Wagons East

Last updated

Wagons East
Wagons east.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Peter Markle
Written by Matthew Carlson
Produced by
  • Gary Goodman
  • Robert Newmyer
  • Barry Rosen
  • Jeffrey Silver
Starring
Cinematography Frank Tidy
Edited by Scott Conrad
Music by Michael Small
Production
company
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release date
  • August 26, 1994 (1994-08-26)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4.4 million

Wagons East (sometimes styled as Wagons East!) is a 1994 American Western adventure comedy film directed by Peter Markle, written by Matthew Carlson, and starring John Candy, Richard Lewis, John C. McGinley, Ellen Greene, Robert Picardo, Rodney A. Grant, and Ed Lauter. It tells the story of an alcoholic wagon master who leads a group of misfit settlers in the Wild West back to the East. The film was released in the United States on August 26, 1994. Filming took place in Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town of Sombrerete, Mexico, and in Durango, Mexico. [1]

Contents

During the final days of the film's production in Durango, Mexico, John Candy died of a heart attack at the age of 43. [2] Script re-writes, a stand-in and special effects were used to complete his remaining scenes, and it was released five months after his death. [3] The film marked Candy's penultimate performance with the film being dedicated in memory of him as well as the film being the last Carolco Pictures production to be distributed by TriStar Pictures.

The film was panned by critics with the rare 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film grossed $4.4 million at the box office.

Plot

In the 1860s Wild West, a group of misfit settlers, including ex-doctor Phil Taylor, prostitute Belle, and gay bookseller Julian Rogers, decide they cannot live in their current situation in the west, so they hire a grizzled alcoholic wagon master by the name of James Harlow to take them on a journey back to their hometowns in the East.

Comedic exploits ensue as the drunken wagon master lets his horse choose the correct fork in the road, leads them to a dried out watering hole, and eventually guides them into Sioux territory where they are captured. The Chief, however, is sympathetic to the idea of 'white men heading back east', and offers an escort off Sioux land. Meanwhile, they must also contend with (inept) hired gunslingers who have been sent by railroad magnates to stop the journey, as they fear the bad publicity it could create for the settlers about to commence a 'land rush' into the west.

Harlow's secret, that he had been wagon master for the infamous Donner Party, eventually comes out, and the group confront Harlow about his past; he chooses to walk away from the group and they proceed on their own. As he resumes his drinking at the closest tavern, he overhears that the cavalry will be confronting the group the following day, and intends to wipe them out, as directed by the head of the railroad company. As the cavalry arrives the next day and the group "square their wagons", Harlow rides in to the rescue and 'calls out' the cavalry leader to single combat.

After a drawn out and comical fight scene, Harlow is victorious, and the group celebrates. Harlow and Belle decide to pursue a relationship, Julian departs for somewhere "even further west" (San Francisco), and the group rides toward the now visible St. Louis to finish the journey.

Cast

Production

John Candy was contractually mandated to make this film due to his existing contract with Carolco Pictures from their scrapped John Hughes film Bartholomew v. Neff, which Candy was to star in with Sylvester Stallone. Despite his misgivings about the script and due to the fact that he owed more than $1 million due to his stake as a minority owner with the Toronto Argonauts football team, Candy agreed to make Wagons East in Durango, Mexico. [4]

However on the evening of March 3, 1994, after finishing the day’s shooting, an exhausted Candy went back to his hotel room to sleep. He died of a heart attack in his sleep the following day March 4, 1994. Following Candy's death, Carolco received an insurance payout of $15.3 million. [5] The film was completed by using CGI, a body double, and script rewrites to finish Candy’s remaining scenes.

Candy was set to leave the morning he was found dead, and the first two people informed were costars Richard Lewis and Robert Picardo, who had come to his trailer to see him off. Those who found him informed the rest of the cast and crew because according to People Magazine , Lewis and Picardo both broke down crying outside Candy's trailer.

Reception

The film was released five months after Candy's death [6] [7] and was a box-office bomb. [8] On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with 30 reviews, the film has a rare approval rating of 0%  –meaning no favorable reviews whatsoever –receiving an average rating of 2.9/10. The site's consensus describes the film as "a witless, toothless satire of Westerns that falls far below the standard set by Blazing Saddles , and is notable only for being John Candy's final screen performance." [9]

Film critic Roger Ebert, who called the film "a sad way to end John Candy's career", stated that his legacy was already permanent and would survive this film. [10] In the book The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies, Wagons East! is listed at number one on its list of The Ten Worst Westerns. [11]

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C−" on an A+ to F scale. [12]

Year-end lists

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Cutthroat Island</i> 1995 film directed by Renny Harlin

Cutthroat Island is a 1995 adventure swashbuckler film directed by Renny Harlin and written by Robert King and Marc Norman from a story by Michael Frost Beckner, James Gorman, Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon. It stars Geena Davis, Matthew Modine and Frank Langella. It is a co-production between the United States, France, Germany and Italy.

<i>Cliffhanger</i> (film) 1993 American film

Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action thriller film directed and co-produced by Renny Harlin and co-written by and starring Sylvester Stallone alongside John Lithgow, Michael Rooker and Janine Turner. Based on a concept by climber John Long, the film follows Gabe (Stallone), a mountain climber who becomes embroiled in a heist of a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains. The film premiered at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the United States on May 28, 1993, by TriStar Pictures. It received positive reviews and earned $255 million worldwide, becoming the 7th highest-grossing film of 1993.

<i>Caveman</i> (film) 1981 film by Carl Gottlieb

Caveman is a 1981 slapstick comedy film written and directed by Carl Gottlieb and starring Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long and Barbara Bach. The film is set in prehistoric times and revolves around the rivalries between cavemen.

<i>Revenge</i> (1990 film) 1990 American-Mexican co-production crime-drama-thriller directed by Tony Scott

Revenge is a 1990 American romantic thriller film directed by Tony Scott and starring Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe, Miguel Ferrer and Sally Kirkland. Some scenes were filmed in Mexico. The film is a production of New World Pictures and Rastar Films and was released by Columbia Pictures. Revenge also features one of John Leguizamo's earliest film roles. The film is based on a novella written by Jim Harrison, published in Esquire magazine in 1979. Harrison co-wrote the script for the film.

<i>Vanya on 42nd Street</i> 1994 film

Vanya on 42nd Street is a 1994 American film directed by Louis Malle, written by Andre Gregory, and starring Wallace Shawn and Julianne Moore. The film is an intimate, interpretive performance of the 1899 play Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov as adapted by David Mamet.

<i>Jimmy Hollywood</i> 1994 American film

Jimmy Hollywood is a 1994 American comedy film written and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Joe Pesci and Christian Slater. It was released on April 1, 1994, and was a box office bomb, grossing just $3 million against its $30 million budget.

<i>Richie Rich</i> (film) 1994 American film

Richie Rich is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Donald Petrie and based on the comic character of the same name created by Alfred Harvey and Warren Kremer. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. under their Warner Bros. Family Entertainment label. The film stars Macaulay Culkin, John Larroquette, Edward Herrmann, Jonathan Hyde, and Christine Ebersole, while Reggie Jackson, Claudia Schiffer, and Ben Stein appear in cameo roles. Culkin's younger brother, Rory Culkin, played the part of Young Richie Rich. In theaters, the film was shown with a Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoon called Chariots of Fur, and was followed by the 1998 direct-to-video sequel Richie Rich's Christmas Wish.

<i>Bandidas</i> 2006 Western action comedy film

Bandidas is a 2006 Western action comedy film starring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and produced and written by Luc Besson. It tells the tale of two very different women in late-19th-century Mexico who become a bank robbing duo in an effort to combat a ruthless enforcer terrorizing their town.

<i>Milk Money</i> (film) 1994 American film

Milk Money is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Melanie Griffith and Ed Harris. The film is about three suburban 11-year-old boys who find themselves behind in "the battle of the sexes," believing they would regain the upper hand if they could just see a real, live naked lady.

<i>The Cowboy Way</i> (film) 1994 American film

The Cowboy Way is a 1994 American action comedy western film directed by Gregg Champion and starring Woody Harrelson and Kiefer Sutherland.

<i>Mixed Nuts</i> 1994 American film

Mixed Nuts is a 1994 Christmas dark comedy film directed by Nora Ephron, based on the 1982 French comedy film Le Père Noël est une ordure. Co-written by Ephron and her sister Delia, the film features an ensemble cast which includes Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Rita Wilson, Anthony LaPaglia, Garry Shandling, Rob Reiner, Juliette Lewis, Adam Sandler, and Liev Schreiber in his film debut.

The War Wagon is a 1967 American Western heist film directed by Burt Kennedy and starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. Released by Universal Pictures, it was produced by Marvin Schwartz and adapted by Clair Huffaker from his own novel. The supporting cast includes Howard Keel, Robert Walker Jr., Keenan Wynn, Bruce Cabot, Joanna Barnes, Valora Noland, Bruce Dern, and Gene Evans. The film received generally positive reviews.

<i>Exit to Eden</i> (film) 1994 film by Garry Marshall

Exit to Eden is a 1994 American comedy thriller film directed by Garry Marshall and adapted to the screen by Deborah Amelon and Bob Brunner from Anne Rice's novel of the same name. The original music score was composed by Patrick Doyle.

<i>Trapped in Paradise</i> 1994 American film

Trapped in Paradise is a 1994 American Christmas-themed crime comedy film written and directed by George Gallo and starring Nicolas Cage, Jon Lovitz, and Dana Carvey.

<i>The Train Robbers</i> 1973 film by Burt Kennedy

The Train Robbers is a 1973 American Western film written and directed by Burt Kennedy and starring John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson, and Ricardo Montalbán. Filming took place in Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town of Sombrerete, Mexico. Two brief scenes take place in the square that was used for the final shootout in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

<i>My Father the Hero</i> (1994 film) 1994 French film

My Father the Hero is a 1994 French-American comedy-drama directed by Steve Miner and starring Gérard Depardieu and Katherine Heigl. It is an English-language remake of the 1991 French film Mon père, ce héros, which also starred Depardieu in a similar role.

<i>For Greater Glory</i> 2012 Mexican film

For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada, also known as Cristiada and as Outlaws, is a 2012 epic historical war drama film directed by Dean Wright and written by Michael Love, based on the events of the Cristero War. It stars Andy García, Eva Longoria, Oscar Isaac, Rubén Blades, Peter O'Toole, and Bruce Greenwood. The film is the directorial debut for Wright, a veteran visual effects supervisor on films including The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003), and was released on June 1, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra de Órganos National Park</span> National park in Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico

Sierra de Órganos National Park is a national park in Mexico, located in the northwest corner of the municipality of Sombrerete in the state of Zacatecas, near the border with Durango. The park is known for its diverse aridland ecosystem and towering rock formations of the Sierra Madre Occidental, which are reminiscent of organ pipe cacti or the pipes of the musical instrument, from which the park takes its name.

<i>Dice Rules</i> (film) 1991 comedy film

Dice Rules is a 1991 American stand-up comedy film starring Andrew Dice Clay and directed by Jay Dubin. This was the first film to get an NC-17 for language alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Filming Location Matching "Sierra de Organos, Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  2. ↑ Phil Reeves (March 5, 1994). "Actor John Candy dies in Mexico". The Independent . Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  3. ↑ "The Daily Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  4. ↑ Crane, Robert, (2017). Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder
  5. ↑ Peers, Martin; Weiner, Rex (April 24, 1995). "Carolco at end of its plank". Variety . p. 9.
  6. ↑ Holden, Stephen (August 26, 1994). "Wagons East (1994) FILM REVIEW; Starring John Candy and Various Crude Jokes". New York Times .
  7. ↑ Willman, Chris (August 26, 1994). "MOVIE REVIEW: 'Wagons East!'-Candy's Final Film-Just Pokes Along - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times .
  8. ↑ Bates, James (September 22, 2008). "COMPANY TOWN : SEC Filings Show Carolco Has Little to Sing About : Movies: The company expects to lose money this year and next, despite a major financial reorganization negotiated last year". Los Angeles Times.
  9. ↑ "Wagons East! (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  10. ↑ Ebert, Roger (August 26, 1994). "Wagons East!". RogerEbert.com.
  11. ↑ Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini. The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies Morgan James Publishing, 2012. ISBN   1614482225.
  12. ↑ "CinemaScore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  13. ↑ Denerstein, Robert (January 1, 1995). "Perhaps It Was Best to Simply Fade to Black". Rocky Mountain News (Final ed.). p. 61A.
  14. ↑ Mills, Michael (December 30, 1994). "It's a Fact: 'Pulp Fiction' Year's Best". The Palm Beach Post (Final ed.). p. 7.
  15. ↑ Ross, Bob (December 30, 1994). "Versed in the worst". The Tampa Tribune (Final ed.). p. 18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.