The big trek
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The big trek |
| Original title | The Big Trail |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1930 |
| length | 125 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Raoul Walsh |
| script |
Jack Peabody Marie Boyle Florence Postal Fred Sersen |
| production | Winfield R. Sheehan anonymous |
| music |
Arthur Kay R. H. Bassett Peter Bruneli James F. Hanley Joseph McCarthy Jack Virgil |
| camera |
Arthur Edeson Lucien Andriot |
| cut | Jack Dennis |
| occupation | |
| |
The big trek (originally The Big Trail ) is an American western by Raoul Walsh from 1930. The script is based on a story by Hal G. Evarts. The German premiere took place on May 17, 1977 in the 3rd program of the ARD . A version shortened by 20 minutes was broadcast.
action
Breck Coleman leads a trek of settlers west from Missouri on the Oregon Trail . Coleman is driven by thoughts of revenge after he killed a trapper friend. On the way the trek is confronted with many dangers and experiences of a special kind: buffalo hunts, river crossings, snowstorms and Indian raids. In addition, the wagons have to cross the Rocky Mountains.
Breck falls in love with Ruth Cameron, who turns to Bill Thorpe. During the trip, Breck is able to expose Red Flack as the killer of his friend. Thorpe, who is under the influence of Flack, tries to kill Breck, but is shot by Breck's friend Zeke. Once in Oregon, Breck stays behind to avenge the death of his friend on Flack. Finally, he returns to the settlers and Ruth.
Reviews
"One of the first sound film westerns, who depicts the hardships of people and animals in impassable areas with drastic realism."
“ The Big Trail belongs to the western subgenre of the covered wagon or trek film. [...] Raoul Walsh admittedly contrasts the pompous nature of the subgenre with a poetic, casual style that is as beautiful and relaxed as the inimitable walk of John Wayne. The Big Trail is less of a heroic pioneer western than - like many later Walsh films, such as Pursued or Colorado Territory - a trip into an American terrain vague , a road movie through inner and outer American worlds, through innocent landscapes of longing and the Imponderability. "
Awards
The film was inducted into the National Film Preservation Board 's National Film Registry in 2006 .
background
The approximately two million US dollar film was produced by 20th Century Fox . The film covered 4,300 miles in seven states. 123 luggage trolleys were used for transport. The film was shot in Arizona ( Grand Canyon National Park , Yuma ), California ( Sequoia National Park , Sacramento ), Wyoming ( Yellowstone National Park , Jackson Hole , Grand Teton Pass ), Idaho , Montana ( Moiese ), Utah and Oregon . The film included 93 main actors, 20,000 extras, 725 Indians from five tribes ( Shoshone , Arapaho , Blackfoot , Crow and Cheyenne ), 12 Indian guides, 200 technical staff, including 22 cameramen alone. 1,800 cattle, 1,400 horses, 500 buffaloes and 700 chickens, pigs and dogs were used on animals. 185 covered wagons were also used.
The role of Breck Coleman was to be played by Gary Cooper first . When he stepped down, director Walsh Marion gave Michael Morrison the lead, his first in his career, and gave the hitherto unknown actor the stage name John Wayne. For Tyrone Power sr. it was the first and only speaking role in his film career. The film was his last before he passed away in December 1931. Ward Bond had an appearance not mentioned in the credits as Sid Bascom . The role of a boy for Robert Parrish , who later became the award-winning film editor, is also not mentioned.
Movie versions
In addition to the 35 mm version, Raoul Walsh shot four other versions of the film at the same time:
- a 70 mm version in Grandeur technology for presentation in large cinemas
- a French version, La Piste des géants , with Gaston Glass , Jeanne Helbling , Raoul Paoli and Louis Mercier , 105 minutes, co-director: Pierre Couderc
- an Italian version, Il grande sentiero , with Franco Corsaro , Luisa Caselotti , Guido Trento and Franco Puglia , unknown length, co-director: Louis Loeffler
- a Spanish version, Horizontes nuevos , with George Lewis , Carmen Guerrero Franco , Roberto Guzmán and Martin Garralaga , unknown length, co-director: David Howard
- a German version, Die große Fahrt , with Theo Shall , Marion Lessing , Peter Erkelenz and Ulrich Haupt , 79 minutes, co-director: Lewis Seiler
literature
- Hans Schifferle : The great journey. In: Bernd Kiefer , Norbert Grob (ed.), Marcus Stiglegger (collaboration): Filmgenres. Western (= RUB . No. 18402). Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-15-018402-9 , pp. 64-68 [with references].
Web links
- The Big Trail in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Criticism in the Variety (English)
- Review of the Timeout Filmguide (English)
- Review of Mordaunt Hall in the New York Times (English)
- Fred Camper in the Chicago Reader (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f According to: Hans Schifferle: The great journey. In: Bernd Kiefer , Norbert Grob (ed.), Marcus Stiglegger (collaboration): Filmgenres. Western (= RUB . No. 18402). Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-15-018402-9 , pp. 64-68, here 64.
- ↑ The great trek. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Hans Schifferle: The great journey. In: Bernd Kiefer , Norbert Grob (ed.), Marcus Stiglegger (collaboration): Filmgenres. Western (= RUB . No. 18402). Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-15-018402-9 , pp. 64-68, here 64f.
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020691/business