The Oregon Trail

Poor James Polk. Nobody now knows or cares what the eleventh president of the United States looked like so they didn't bother to make Addison Richards (nearly twenty years his senior) look remotely like him in this lively CinemaScope potboiler with the usual mixture of imposing location work and obvious studio exteriors that reunited the star and director of 'I Married a Monster from Outer Space' in the latter's final film before the latter disappeared into TV.

Spectacular Western in medium budget focusing a Wagon Train of emigrants to Oregon. As the valiant emigrants epitomise the bravery of the early West , at least as Hollywood saw it .It is set in 1846, a New York Herald journalist , Fred MacMurray , joins an Oregon Trail wagon train to verify if is truth about undercover troops sent by President Polk posing as settlers in order to reclaim Oregon for US.

This American Western has a turbulent and mighty history , some of which is told in this story , along with some attractive Folk songs .Here is a panoramic view of the American West , concerning the dangerous travels, risked adventures, hazards, including Indian attacks , chavalry charges , Indian assaults on Fort Laramie and anything else .It is an epic movie photographed in Technicolor , but adding ridiculous Matte-painting .For the most part , it is a pretty ordinary drama about settling to the West , adding a brief intrigue about an uncovered Army official and a journalist played by Fred MacMurray .Particularly here stands out the motley group of actors, and special mention for a big main and support cast. Fred MacMurray plays a Newspaperman who falls for a beautiful Indian girl played by Gloria Hendry , while William Bishop falls for the attractive Nina Shipman, John Carradine as a settleman who spends the limited water by watering his plants , Henry Hull as the Wagonmaster Guide , John Dierkes as the nasty pro-Indian traitor , the elderly Elizabeth Patterson , James Bell, among others .

Aside from being predictable and regular story , the picture has a few pluses, such as Cinematography by Kay Norton , though being necessary a perfect remastering, as well as spectacular action scenes as Indians lay siege and attack Fort Laramie. Charming and catching musical score by Paul Dunlap , including wonderful songs as Ballad of the Oregon Trail, and , Never Alone composed by Paul Dunlap and Lyrics by Charles Devlan . The motion picture was regularly directed by Gene Fowler Jr. He was a prolífic producer , director and especially film editor . Directing some movies as Gang War , Showdown at Boot Hill , The Rebel Set , Here come the Jets ,I married a monster from Outer Space , I Was a Teenage Werewolf , and various episodes of famous TV series as Rawhide, The Waltons, Caliber 44 , Perry Mason , Assignment Underwater , Man with a Camara, Gunsmoke , among others. Rating 5/10 .Mediocre but passable .

Can't help but think this version of 'The Oregon Trail' was put together hurriedly to cash in on the enormous popularity of the TV series 'Wagon Train' with Ward Bond? Having said that, it's always a pleasure to watch Fred MacMurray, one of the movies most versatile stars, his stock in trade was comedy, but he was equally effective in drama, or rugged outdoor films, like this was supposed to be, and at 6'3" and that great physique, I think he fits the bill! First time I'd seen that gorgeous blonde, Nina Shipman, can't help but think Fred should have finished up with her instead of the Indian maiden? Fun to see some of the screens great old character actors like Henry Hull and John Carradine, plus Elizabeth Patterson, who played the Mother of Fred and Bing Crosby in 1938's 'Sing You Sinners', she would have been in her 80's here, and still great! Not a great film by any means, but enjoyable enough if your a fan of the stars, and I am! Sadly William Bishop died the same year the film was released, 1959!

The best thing about "The Oregon Trail" was that it prompted me to research the tensions between Britain and the States over Oregon in the early 1840s. Apart from that, the film was mediocre. Some of its deficiencies have already been mentioned in other reviews, not least the terrible backdrops early on and the anachronistic rifles (to which might be added the anachronistic army uniforms, notably hats).

Its initial premise was suspect: sending a reporter on a five-month journey to check out rumours that soldiers in civilian clothing were accompanying wagon-trains. Neal Harris had no reliable means of getting his dispatches back to his editor, and if they had been printed they would have been dated; as it happened, his objectives were overtaken by events.

I can't see McMurray as a great ladies' man, even when he displays a sweaty chest. His flirting with President Polk's secretary (did he have a female secretary, I wonder), didn't convince, nor did his instant rapport with Shona.

After days of water shortage and dust, Prudence Cooper's hair looked remarkably well-groomed and there was a terrible lack of continuity when a settler took an arrow in his chest, only for it to appear in his back a couple of seconds later.

Plus points for John Carradine as the eccentric settler with his apple trees and for John Dierkes as mountain man Gabe Hastings.

Any of you out there think Fred MacMurray wouldn't be convincing in a covered wagon pioneering the Oregon Trail? You're not the only one, which is why he doesn't play a cowboy in the movie. He plays a city reporter, on an assignment to write about the Oregon Trail, so he tags along with a wagon trail, led by the gruff and grizzly, racoon-cap wearing, gravely-voiced Henry Hull. The versatile character actor is real tough in this one, not at all like the softie he played in Boys Town. He stands up to Indians, mounts a horse with no difficulty, and knows how to tackle anything from a water shortage to rattlesnakes.

Fred is the lead, though, working undercover to find secret bad guys, wooing women, and learning how to cope with dust in his trousers and sleeping on the dirt. If you're a fan, you'll like seeing him in this City Slickers-esque movie. Keep in mind it's not a comedy, though. There are some tense situations, trigger-happy grumps, and violin strings playing whenever Granny Elizabeth Patterson says she knows she'll make it through the entire ride. John Carradine portrays Johnny Appleseed, and there's a particularly sad scene when his trees get attacked. Personally, I found this movie too sad to be enjoyable. You might want to try the Lewis and Clark biopic The Far Horizons instead.