| The Big Trail |  | Directors: Raoul Walsh, Louis R. Loeffler
Actors: John Wayne, Marguerite Churchill, El Brendel, Tully Marshall, Tyrone Power Sr.
Buy New: $20.00
New (1) Used (6) Collectible (1) from $7.46
Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 159574
Format: Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Media: VHS Tape
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 4.7 x 1.2
EAN: 5013037728538
ASIN: B00004CKFK
Theatrical Release Date: November 1, 1930
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW - In shrinkwrap - FAST SHIPPING.
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Amazon.com
One of very few widescreen productions filmed at the dawn of the talkies, The Big Trail was dismissed by reviewers of the day, little seen, and soon shelved and forgotten--for more than half a century, as it turned out. For movie buffs, it became a sort of Holy Grail. After all, the esteemed Raoul Walsh had directed, the early 70mm angle was tantalizing, and wasn't this the movie that was intended to make a star of Duke Morrison, a 22-year-old former prop man whom Walsh had rechristened John Wayne for the occasion? For curiosity value alone, surely it rated a look. Restored in the late 1980s and warmly embraced by film festival audiences, The Big Trail proved to be more than just a historical footnote. What were those 1930 reviewers thinking?! Wayne is fresh, exuberant, matinee-idol handsome, and irresistibly charming (only a little purple prose trips him up, and no one should have been asked to speak such early-talkie flapdoodle anyway). The scenario winds through epic settings from the banks of the Mississippi by way of the Grand Canyon to the snows of Oregon and the mountain vistas of Washington, marking both a wagon train's journey and the settling of a personal score between trail guide Wayne and Tyrone Power Sr. as a veritable ogre of a villain. (A villain off-camera, too: Legend holds that Walsh had the actor beaten nearly to death for attempting to force himself on leading lady Marguerite Churchill.) The Big Trail is now an authentic classic, and a swell movie. Probably always was. --Richard T. Jameson
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| Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...
 Where is the "Fox Grandeur" Widescreen Version? May 4, 2004
Terry Knapp (Santa Rosa, CA United States)
43 out of 50 found this review helpful
This is a film that really deserves to be seen in its widescreen glory. This is truly an epic film. However, I feel compelled to point out that the version that is available on this DVD is not, in fact, a "cropped" version of the film. The movie was actually filmed in three different versions. The first two, featuring the original cast, were the widescreen "Fox Grandeur" version and the version available here, shot in the Academy Standard ratio, which allowed the vast majority of cash-strapped theaters (they couldn't afford the special equipment for widescreen projection) to exhibit the film. The scenes in this version were blocked appropriately for a standard film of this era. The third version, shot concurrently, was a German edition using German actors in medium and close shots and footage of John Wayne and company in the long shots.
 Much less than the DVD this film deserves August 16, 2005
Donald Rogers (Seattle, WA United States)
39 out of 46 found this review helpful
This early talkie was one of the first attempts at an epic-scale Western. It stars the great John Wayne, fully nine years before his breakthrough role in Stagecoach. It was directed by the underrated Raoul Walsh, who memorably directed James Cagney's best dramatic performance, in White Heat. And it represents one of Hollywood's earliest attempts to make a film in a wide-screen format.
Most unfortunately, Fox has chosen to give this slice of Hollywood history a cheap, slapdash DVD release. There is no widescreen footage -- this disk contains the alternative 35mm, standard-dimensions version that played in most theaters in 1930. Not only that, but at 110 minutes, the DVD's running time is 10 minutes less than the version Fox occasionally broadcasts, 15 minutes less than the full running time of the 35mm version, and almost 50 minutes less than the widescreen "Fox Grandeur" version.
Who knows what all has been left out? Probably (I am speculating here) some treatment of Native Americans or horses that Fox thinks would make us squirm.
Here is one clear-cut case where a two-disc, 75th-anniversary "special edition" is really called for. Don't accept this cheap substitute.
STUNNING 1930 70MM WIDESCREEN EPIC TRANSFORMS 22 YEAR OLD DUKE MORRISON INTO "JOHN WAYNE" February 28, 2008
Robin Simmons (Palm Springs area, CA United States)
38 out of 41 found this review helpful
Finally a DVD transfer of the "Holy Grail" of early widescreen epics.
This 1930 film directed by Raoul Walsh was intended to make 22 year old Duke Morrison a star.
And indeed it did.
While John Wayne became a star, this striking ahead-of-its-time 70mm widescreen film was dismissed, forgotten and virtually lost. In the 1980s it was rediscovered and restored but previous DVD releases were only the alternate 4x3 format since most theaters at that time (early 30s) were unable to show a widescreen format properly. And most TVs were "square" as well.
Fox publicity says it accurately and simply: "In this sweeping pioneer adventure, a courageous young scout (Wayne) leads hundreds of settlers across treacherous cliffs, through brutal snowstorms, Indian attacks and buffalo stampedes to their destiny out West. Along the way, he loses his heart to a beautiful pioneer woman (Marguerite Churchill) and never stops trying to win her love. Tyrone Power co-stars in this visually spectacular epic."
Digitally restored and re-mastered from the original 70mm elements, an alternative full-frame edit is also included in the DVD package.
Extensive extras include:
* Wonderfully detailed commentary with film historian/author Richard Schickel on the 70mm widescreen presentation
* The Creation of John Wayne
* Raoul Walsh: A Man in His Time
* The Big Vision: The Grandeur Process
* The Making of The Big Trail
* Galleries
* Publicity
*Original Posters
*Pressbook Gallery
* Trailers
Not bad at all. It took a while, but Fox is treating this film like it deserves!
This film has been shown on TCM in its true aspect ratio. Every time I see it when channel surfing, I get sidetracked and stick around. The BW cinematography is beautiful and the story is engaging.
On a lot of levels, it was way ahead of its time in scope and ambition and visual sweep. It is certainly worth seeing not just as an anomaly of early filmmaking but for the pure entertainment value. Duke Morrison's performance is confident and charismatic and it is fun to see him become "John Wayne" in front of your eyes.
Highly recommended.
 where's the rest of it? June 20, 2003
John G. Harkness (Toronto, Ontario Canada)
32 out of 37 found this review helpful
Where's the widescreen version? And why, when it's officially listed as 125 minutes in the "flat" version is this DVD release 108 minutes?Shame on Fox.
The Big Rip Off! December 22, 2003
Daniel Brunn (California)
20 out of 27 found this review helpful
The release of this film does not rate even a one. I cannot believe after waiting all these years for this film to be released in widescreen and on DVD. The studio releases a cut version that's been formated. WHAT THE HELL!! The only people who would really be interested in seeing this film are film buffs who only want to see there films unformated. Have the home video people not learned there lessons yet with the Willy Wonka incident. WE WANT WIDESCREEN NOW!! The public demands it. Stop wasting our time and yours.
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