2hotFeature one of my absolute favorites!

Noutions Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Infamousta brilliant actors, brilliant editing

Sabah Hensley This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

whidbeydanielg Born in 1948 I went to western films every week during the 50s with my father. We both loved them. I remember this one well. And played it out frequently in the fields next to my childhood home.I still enjoy it. My wife and I are going to watch it again tonight, maybe the 10th time I have seen it in my life. As with most westerns, it has not aged well, although it is clear that the major story line isn't really about the "Indians" but instead is about "good" white people versus "bad" white people. To this day I enjoy watching Tommy Rettig. He was the original Jeff in Lassie, and I can still hum the final music to that show. It was a simpler time, and I miss it. This film is fun, with breathtaking scenery, good acting, and a fine story.

Wizard-8 I have to admit that I am a huge fan of westerns, which may in part explain why I enjoyed "The Last Wagon" so much. But I think even those who don't watch offerings of the genre that much would enjoy it. Richard Widmark makes for a compelling central figure, convincingly showing a heroic streak while at the same time showing some dark sides to his character. He is aided by a screenplay that gives him ample opportunity to flesh out his character, as well as the other protagonists he helps. The movie moves at a brisk pace, and the outdoor locations are attractive and brightly shot. There are also a few action scenes that are pretty exciting.The movie is not perfect. There are two minor quibbles I have with the movie. The first is that Widmark's character is seen killing an innocent man in front of the other characters early in the movie. Even with what he does to make up for that during the long stretch of the movie, it's kind of hard to believe his eventual fate in the end. Also, while I did often welcome the screenplay's ample dialogue - which fleshes out the characters - there is a little too much. I think had there been a little less dialogue and a bit more action the movie would have worked even better than it does now. But the movie is still very enjoyable despite those two small quibbles.

writers_reign Alas, this is another victim of over hype. It was shown as part of the London Film Festival and the brochure talked a great game. Any film with Richard Widmark is, by definition, never a total loss but even actors of his calibre can't work miracles. Likewise helmer Delmer Daves has some fine credits yet somehow these two A-listers managed to concoct something ho-hum. It was probably daring at the time (1956) to have Widmark shoot a man in the back in the very first scene - by this time Widmark had graduated from the psychopathic killers (Kiss Of Death, No Way Out) that had made his name to four-square heroes so we know there has to be a damn good reason for what he did. There is, but we have to wait til the final reel which sees Comanche Todd (Widmark) on trial for murder to discover that three brothers raped his Comanche wife then killed her and his two sons. For his trouble in the opening scene Widmark is 'captured' by brutal 'sheriff' Bull Harper (George Matthews) and winds up tied to a wagon wheel, part of a wagon train of pioneers heading West, yet is still able to bury an axe in Harper's head. When a group of the younger people sneak off for a midnight swim they return to find that Apaches have killed everyone except Widmark who is halfway down a cliff still tied to the wagon. There's really only one way for the story to go from here; Widmark must lead the survivors to safety through Apache territory and they are evenly divided between those who like him and those who hate him. Given that it's a 'journey' movie everyone learns something about themselves. It's watchable because it revolves around Widmark but there isn't half as much chemistry as there should be between him and leading lady Felicia Farr (on the other hand that was the year she married Jack Lemmon so maybe she had other things on her mind) and of the three prominent females Susan Kohner walks away with the acting honours.

bkoganbing The Last Wagon is a film with some good intentions and some very good moments, but it could have been a whole lot better.A really brutal sheriff played by George Matthews brings a prisoner in to a small wagon train. By his manner he puts off a whole lot of the wagon train member. They start having some sympathy with prisoner Richard Widmark.When some of the young people of the train go off and frolic in a midnight swim, they return and find the Apaches have massacred the train except for one survivor. Widmark survived by a fluke I won't reveal.Widmark's a white man who lived with the Comanches and he's the only one who might insure the survival of the rest. Reluctantly they trust him and the adventure begins.Widmark's is the only really developed character in The Last Wagon, the rest have some strange motivations and attitudes that are not fully explained. Still their are some exciting sequences in the film and it can be enjoyed on that level.