The Oregon Trail (1939)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Directors:

Ford Beebe
Saul A. Goodkind

Writers:

George H. Plympton (original screenplay) &
Basil Dickey (original screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 May 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Western

Tagline:

FIGHTING FURY OF THE PLAINS! - 15 thrill-packed chapters of hair-raising exploits! (original poster)

Plot:

Wagon trains are not making it to Oregon and Jeff Scott has been sent to investigate. Morgan, the representitive of an eastern syndicate...

Plot Keywords:

Wagon Train | Furs | Escape | Capture | Oregon

Cast

Johnny Mack Brown	...	Jeff Scott (as John Mack Brown)
Louise Stanley	...	Margaret Mason
Fuzzy Knight	...	Deadwood Hawkins
Bill Cody Jr.	...	Jimmie Clark
Edward LeSaint	...	John Mason (as Ed LeSaint)
James Blaine	...	Sam Morgan
Charles Stevens	...	'Breed'
Jack C. Smith	...	Bull Bragg
Roy Barcroft	...	Colonel Custer
Charles Murphy	...	Tompkins
Colin Kenny	...	Slade - Morgan Henchman
Forrest Taylor	...	Daggett - Morgan Henchman
Charles King	...	Dirk - Morgan Henchman
Jim Toney	...	Idaho Ike

Runtime:

USA:320 min (15 chapters)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5158) (Ch. 11) | USA:Approved (PCA #5150) (Ch. 1-6) | USA:Approved (PCA #5157) (Ch. 10) | USA:Approved (PCA #5155) (Ch. 8) | USA:Approved (PCA #5154) (Ch. 7) | USA:Approved (PCA #5156) (Ch. 9) | USA:Approved (PCA #5166) (Ch. 13-15) | USA:Approved (PCA #5159) (Ch. 12) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Kernville, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Chapter Titles: - 1. The Renegade's Revenge - 2. The Flaming Forest - 3. The Brink of Disaster - 4. Thundering Doom - 5. Stampede - 6. Indian Vengeance - 7. Trail of Treachery - 8. Redskin's Revenge - 9. The Avalanche of Doom - 10. The Plunge of Peril - 11. Trapped in the Flames - 12. The Baited Trap - 13. Crashing Timbers - 14. Death in the Night - 15. The End of the Trail

Soundtrack:

Oh, Susanna

Wagons West to the Promised Land

The Oregon Trail was the last of four serials that Johnny Mack Brown made for Universal in the 30's before moving exclusively to features. This 15 chapter saga details the trials and tribulations of a wagon trail headed west to the promised land in Oregon.

There are large scale Indian attacks, the cavalry riding to the rescue and the usual hair-raising escapes to entertain the avid serial lover. As in most Universal serials, liberal use is made of stock footage from the silent era.

Once again, Brown is cast as the dressed all in black hero who leads the wagon train. Fuzzy Knight provides support as Brown's sidekick.

Where the casting breaks down is in the portrayals of the chief villains. James Blaine is barely adequate as "Morgan", the chief baddie, but it is Jack C. Smith as "Bull Bragg" who clearly was not up to the role. Of the villains, Charles Stevens as "Breed" stands out. Either Forrest Taylor, Tom London or Charles King, who play small roles as henchmen, could have elevated this picture by playing the "Morgan" and "Bragg" roles.

If the producers could only have seen a few years into the future, they would have seen that they had the future "King of the Bad Guys", Roy Barcroft (cast curiously as General Custer) in their cast. Ah but hindsight is always 20/20.