Caravan of women
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Caravan of women |
| Original title | Westward the Women |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1951 |
| length | 118 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | William A. Wellman |
| script | Charles Schnee based on a story by Frank Capra |
| production | Dore Schary |
| music | Jeff Alexander |
| camera | William C. Mellor |
| cut | James E. Newcom |
| occupation | |
| |
The Women's Caravan is a 1951 American western directed by William A. Wellman .
action
1851: Roy E. Whitman is the mayor of a small, emerging town in a valley in California . Over 100 men now work and live there who only want to settle down there if they can start a family. However, there are no women in this valley. Whitman hires the scout Buck Wyatt to lead a trek with 150 women across the continent. However, Wyatt has great doubts that he can get so many women to California safely. He thinks this is impossible. Only when Whitman promises him a $ 1,000 bonus does Wyatt accept. They travel to Chicago together; there Whitman hires enough women for his men in California. The women choose their future husbands based on photographs. However, Buck Wyatt still has doubts as to whether the company will succeed.
A colorful society is now making its way west. Patience Hawley is an elderly widow of a New England captain . Maggie O'Malley is a farm girl who is also very good at handling the gun. Rose Meyers is pregnant without a husband. The Italian Mrs. Maroni is a widow and travels with her 9 year old son. Fifi Danon and Laurie Smith are two former prostitutes looking to start a new life. Buck also hires 15 men to protect the trek with him. At the same time, however, he warns both men and women that he will not tolerate relationships between the women and men on the trek.
After a short tutorial, the big journey begins. Buck also has to send back a man immediately who has approached a woman and promises that he would shoot the next man who hooks up with one of the women immediately. It soon becomes apparent that the journey is actually as difficult and dangerous as Buck expected. Indians show up, but do not attack the trek. Laurie Smith is raped by one of the men, who is subsequently shot by Buck; a second man who tries to shoot Buck in the back is killed by Maggie. During the night some men and some women leave the trek. The young Sid Cutler, who has fallen in love with Rose Meyers, cannot persuade Rose to leave the trek and stay. When Buck perceives the escape of this group, he decides that the women must now also take on men's work. You get target practice. The little son of Mrs. Maroni is accidentally shot. Mrs. Maroni falls ill in her grief and Patience Hawley takes care of her from now on. Fifi Danon stamped the trek when she shoots a rabbit. When Buck confronts her, she rides away. Buck follows her and after another argument they both realize they love each other. When they return to the trek, it is being attacked by Indians. Some women are killed, including Roy Whitman and Sid Cutler. Buck and the Japanese cook Ito are now the last men on the trek. Buck explains to the women that it would be better to turn back, but the women want to move on.
Laurie Smith dies in a severe thunderstorm and the last major challenge is crossing a desert . Rose Meyers gives birth to her baby in the desert. When they arrive at their destination, the women do not want to meet the waiting men until they are clean and freshly dressed again. Buck now leads them into town and warns the future husbands that they should be good to these women who have taken the hard way to them (“… yes, you had a hard time here at the beginning, but never as hard as These women. They are women, I tell you. Each of them is worth gold. Woe to the man who treats her badly. He's going to deal with me! Whitman is dead - but I'm still here ... ") Buck himself becomes one start life together with Fifi Danon.
background
The idea for the film came from the director Frank Capra , who read in a magazine in the 1940s about a similar story that happened in South America. The story was then moved to 19th century America. Capra initially wanted to shoot the story himself, but his studio Columbia Pictures did not produce any westerns during that time. Therefore, he left the story to his friend and fellow director William A. Wellman , who was able to inspire MGM producer Dore Shary for the unusual story. Wellman tried to film the story as realistically as possible, in the film there are many changes in mood between tragedy and comedy.
Filming took place in eleven weeks in the California desert and the mountains of Utah. Before shooting began, Wellman pointed out to the actresses the very tough conditions for shooting a Hollywood film. Before the filming, the actresses received three weeks of instruction in activities necessary for the film, such as horse riding, shooting and driving covered wagons. Wellman instructed his cameraman Mellor to avoid the camera filters used in westerns back then, if possible, in order to let the viewer feel the harsh environment.
synchronization
The dubbed version was created for the German cinema premiere in 1952 in the MGM dubbing studio in Berlin.
| role | actor | German Dubbing voice |
|---|---|---|
| Buck Wyatt | Robert Taylor | Carl Raddatz |
| Fifi Dannon | Denise Darcel | Tilly Lauenstein |
| Patience Hawley | Hope Emerson | Lilli Schoenborn |
| Roy E. Whitman | John McIntire | Walther Suessenguth |
| Rose Meyers | Beverly Dennis | Bettina Schön |
| Sid Cutler | Pat Conway | Ottokar Runze |
| Cat | Bruce Cowling | Peter Petersz |
Reviews
"Gripping, sometimes a bit tough, but realistic Western in an impressive landscape."
"A Wild West film that is equally remarkable in terms of idea, setting and film-appropriate design, less suitable for young people but of value for adults."
“Director William A. Wellman shot the western based on a template by Frank Capra. The work managed without any studio recordings. Just as impressive as it is difficult to conquer landscapes and the terrible hardships allow the rough life of the pioneering days to resurrect. One of the westerns that credibly assures us: It could have been like that. "
Web links
- Women caravan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Westward the Women at Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 24, 2018 .
- ^ Westward the Women (1951) - William Wellman | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie. Retrieved April 24, 2018 .
- ^ Westward the Women (1951) - William Wellman | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie. Retrieved April 24, 2018 .
- ↑ Gereon Stein: Caravan of women on synchrondatenbank.de. Retrieved May 27, 2019 .
- ↑ Caravan of Women. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Ev. Munich Press Association, Review No. 21/1953.
- ↑ Caravan of Women - Trailer, review, pictures and information about the film. Accessed April 24, 2018 (German).