Wagon Master

Wagon Master is a 1950 John Ford Western starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond. Bond plays a Mormon who hires 3 men to guide him and his group of settlers to Utah. A fine enough traditional Western with a reputation that indicates most folks like it better than I do. I don't care for the score, which has a bit too much of the singin' cowboy trope to suit me.

It inspired the TV series Wagon Train, which ran from 1957 to 1965. I remember seeing some of the episodes of that.

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Empire Online calls it an "utterly delightful, lyrical Western". Time Out says it's "A moral fable, but with a refreshing lack of rhetoric to its poetry." DVD Talk calls it "a simple and heartfelt cowboys 'n' settlers story with a gentle touch" and says, "If you like "pure" westerns that showcase good horse riding and other cowboy skills, Wagon Master is a must-see title". TCM has an overview. The Rotten Tomatoes critics score is 100%, and the audience score is 70%.