Wagons East!
| Wagons East! | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Markle |
| Produced by |
Gary M. Goodman Robert F. Newmyer Barry Rosen Jeffrey Silver |
| Written by | Matthew Carlson |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Michael Small |
| Cinematography | Frank Tidy |
| Edited by | Scott Conrad |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
TriStar Pictures (United States) Pathé (United Kingdom) |
Release dates | August 26, 1994 |
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $4.4 million |
Wagons East! (stylised onscreen as Wagons East) is a 1994 western comedy film directed by Peter Markle and starring John Candy in his penultimate film and Richard Lewis.
During the film's production in Durango, Mexico, leading actor John Candy died of a heart attack, only days before completing the film [1] Script re-writes, a stand-in and special effects were used to complete his remaining scenes and it was released five months after his death.[2] The film marked one of Candy's last film appearances although it was not his last film release. His last film, Canadian Bacon, which he had completed before Wagons East!, had a delayed release in 1995.
Plot
In the 1860s Wild West, a group of misfit settlers including ex-doctor Phil Taylor (Lewis), prostitute Belle (Ellen Greene), and homosexual bookseller Julian (John C. McGinley) decide they cannot live in their current situation in the west, so they hire a grizzled alcoholic wagon master by the name of James Harlow (Candy) to take them on a journey back to their hometowns in the East.
Comedic exploits ensue as the drunken wagon master lets his horse choose the correct fork in the road, leads them to a dried out watering hole, and eventually guides them into Sioux territory where they are captured. The Chief however is sympathetic to the idea of 'white-men heading back east', and offers an escort off Sioux land. Meanwhile, they must also contend with (inept) hired gunslingers who have been sent by railroad magnates to stop the journey, as they fear the bad publicity it could create for the settlers about to commence a 'land-rush' into the west.
Harlows' secret, that he had been wagon master for the infamous Donner Party, eventually comes out, and the group confront Harlow about his past; he chooses to walk away from the group and they proceed on their own. As he resumes his drinking at the closest tavern, he overhears that the cavalry will be confronting the group the following day, and intends to wipe them out, as directed by the head of the railroad company.
As the cavalry arrives the next day, and the group 'square their wagons', Harlow rides in to the rescue and 'calls out' the cavalry leader to single combat. After a drawn out and comical fight scene, Harlow is victorious, and the group celebrates.
Harlow and Belle decide to pursue a relationship, Julian departs for somewhere 'even further west' (San Francisco) and the group rides toward the now visible St. Louis to finish the journey.
Reception
The film was released five months after Candy's death,[3][4] and despite being Candy's posthumous release, the film was a box office bomb.[5]
The film has a 0% 'tomatometer' rating and a 32% audience score on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 29 critics' reviews, with the consensus that "Wagons East! is a witless, toothless satire of Westerns that falls far below the standard set by Blazing Saddles, and is notable only for being John Candy's final screen performance."[6] Film critic Roger Ebert called the film "a sad way to end John Candy's career," but stated that his legacy was already permanent, and would survive this film.[7]
In the book The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies, Wagons East! is listed at number one on its list of The Ten Worst Westerns.[8]
References
- ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/actor-john-candy-dies-in-mexico-1427084.html
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1957&dat=19940819&id=XAUxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P-AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3171,4419349
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (August 26, 1994). "Wagons East (1994) FILM REVIEW; Starring John Candy and Various Crude Jokes". New York Times.
- ↑ Willman, Chris (1994-08-26). "MOVIE REVIEW: 'Wagons East!'-Candy's Final Film-Just Pokes Along - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Bates, James (2008-09-22). "COMPANY TOWN : SEC Filings Show Carolco Has Little to Sing About : Movies: The company expects to lose money this year and next, despite a major financial reorganization negotiated last year.". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Wagons East! (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ↑ Ebert, Roger (August 26, 1994). "Wagons East!". RogerEbert.com.
- ↑ Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini. The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies Morgan James Publishing, 2012. ISBN 1614482225.