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Wagons East

From Alfawiki
Wagons East
Company typeFilm
IndustryFilm industry
Founded1994
Headquarters
United States
Key people
Peter Markle (director), Matthew Carlson (screenplay)
ProductsWestern adventure comedy film
OwnerCarolco Pictures
ParentTriStar Pictures (distributor)

Wagons East (occasionally presented as Wagons East!) is a 1994 American Western adventure comedy directed by Peter Markle, with a screenplay by Matthew Carlson. The film features performances from John Candy, Richard Lewis, John C. McGinley, Ellen Greene, Robert Picardo, Rodney A. Grant, and Ed Lauter. Its storyline centers on an alcoholic wagon leader who guides a group of outcast settlers in the Wild West as they journey back toward the East. Filming took place in Durango, Mexico, and Sierra de Órganos National Park, with the movie debuting in the United States on August 26, 1994.

During production in Durango, John Candy tragically passed away at age 43 due to a heart attack. To complete the project, the filmmakers utilized script alterations, a stand-in actor, and special effects. Released five months after Candy’s death, this film represents his second-to-last acting role and was dedicated in his honor. Additionally, it was the final Carolco Pictures film distributed by TriStar Pictures.

The movie was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews, holding an uncommon 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes and earning $4.4 million at the box office.

Plot

Set in the 1860s American frontier, a disparate group of settlers—including former physician Phil Taylor, a prostitute named Belle, and Julian Rogers, a gay bookseller—choose to abandon their current lives by hiring James Harlow, an alcoholic wagon master, to lead them eastward.

Their journey is marked by comedic mishaps largely due to Harlow’s inept leadership, culminating in their capture by the Sioux tribe. The Sioux Chief shows compassion and offers safe passage off their territory. Meanwhile, railroad tycoons dispatch incompetent gunslingers to halt their expedition, concerned about negative publicity ahead of a western land rush.

Harlow’s hidden history as the wagon master for the notorious Donner Party comes to light, causing him to desert the group temporarily. The cavalry leader reveals familiarity with Harlow and admits having requisitioned supplies from the Donner Party for his soldiers. When the cavalry arrives under railroad orders to confront the settlers, Harlow returns to save them by defeating the cavalry leader in one-on-one combat.

The settlers rejoice; Harlow and Belle begin a romantic relationship, Julian sets off toward San Francisco further west, and the rest continue their journey toward St. Louis.

Production

John Candy was contractually obliged to participate in this film due to his agreement with Carolco Pictures, following the cancellation of the John Hughes comedy Bartholomew v. Neff, which Candy had been slated to star in alongside Sylvester Stallone. Despite concerns about the screenplay and carrying over $1 million in debt from his minority stake in the struggling Toronto Argonauts football franchise, Candy consented to shoot Wagons East in Durango, Mexico.

On March 4, 1994, after completing filming for the day, Candy died in his sleep from an apparent heart attack. Following his passing, Carolco collected a $15.3 million insurance settlement. To finalize Candy’s unfinished scenes, CGI effects were employed alongside a body double and modifications to the script.

Candy had planned to depart that very morning but was found deceased by co-stars Richard Lewis and Robert Picardo, both of whom were profoundly impacted by his death.

Reception

Released five months following John Candy's passing, Wagons East performed poorly at the box office. The film was met with predominantly unfavorable critiques, holding a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which labeled it a "witless, toothless satire of Westerns" that fell short of the benchmark established by Blazing Saddles. According to audience feedback collected by CinemaScore, the movie earned an average grade of "C−".

Renowned critic Roger Ebert described the film as "a sorrowful conclusion to John Candy's career," while emphasizing that Candy's impact would transcend this particular work. In The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies, Wagons East! is ranked as the top entry on the list titled The Ten Worst Westerns.

Year-end lists

See also

External links

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