The Big Trail

Raoul Walsh, 1930

How To Make The Journey

Raoul Walsh is a genius to try it this way as a director as he brings the writing of Hal G. Evarts to the big screen. He is very good at bringing characters to the big screen so many people are able to understand the hardships the pioneers faced. We are able to understand the journey of the Camerons and Breck Coleman. The scenery in the movie is absolutely breathtaking; the pioneers who were in search of a better life had nice scenery to look at while traveling in the incredibly uncomfortable wagons.

The Camerons at the beginning of the trail are the picture of upper-class gentility. They are the children of a colonel, something to be admired. Ruth (Marguerite Churchill) is a very beautiful young woman who is traveling with her family in search of big dreams, and her brother (David Collins ) wants a better life. Ruth’s reason for going on the wagon trail is a sense of obligation to keep her family together.

Breck Coleman (John Wayne) is the man in search of vengeance trying to find the man who killed his friend. He is smarter than the criminals who want desperately to get rid of him. He is very handy with his weapon and he is able to speak to the Indians, making him an asset to the pioneers. He is also friends with some Indian scouts who know the land they are traveling much better than he does. Coleman helps the travelers to obtain safe passage as they make the journey west. He is also able to recognize symbols of when he is dealing with hostile Indian tribes. He knows what success strategies will help them to protect themselves against the hostile tribes. He gets the men to arrange the wagons in a circle to protect themselves from the Indian attack.

Thorpe (Ian Keith) is the smoothly talking conman who is continually in trouble. He appears physically to be a gentleman and knows how to act the airs. He likes to think of himself owning property in Louisiana. This is something he says to get respectable ladies into his trap. Considering everything he has done it is no wonder that he is friends with Red Flack (Tyrone Power Sr) and Lopez (Charles Stevens), because they all are crooks.

You have the weak-minded Gus (El Brendel) who is traveling with his wife, sister and mother-in- law. He is very easily duped out of money. He needs the intrusive mother-in-law to keep him on track. He makes fun of her continually but deep down he knows he needs her take-charge attitude.

Zeke (Tully Marshall) is the wise old man who helps to keep the young foolish people on the correct path by giving them advice along the trail. He is a protector as well who protects Coleman and the Camerons.

This is a very wide array of characters, leading to more than a little drama along the way to the Oregon plain. The talking and connecting with other people and having fun help to make the journey worthwhile. It has the main characteristics of a Western. You have the Indians, the gun shooting pioneering, the people in search of something better. The young man in decorative Western clothes in search of vengeance who manages to achieve it during the course of the movie is a common plot in the Western movies. A Western wouldn’t a true Western without some villains. We have to have a nice array of characters who are journeying together.

Danielle Campbell