Wagon Master
John Ford's lusty successor to "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"
1950 | 86m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | John Ford |
|---|---|
| Writer: | John Ford, Frank S. Nugent, Patrick Ford |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Apr 22, 1950 |
|---|---|
| Director: | John Ford |
| Writer: | John Ford, Frank S. Nugent, Patrick Ford |
| Genres: | Adventure, Western |
| Keywords | migration, caravan, native american, medicine show, attempted rape, crime family, covered wagon, cowboy, mormon, escort, river crossing, wagon train, criminal gang, whipping, horse and wagon, san juana valley, american west, horse trader, trail guide, mormon pioneer, providence, settlers of american west, migration to promised land |
| Production Companies | RKO Radio Pictures, Argosy Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Ben Johnson | Travis Blue |
| Joanne Dru | Denver |
| Harry Carey, Jr. | Sandy |
| Ward Bond | Elder Wiggs |
| Charles Kemper | Uncle Shiloh Clegg |
| Alan Mowbray | Dr. A. Locksley Hall |
| Jane Darwell | Sister Ledyard |
| Ruth Clifford | Fleuretty Phyffe |
| Russell Simpson | Adam Perkins |
| Kathleen O'Malley | Prudence Perkins |
| James Arness | Floyd Clegg |
| Francis Ford | Mr. Peachtree |
| Fred Libby | Reese Clegg |
| Jim Thorpe | Navajo Indian |
| Mickey Simpson | Jesse Clegg |
| Cliff Lyons | Marshal of Crystal City |
| Don Summers | Sam Jenkins |
| Movita | Young Navajo Indian |
| Hank Worden | Luke Clegg |
| Chuck Hayward | Jackson (uncredited) |
| Danny Borzage | Accordionist (uncredited) |
| Lee Bradley | Leader of the Navajo Band (uncredited) |
| Nora Bush | Settler (uncredited) |
| Jane Crowley | Settler (uncredited) |
| Tex Holden | Settler (uncredited) |
| George Huggins | Settler (uncredited) |
| Fred Kennedy | Settler (uncredited) |
| Al Kunde | Fiddler (uncredited) |
| Ann Kunde | Settler (uncredited) |
| Frank McGrath | Posse Member (uncredited) |
| Evelyn Moriarty | Settler (uncredited) |
| Eleanore Vogel | Settler (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| John Ford | Story, Director, Presenter |
| Cliff Lyons | Second Unit Director, Stunts |
| Chuck Hayward | Stunts |
| Frank McGrath | Stunts |
| Richard Hageman | Original Music Composer |
| Merian C. Cooper | Presenter |
| Frank S. Nugent | Screenplay |
| Patrick Ford | Screenplay |
| Bert Glennon | Director of Photography |
| James Basevi | Art Direction |
| Joseph Kish | Set Decoration |
| Archie Stout | Second Unit Director of Photography |
| Jack Murray | Editor |
| Don L. Cash | Makeup Artist |
| Jack Colconda | Property Master |
| Barbara Ford | Editor |
| Anna Malin | Hairstylist |
| Wingate Smith | Assistant Director |
| Clem Portman | Sound |
| Frank Webster | Sound |
| Jack Caffee | Special Effects |
| Ray Kellogg | Visual Effects |
| Bryan 'Slim' Hightower | Stunts |
| Billy Jones | Stunts |
| Eddie Juaregui | Stunts |
| Fred Kennedy | Stunts |
| Post Park | Stunts |
| Gil Perkins | Stunts |
| Ray Thomas | Stunts |
| Wesley Jeffries | Wardrobe Master |
| Adele Parmenter | Wardrobe Master |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Merian C. Cooper | Executive Producer |
| John Ford | Executive Producer |
| Lowell J. Farrell | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 15 | 25 | 8 |
| 2024 | 5 | 15 | 25 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 7 |
| 2024 | 7 | 13 | 22 | 8 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 5 |
| 2024 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 | 11 | 22 | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 5 |
| 2024 | 12 | 9 | 20 | 7 |
| 2025 | 1 | 10 | 23 | 7 |
| 2025 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Trending Position
This is quite an unremarkable little pioneering yarn that sees two cowboys - Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr. guiding a Mormon caravan across the Wild West. En route they encounter a motley collection of folks with a medicine show - and the sultry Joanne Dru ("Miss Denver"); then a bunch of less savo ... ury characters led by Charles Kemper ("Shiloh Clegg") before they are invited to join some Navajo at their camp - and that's where it all turns a bit sour with our two gallant lads left to try to protect the travellers from the vengeful "Cleggs". John Ford seems to have lost his way with this pretty fluffy amalgam of stories; there's way too much singing and not enough action - and it lacks an anchor; either a John Wayne or a Henry Fonda - someone just to inject some strength of character to it. Even the score drifts along aimlessly, too. Ward Bond and Hank Worden do their best to keep the "Rio Grande" spirit flowing, but it's all just a bit too tepid.