J. Warren Kerrigan
Will Banion (hero)
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Synopsis
Two wagon trains join for the difficult journey from Kansas to Oregon. Rival scouts compete for leadership and for a young woman's affection while hunger, weather and conflict strain the settlers. News of gold in California threatens to divide the caravan, testing the authority of a guide whose own past remains under suspicion.
Cast
DirectorsJames Cruze
Inspirations
James Cruze adapted Emerson Hough's novel as a large-scale account of westward migration. The production helped establish the epic Western as a major studio attraction, while its settler-centred view treats Indigenous resistance through the conventions of the period.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- J. Warren Kerrigan — Albert Witzel · Public domain
- Lois Wilson — Edwin Bower Hesser (1893–1962) · Public domain
- Alan Hale Sr. — Unknown author · Public domain
- Ernest Torrence — Unknown author · Public domain
