The Iron Horse on Dec Schedule

[Lzcutter]

John Ford's wonderful silent The Iron Horse is coming to TCM this December as part of the cross promotion for the Ford at Fox box set.

Don't miss this seminal western. They say this is the film that Ford found his filmmakers voice while making.

Isn't shown very often on TCM so be sure to catch it.

[movieman1957]

I've been kicking myself for not taping it when I stumbled on it a few years ago. Now I'll get a chance to see this great film again. No telling when it will turn up again.

[moira finnie]

The Iron Horse!! Great. I saw part of it on Encore Western a couple of years ago, but maybe this year I'll get my act together and record it since I can't possibly afford to buy that Ford boxed set that's coming up.

It was intriguing to see so many recurrent John Ford themes touched on in an early stage in this '20s film--(along with his nascent strengths and weaknesses). One of the best descriptions of this movie is in the Kevin Brownlow book, The War, The West & Wilderness. Some of the people who appeared in this 1924 movie as extras were said to have actually helped build the rail lines originally, (which was made in very rugged conditions on location in Nevada & CA).

Thanks so much for the heads up, Lynn.

[MissGoddess]

That's marvelous news, Lynn!!

[MissGoddess]

I went to Lincoln Center today and saw the restored, digital presentation of The Iron Horse with a new score by Christopher Caliendo. My chief impressions are of scale, both epic and human and of the realistic, hardscrabble depiction of humanity working hard together for a mammoth undertaking. It felt and looked very real, as if Ford had just been along to document the actual building of America's first transcontinental railroad. Many of the actual workers on that project were used as extras and everyone looked totally at home in the extreme location conditions and more than equal to the work. In other words, this was one tough, rough and ready mass of humanity and you cannot help but drop the jaw a little at what kind of man it took to organize, control and lead it all---while at the same time extracting a truly human narrative AND elicit emotional responses. I almost feel like anything Ford directed after the Iron Horse had to be very, very well within his abilities because this was quite a test, quite an achievement. No wonder he was tough---he had to be, or if he hadn't been already he had to have learned how to be tough on this shoot. For three years!

I wonder how it will play on a TV screen. There is simply so much going on in each frame---so much milling humanity and constant work and activity I wonder if some of that will be missed on a smaller screen, especially a sense of the harsh landscape.

The music was fine, I can't say I recall any memorable theme or motif but it felt right. The theater played it too loud, however, to the point of distortion. That would be my only quibble.

George O'Brien was very attractive, not a dynamic personality but genial and certainly extraordinarily atheletic looking. Wow. Madge Bellamy (as the leading lady) was OK.

I really, really liked the opening scenes. It reminded me a little of Peter Ibbetson in that it showed you the to leads as children, already quite attached to each other and then being parted. That was very moving. And having Lincoln himself be present and remembering them as children was a nice touch, I thought.

Tremendous movie!

[Jezebel38]

Ok - I reckoned I'd mosey into the Western territory here to leave a few comments, but I'm keepin' my boots on in case I need to beat a fast retreat!

I had to wait 50 minutes (!) into this to see George O'Brien, who was first billed and the main draw for me to watch this silent film. Boy, he sure looks young in this, and not quite so buff as in his later silents. But once he made an appearance, they still didn't give him much screen time - it seemed to me that Sgt. Slattery and his sidekicks got more screen time. I could've done without the circut judge and the trial of the barmaid, and the scene with pulling teeth at the barber/dentist so I could have more time with George, but no, John Ford wants his comic relief! And what was the deal with that bad guy Bauman of the missing digits? Hanging out with the Red man at the beginning just to off poor Davey's dad, and 10 years later, hanging out with the White man to collect payolla from the rich landowner? How did that come about? Did I miss something? Any way, this film just did not capture my interest - maybe it was more interesting for history buffs of that era.

[Ann Harding]

During the past few days, I have been watching all the Ford silents that have been released by Fox. Overall, I have to say, the prints are brilliant. The scores are great, except for Three Bad Men where it 's sometimes missing cues and out-of-synch with the action.

Just Pals (1920)
Jack Ford, as he was billed in those days, makes here a really nice piece of Americana. the town bum is redeemed thanks to a young orphan. There is some real tenderness. It could have been nearly a Borzage picture.

The Iron Horse (1924)
This is really a tremendous epic. The sheer scale of the production is just amazing. Like Miss Goddess, I felt I was watching a documentary on the building of the transcontinental railway. The 2 h 1/2 flowed extremely quickly. This is like witnessing some pages of American history with Abe Lincoln, Buffalo Bill and a judge-saloon owner in the Roy Bean mold!
George O'Brien is not a great actor, but, this is not what Ford was after when he hired him. He had to 'look' the part and he does. I suppose the characters are not so defined there as they are elements on a large landscape painting. But, it didn't bother me. I was still hooked by the action, movement and humor. I should add that the new score by Christopher Caliendo is excellent, in a par with Carl Davis: lyrical and carrying the action forward in a superb way.

Three Bad Men (1926)
The story of the three bad men who become godfathers of a young woman (Olive Borden) is very well told with plenty of action and humor. I found both Borden & O'Brien less interesting than Tom Santschi as 'Bull'. there are some tremendous scenes like that of the murder of the nasty sheriff while he is framed by the rocks. Another great scene is during the burrial of Santschi's sister: he stands by the grave as his clothes and hair are blown by the wind. It's exactly the pose used by Wayne in later pictures...

Four Sons (1928)
This is not a western, but, I suppose, it's OK to discuss it with the three previous films.
I was amazed to see Ford in Murnau's territory. The story of this Bavarian mother and her four sons recalled, for me, several Lubitsch's pictures (Broken Lullaby & The Student Prince) for its German village atmosphere. The film is centered round the mother, the pillar of the family who loses three of her sons during WWI. The German officer seemed straight out of a Von Stroheim production: monocle, grin and evil look!
I am always interested by how Ford describes the arrival of immigrants in the US. The scenes in Ellis Island ring true. The influence of Murnau is obvious for with expressionist shadows and a postman which looks like Emil Jannings.

I still have one film to watch, but, so far, I have to say this set is definitely a must buy!

[MikeBSG]

Does anyone know what the difference is between the American version of Ford's "The Iron Horse" and the foreign version of "The Iron Horse"? Which is the preferred version to see?

[MikeBSG]

I watched "The Iron Horse." I have to say that I liked "Three Bad Men" better. That one had a more cohesive plot.

The beginning of "The Iron Horse" is charming with the two children who will grow up to be hero and heroine. Then the movie seems to wander about. Shots and bits of scenes are brilliant, with a feeling that this is the way it must have been, but then we get this plot about an evil guy with two fingers, and I can't quite figure out how he goes from being a "Simon Girty" renegade who hangs out with Indians to being a slick landowner who wants the railroad to cross his territory.

George O'Brien reminded me of the young Ben Johnson.

I agree that the judge could easily be dropped from the movie, but my bigger problem was that the movie seemed to have more false climaxes than "A. I." It looks as if the hero is going to shoot the bad guys in the saloon. Well, instead, there are fisticuffs and then everyone goes back to work on the railroad. Then there is a huge Indian attack and evil Two-Fingers gets killed. However, the heroine is now miffed at the hero, so he leaves the Union Pacific and goes to work on the Central Pacific. Finally we have the driving of the golden spike and the film ends.

I would say that "The Iron Horse" may be better than "The Covered Wagon," which I haven't seen in 25 years, but "Three Bad Men" holds together much better.

[movieman1957]

Just revisited this one and I while Mike had a good point about the number of climaxes I really enjoyed it. A few things to quibble about in there were some things that could have been left out but overall I really enjoyed it.

You didn't see anymore of Miriam's fiance after the big fight.

I found interesting the actual construction of the railroad, especially the horses pulling the locomotive up the mountain. Lots of action, good acting and filmed on a large scale.

One thing I really enjoyed was Caliendo's score. It is nice to hear a full orchestra on one of these silents. It was very fitting, melodic, majestic at times and even a bit of fun. A pleasant surprise after the awful music I listened to on "Three Bad Men." (Not that I could have done any better but I really didn't like it.)

[Lzcutter]

Chris,

Glad you revisited {b]The Iron Horse[/b]. Most of it was filmed on location in Northern Nevada in the winter. Brrrr!

It was interesting to note that it is not until Ford gets out on location that he begins to really show the direction that we now associate him but even in the early scenes he uses that motif of family and sacrifice that will come to be closely associated with him in the years ahead.

This is the grand-daddy of the western genre as we know it. Similar in story to The Covered Wagon, it is Iron Horse that many historians see as the template for the westerns that followed.

I liked the American version over the British version mainly because the British version has more exposition on Lincoln and the War than the American version.

Horse has some great visuals and I really enjoy seeing Ford not only learning his craft a tad more but honing it at the same time.