This Burt Lancester film with the proverbial cast of 1,000s does not have quite as many stars are there are in the heavens but includes enough big names to warrant a comparison to the epic comedies of the era "The Great Race" and "It's a Mad. Mad, Mad, Mad World." "Trail" also makes a good double-feature with the (soon-to-be-reviewed) Olive February 27, 2018 BD release of the Lancaster film "The Birdman of Alcatraz."
The behind-the-camera star power includes director John Sturges of "The Great Escape" and "The Magnificent Seven." His wise contributions include having a narrator help the audience follow the multi-front action.
Lancaster plays peacetime career Calvary officer Colonel Thaddeus Gearhart in 1867, which follows the ends of the Civil War and the Indian (my people call them Native Americans) Wars. However, he does not miss the hostilities.
Throwing this by-the-book soldier in chaos related to unruly women, a trouble-making tribe (whose numbers include a comical chief whom Martin Landau plays), a prominent businessman on a mission, and miners desperate for that mission to succeed evokes thoughts of the (reviewed) recent Olive BD release of the Blake Edwards military comedy "Operation Petticoat."
"Trail" centers around the hard-working hard-drinking citizens of old West Denver facing the crisis of a dry winter during what is expected to be a particularly snowy several months. The predictions of hard-drinking sage Oracle Jones (Donald Pleasance of 234 IMDb credits) enhance their concerns.
This prospect (pun intended) prompts placing an order for 40 wagons filled with kegs of whiskey from Frank Wallingham (Brian Keith) 100s of miles away. The challenges facing Wallingham include a group of women assertively promoting temperance and several tribes of Indians with a thirst for this cargo. This is on top of maintaining labor relations with unionized Irish workers with a special mission on the wagon train.
The leader of the women is titanium-willed twice-widowed Cora Templeton Massingale (Lee Remick). Her troops include the daughter (Pamela Tiffin) of Gearhart. Handsome and charming second-in-command Captain Paul Slater (Jim Hutton) is the love interest of said offspring.
Gearhart ultimately ends up with the tasks of protecting the precious cargo, Team Wallingham, the women, and a contingency of Denverites against the indians and each other.
The first half of "Trail" concludes with a chaotic meeting of the groups; the post-intermission action begins with an effort to avoid further chaos and attacks. One group escalating the tension drives much of the action.
This leads to a mad dash that rivals the chariot scene in the Charlton Heston version of "Ben Hur" in complexity. However, a literal element of being mired down is one indication that things are not entirely calm once the dust literally settles.
All this shows that the Olive-worthy appeal of "Trail" extends well beyond the well-written and expertly choreographed comedy of the film. Setting it in the past helps it remain timeless; an additional sense of eternity relates to funny always being funny and the themes of greed, a craving for alcohol, folks who fanatically campaign against any consumption of that substance, and maintaining a (in this case literally uneasy truce) with a hostile enemy remain issues more than 50 years after the release of this comic tale.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Trail" is strongly encouraged to email me; you alternatively can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
No comments:
Post a Comment