deacon_blues-3
A chaotic romp through the old west near the end of the 19th Century. The mining town of Denver faces the potentially worst winter on record without whiskey! So they pool their finances into one gigantic order of 40 wagons of whiskey from grouchy old "good republican" Frank Wallingham (Brian Keith). Wallingham worries about Indian attacks, so he insists on a US Cavalry escort from Fort Russell, commanded by Colonel Thaddeus Gearhart (Burt Lancaster). Fort Russell has just been invaded by a temperance movement led by Cora Tempelton Massingale (Lee Remick), who is determined to prevent the whiskey from reaching the poor misguided fools in Denver. Meanwhile, the reservation Indians headed by Chief Five Barrels (Robert Wilke) and Chief Walks-stooped-over (Martin Landau) intend to attack the wagon train and appropriate 20 wagons of whiskey for their own refreshment either by force or, failing that, by presenting their newly-awarded US citizenship papers and claiming that they will return to the reservation if they are given a gift of 20 wagons of whiskey. To complicate matters further, the Denver miners, warned in a vision by their whiskey- inspired prophet, Oracle Jones (Donald Pleasence) that their whiskey shipment is in grave peril, form a militia and march forth to meet the wagons and escort them back to Denver. Lee Remick is a vision of womanly beauty as always. Lancaster is his turbulent comical best. Pleasance as you've never seen him before as the thin, wiry, coon-skin mountaineer Oracle Jones. With an awesome musical score by Elmer Bernstein, this film is a real nostalgic treat!
Kenny Baran
I found this little gem at a local video retailer having never heard of it before. I read the DVD cover and with the cast listing I was intrigued. On my first viewing of this film I fell in love with it and have now watched it about a dozen times. I love the concept of a Colorado town sending for liquor to help stave off the effects of what is predicted to be a hard winter. Many of the characters in this movie are funny in their own right but add them all together and you get a movie well worth your time. Sadly many of the actors are no longer with us, Donald Pleasance, Burt Lancaster and Lee Remick to name a few but they all appeared to be having a blast in this film. If you are not a fan of westerns you might like the comedy element which pokes some fun at some western clichés. I'll not give away any "spoilers" but will tell you the basic plot is the wagon train of whiskey and its trip back to Denver. Mix in ladies of the temperance movement, a tribe of native Americans looking for some fire water, the US Cavalry charged with escorting the women and whiskey to Denver as well as a local profiteer, played by Brian Keith and finally a town militia and you have the recipe for comedy. The DVD I purchased is an excellent release of this film complete with 5.1 surround sound and Elmer Bernstein's excellent musical score including entrance music, intermission and exit music and you have a fun filled viewing of a classic comedy western.
Erik Sandvold
If your a person who admires great Western movies, you'll have to see this great Western Comedy classic for yourself. A wonderful cast of actors and actresses and an excellent musical score make up the main ingredients for this 100 Proof Spoof!! Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Brian Keith, Donald Pleasence, John Anderson, Pamela Tiffin, Dub Taylor, Jim Hutton, Martin Landau, Robert J. Wilke, and John Dehner as the Narrator. I must also comment an the rare performance by Donald Pleasence as "Oracle Jones", this was a rather unusual but rather well played role by Pleasence, with his hilariously whiskey soaked visions and high spirits have all the makings of a great comic relief of sorts. Brian Keith also gave a great performance as "Frank Wallingham" with his serious approach as a "Taxpayer and Good Republican Scheeme", the freight owner and whiskey man is reluctantly overturned by many misfits and misfortunes later in the show by Women's Sufferage and the Sioux Indians, Keith is left "sinking" literally to only regain total drunkenness! Last but not least, a totally underrated credit goes to John Dehner, who does a superb role as the narrator in this comedical Western, an unmistakable voice with great quality and clarity. This Movie is well worth owning in your Westerns Collection.
silverscreen888
I have always opined that "The Hallelujah Trail was well-directed and also one of the most hilarious situations ever set onto film. Bill Gulick's novel "The Hallelujah Train" was adapted to the screen by John Gay, and the film produced and directed by John Sturges. What emerges is perhaps the 'biggest-feeling' western comedy ever made, one that is even better seen in a large theater, where the pace allows time for the viewers' laughs that, by my personal experience, were sure to come. Apart from this small curiosity of telegraphing its best punch lines, the film is consistent, a triumph of logic and intelligent film-making from beginning to end for two reasons, I claim: namely that everything in it works as intended; and that its logic is all aimed at a single plot-theme--the corrupting or dislocating of the life of everyone within reach of its influence by the introduction of a large wagon-load of whiskey into the lives primitive U.S. Westerners. It is this spectre on the horizon which embroils many of Denver's miners, the region's Amerinds, a large ladies' temperance group, the Irish teamsters, and a number of citizens in the backwash of its passage. The storyline, narrated memorably by John Dehner, follows the effect of Frank Wallingham's decision to dispatch the train west on speculation in the hopes of realizing a large profit.. The story of the train is carried in newspapers; and one Cora Templeton Massengale decides to enlist wild-eyed pseudo-religious females in her crusade against its coming. A Denver miners' group, facing what looks to be an unprecedentedly-long, cold winter and having run out of alcohol, consult one Oracle Jones who advises them with manic and visionary force to "Go save that previous booze!". The Irish teamsters, denied a whiskey ration on a cargo full of whiskey, disrupt the train; and cavalry Colonel Gearhart and his men are then compelled to carry out their assignment to protect the train for Wallingham, who annoyingly keeps insisting he's "a taxpayer and a good Republican", whatever their feelings in the matter. The Indians settle the question of which tribe will make reconnaissance in comedic fashion--when one chief bonks the other over the head with a tomahawk during discussions; then they too join the hunt for "firewater". Obviously, a large collision was imminent by this point; and when Mrs. Massengale's protest to famous editor Horace Greeley about the possible harmful effect of the cargo falls on deaf ears, some collision becomes inevitable. The progress of the train, into a sandstorm on Whiskey Flats, causes all forces to meet and fire at one another and become hopelessly confused during a tremendous battle--within which not one person is hit by any bullets nor suffers permanent damage... As a result of this battle, the Colonel sends a patrol to try to reason with the Indians, who feign friendship, capture the patrol, and announce as the Colonel's interpreter notes, "Chief he say--"no more peace"".. The ladies who have been sent to take over the whiskey wagons by Mrs. Massengale also are captured, of course. So Colonel Gearhart has no choice but to bargain for the release of the women in return for a number of wagon-loads of whiskey, and champagne.. The exchange, one wagon at a time being driven off in trade for released hostages, becomes a disaster as the champagne corks begin to pop, the horse-teams driven by inexperienced Indians bolt and run at breakneck speed into Quicksand Bottoms, and finally--again with no loss of life-- the entire train stampedes and is engulfed in the vast zone of ooze, sinking slowly and irretrievably out of sight. By this time, the Colonel has fallen in love with Cora, his Lieutenant has won his daughter, who had joined the marchers, the Denver miners have turned to go home, the Irish teamsters are out of a job, the badly-shaken Indians trudge home sadder but wiser, and only Oracle Jones and Wallingham are left to regain such wagons as from time to time rise from the Bottoms' muck, to stirring musical accompaniment, providing enough for personal consumption but not much more. And despite all predictions, the winter turns out to be one of the warmest and driest on record. The film's music provided by Elmer Bernstein is positive and memorable, as always; cinematography by Robert Surtees, art direction by Cary Odell and costumes by Edith Head are outstanding and Award-level in quality.. The acting by Burt Lancaster as the Colonel, Lee Remick as Cora, Jim Hutton and Pamela Tiffin as the young lovers and Martin Landau as Walks Stoops Over is very good indeed. Others in the cast who shone included Brian Keith as Frank Wallingham, Donald Pleasence who is Award caliber as Oracle Jones, Whit Bissell as Editor Hobbs , Helen Kleeb as a temperance group officer, John Anderson as the Colonel's second, Robert J. Wilkie as Chief Five Barrels and Noam Pitlik as Gearhart's interpreter. Major Western comedies have always been few and far between, especially so satirically intelligent a script as this one; The dialogue here is among the funniest of which I have knowledge, the photograph is lucid and consistent; and the large budget also allows the skilled director to drain every drop of humor from the situation that can be gained. This is a comedy I suggest may be worth watching far more than once, a classic of its sort.
