There's more of a D. W. Griffith vibe than a John Ford vibe to The Iron Horse, admittedly, but this is the picture during which Ford first became the future hero of American cinema. And that warrants some discussion. What future Fordian traits are visible here?
Discuss.
'Tis a coward I am - but I will hold your coat.
I haven't had the luck to see this film yet, but I would like to say that it seems this film is overlooked just as often as Hitchcock's first important film 'The Lodger' is.
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Actually, those are not the real Jupiter and 118 locomotives.
First of all, the UP locomotive was number 119 not 118. Second of all, the real engines were eventually scrapped around the turn of the century. There are 2 exact replicas of the trains on display at the site of the Golden Spike.
But anyway, I personally loved the movie. A great silent epic that doesn't fall victim to over-dramatization. I wish some of the more secondary characters were given more screen time, especially the creepy villain with two fingers. Never understood why on some reviews he's referred to as Bauman but in the print I saw he's called Deroux.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym2xF6Wv-5E
Hm... he was called Bauman in mine.
Surprisingly good film. It one those film with all - drama, comedy, love story, action - and nothing seems out of place.
Was it the new Fox dvd that came out a year or two ago?
Yes, it came out around a year and a half ago.
Great movie, and it looks like this would introduce us to the clichéd John Ford drinking sidekicks, namely Sgt. Slattery and Cpl. Casey. In future Ford movies, we would see characters like these being played by Victor McLaglen and Thomas Mitchell (and even win Academy Awards!).
mgtbltp; Wrong about the weapons. For instance the Judge holding court obviously has a 1860 Army Percussion, not a Peacemaker.
shareTrue, but the majority of the weapons used in this film are incorrect for the time setting of the film.
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae
Captain Augustus McCrae; Have not seen it for a long time and am sure that you are most likely right in your assumption. Many times these discrepancies had to do with what was on hand in the Studio Armory or that they were just more convenient to load.
Example in WAR AND PEACE (1965) a Russian production allegedly costing 100 Million in 1965$ they extensively used Bolt Action Mosin-Nagant's. They just shoved a rubber piece over the bolt to replicate a Flint-Lock Hammer. Closeups of marching Soldiers revealed this, but at distance the illusion worked. The same could be said for all those Civil War pictures were Springfield Model 1873 'Trapdoors' are used to replicate Enfield or Springfield percussion Rifles.
Notice though that Cecil B. DeMille's films are pretty good on their weapon accuracy. Many times taking them from his personal collection if the Studio Armory could not supply the right material.
sad aint it? When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
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Well said, Sir!
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's living!!!"
Augustus McCrae
very well said, bluesdoctor
7.... a love for all races and nationalities, for the foibles of "mankind."
watch the many verbal sparrings and agreements between manual rail workers
of different nationalities, especially between Irish and Italian.
11. The smoothly flowing images of Indians galloping alongside the train on uneven terrain, photographed from the train. If those scenes were still done with hand-cranked cameras in 1923-24, the photography was magnificent.
12. The Pony Express rider Davy taking a believable fall from his galloping horse into an apparently very soft landing, trackside.
13. It's easy to see how what was done here, appears magnified in his Westerns like Stagecoach.
E pluribus unum