while mostly melodramatic, was humourous in some portions. As a die hard Bogie fan, I can't say as to whether or not others would like this though. I am a tainted Bogie fan, and so my opinion is always slanted...

Bogie before he hit it big

[drjgardner · 4/10 · 27 January 2017]

In 1941 Bogart was on the threshold of stardom with a few good roles in his pocket ("Roaring 20s", "They Drive by Night", High Sierra") but his best films were in front of him. Later this year he made "The Maltese Falcon" and he would be well on his way. So this film is a unique look at the pre A list Bogart, and you'll never guess that he had such a luminous future ahead of him.

The film is set in a circus, which was a popular venue in the 20s through the 50s. Bogart is a circus owner, so it's one of his rare non-gangster or detective roles. He's joined by sultry Sylvia Sydney, a young Eddie Albert, and the always funny Sig Ruman.

The film has little to recommend it.

My favorite films featuring a circus are Freaks, Dumbo, The Magician, and The Greatest Show on Earth.

Only for the most devoted Bogart fans

[Nate-48 · 5/10 · 8 August 2020]

If you are a diehard Bogie fan than you will have to see this, otherwise you will most likely find this to be a waste of your time.

Even a devoted Bogart fan like me was highly disappointed by this yawner. The way he is treated by the script and director could have only been done in this pre-Casablanca era.

At this point in his career, Bogart has established such a tough persona that this character and direction are beneath him.

Bogart must have been beside himself with the inept direction. The director's best work was behind him in Joe E. Brown comedies.

Putting Eddie Albert alongside Bogart as his co-star is like elevating Elisha Cook to Bogart's sidekick.

The ending is good and may have influenced a certain 1970s blockbuster.

The best part is the lions.

Galahad Goes Home

[jdsuggs · 9/10 · 27 January 2017]

Warner Brothers really liked this story. Adapting a magazine story about the circus, they first filmed it as a boxing story- "Kid Galahad"- in 1937 with Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Chester Morris, and Humphrey Bogart as the villain. Chester Morris returned in the same role for a loose (and uncredited, I think) comedy remake, "The Kid From Kokomo", exactly two years later in 1939. In 1941 Bogart returned in a semi-villainous version of Robinson's role for this one, and the original circus setting was restored. (And Gig Young, who narrated the trailer for this one, returned in 1962 for the Elvis Presley boxing version).

"The Wagons Roll At Night" works because of the crisp pacing, lots of fireworks (and lions!) and especially the great cast. Eddie Albert plays the Chester Morris role- a lion-tamer this time- with his usual aw-shucks simplicity, and it works fine. Bogart- as the corrupt circus owner- is in gangster mode here, and that always works fine. Joan Leslie- hands off Bogie's sister!- in a girl-next-door role isn't going to miss- Warner Brothers hadn't yet begun to fully misunderstand and derail her promising career. But this one belongs to soulful Sylvia Sidney, as a fortune teller and Bogie's mistress. Her caught-in-the-middle character is the glue in this version. She's understated, elegant, and wonderful as the forgotten woman who makes basic decency a form of unsung heroism.

Those lions deserve a belly-rub, too- they do more roaring than MGM's entire film library, driving sequence after sequence and keeping the energy strong. You'll always know where this one is going, especially if you've seen any of the many other versions, but you'll never be bored as Bogie builds to a boil.

Deduct one star for the casual animal cruelty of 1941, but give it back just for casting Sig Ruman. I love that guy.

Bogie marking time

[marcslope · 5/10 · 31 January 2024]

"Kid Galahad" was only four years old when Warners decided to remake it, changing the setting from boxing to a second-rate circus, and upping Bogart from villain to lead. But he's still sort of a villain, an unscrupulous circus manager whose thoughts turn murderous when nice guy Eddie Albert starts eyeing Bogie's innocent sister, Joan Leslie. First, Bogie was 42 and Leslie 15 or 16, and second, it's a little discomfiting watching Albert romancing a teen. Albert's a grocer who becomes a lion tamer (implausible) when a lion escapes the circus and heads downtown (implausible) and Albert expertly captures him (implausible). He's a pleasant presence, but he's not a star, as Warners appears to have been grooming him for. Meantime, Sylvia Sidney, the best thing in the movie, is on the sidelines, in a kind-of romance with both men, and other fun people pop up, Sig Rumann as the other lion tamer and Clara Blandick playing another Aunt Em. It strains credibility that, first, Bogie would turn murderous, and, second, that he'd repent on his deathbed, in time for a happy-ish ending. Some nice circus atmosphere, efficient direction by the never-more-than-efficient Ray Enright, and some well edited encounters with kings of the jungle. There's just nothing special about it.

Hard to believe

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 20 November 2013]

It's hard to believe that this film was directed by the same Ray Enright who handled Swing Your Lady. Swing's direction was routine in the extreme. Here, however, in The Wagons Roll at Night, it's highly imaginative with striking reverse angles and other dramatically composed shots going a long way to overcome the triteness and familiarity of the screenplay. (Bogart had actually appeared in the previous version, Kid Galahad, playing a character who is not represented in this remake). True, the story has undergone a considerable metamorphosis with a change in setting from a boxing ring to a circus, and its principal character from a boxer to a lion tamer, but it's still a disappointingly familiar plot – and in this new setting, it strains credibility even more! Oddly, while he makes his character tough enough, Bogart fails to give it the neurotic, psychopathic edge that would make his actions more believable. Still, he is well served by Sid Hickox's camera sweeping into his face, even though the film editing has a tendency to fade out before the close-up fully registers. The movie is blessed with the usual Warner Brothers production values including splendid montage routines and lavishly peopled and appointed sets. Music and photography are appropriately atmospheric and the film editing is nice and sharp. Eddie Albert is a natural and performs his own stunts with the lions. The climax is superbly edited and so exciting that Albert seems to be playing against the savage beast himself. Sylvia Sidney, however, has an unrewarding role which is imperfectly developed. After an effective introduction, she plays second fiddle to Joan Leslie when Joan finally makes her belated entrance. Actual locations are well utilized and attractively photographed. Sig Rumann has a dramatic role which he tends to caricature. Cliff Clark uses his gravelly voice effectively as the ringmaster and is ideally cast – as is Charley Foy as a perky little pickpocket. Clara Blandick seems somewhat out of place as Ma Williams. All other roles are small. The conclusion is somewhat abrupt. Production values are high and even if the story does leave something to be desired, we are all suckers for a lavish circus background with fast tracking and crane shots along the midway. Perhaps a glimpse of some of the other acts might have been welcome too, instead of focusing exclusively on the lions.

It's every boy's dream to be the Lion Tamer at the circus

[Ed-Shullivan · 8/10 · 9 June 2018]

Yes of course this is a remake of the earlier 1937 boxing film Kid Galahad starring Edward G Robinson and Wayne Morris but The Wagons Roll at Night is even a better film than the earlier version. Humphrey Bogart was lucky enough to appear in both films but in my humble opinion it is the natural on screen chemistry between love interests 35 year old Eddie Albert and the then young and beautiful 16 year old Joan Leslie which made this drama film a special and memorable one.

The storyline is the same in both films which is a young and naive farm boy has a god given skill (the original film as a boxer, and the remake as a lion tamer) and he falls in love with his bosses young and beautiful sister while visiting the family farm and they fall madly in love. So the boss has a decision to make does he allow his meal ticket to marry his little sister, or does he deliberately set his young star up for a duel to the death in the ring?

Although the ending in both films is predictable none the less The Wagons Roll at Night is a TCM film classic that must be seen. While you are at it, may I suggest you first watch the original 1937 Kid Galahad to see if you agree that this latter version, The Wagons Roll at Night, has a bit more more depth. Eddie Albert as the young and earnest lion tamer is a more favorable performance than the pugilistic skills of Wayne Morris in the inferior and earlier version Kid Galahad.

I give The Wagons Roll at Night a deserving 8 out 10 rating. I really enjoyed the film even with the predictable ending.