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Wagon Master (1950)
Director: John Ford
Cast: Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru, Harry Carey, Jr., Ward Bond
Runtime86 min
RatingNR
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Two young horse traders guide a Mormon wagon train to the San Juan Valley and encounter rugged terrain, the cutthroat Clegg gang, hospitable Navajo, and moral challenges on the journey.
Critical Reception & Ratings
Wagon Master (1950), directed by John Ford, is a critically acclaimed Western that follows two young horse traders guiding a Mormon wagon train through rugged terrain and encounters with both the treacherous Clegg gang and hospitable Navajo. The film is considered one of Ford's lesser-known but highly regarded works, earning a 7.6/10 rating on IMDb and an 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, indicating strong audience reception.
Why you might like this:
Fans of acclaimed director John Ford's iconic Westerns will particularly appreciate the stunning visuals and thoughtful exploration of moral dilemmas in his 1950 film Wagon Master, which features nuanced performances from stars like Ben Johnson and Ward Bond.
About
Wagon Master is a 1950 American Western film produced and directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond. The story follows a Mormon pioneer wagon train across treacherous desert to the San Juan River in Utah. The film inspired the American television series Wagon Train (1957–1965), which starred Bond until his death in 1960. The film was a personal favorite of Ford himself, who told Peter Bogdanovich in 1967 that "Along with The Fugitive and The Sun Shines Bright, Wagon Master came closest to being what I wanted to achieve." While the critical and audience response to Wagon Master was lukewarm on its release, over the years numerous critics have come to view it as one of Ford's masterpieces.
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