Wagons East!
| Wagons East! | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Peter Markle |
| Produced by | Gary M. Goodman Robert F. Newmyer Barry Rosen Jeffrey Silver |
| Written by | Matthew Carlson |
| Starring | John Candy Richard Lewis John C. McGinley Ellen Greene Russell Means Robert Picardo Ed Lauter Rodney A. Grant Charles Rocket |
| Music by | Michael Small |
| Cinematography | Frank Tidy |
| Editing by | Scott Conrad |
| Studio | TriStar Pictures Carolco Pictures |
| Distributed by | Live Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | August 26, 1994 |
| Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Wagons East! is a 1994 Western comedy film directed by Peter Markle and starring John Candy and Richard Lewis.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
After the 1860s Wild West, a group of misfit settlers including ex-doctor Phil Taylor (Lewis), prostitute Belle (Ellen Greene), and homosexual bookseller Julian (John C. McGinley) 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 (Candy) to take them on a journey back to their hometowns in the East. This leads to comedic exploits when the drunken wagon master leads them into Sioux territory and they are pursued by the cavalry. They also have to contend with hired gunslingers who have been sent by railroad magnates to stop the journey in fear of bad publicity of the west, and their discovery that Harlow had been part of the infamous Donner Party.
[edit] Production
On March 4, 1994, Candy died of a heart attack in his sleep on location in the Mexican state of Durango after the day's shooting for this film had finished. The film makers claim he had completed all his scenes for the film at the time of his death but this claim is disputed by critics and audiences.
Some sources state that Candy died before he had completed his remaining scenes and he was either replaced by a stunt double or his remaining scenes were re-written not to involve him.[1] At least one scene, of Candy in a bar emptying a liquor bottle, was re-used later on in the film with the background altered.[2]
Both the VHS and DVD boxes read: "This motion picture is dedicated to the memory of John Candy".
This was the last film Candy was shooting before his death but not the last film he appeared in to be released. His last film, Canadian Bacon, was released in 1995.
It was also the last film from Carolco Pictures to be distributed by TriStar Pictures. Carolco would switch their primary US distribution base to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (now owned by a partnership led by TriStar parent Sony), which would distribute three of Carolco's last four films. Additionally, this is one of the only Carolco films whose ancillary rights are not held by successor company StudioCanal. These rights are owned by Lions Gate Entertainment (successor to Artisan Entertainment, formerly Live Entertainment), the US video distributor for most Carolco films.
[edit] Reception
The film was released five months after Candy's death and was widely panned by critics and audiences alike. Despite being Candy's posthumous release, it was a box office disaster and reviews were universally negative, criticizing the acting, story and comedic material. Critic Roger Ebert also notably called the film "a sad way to end John Candy's career," but stated that his legacy was already permanent, and would survive this film.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ IMDB, trivia for Wagons East at IMDB.com; last accessed December 24, 2006.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F99n9SydtM
- ^ Review of Wagons East at Roger Ebert.com; last accessed February 27, 2007.
[edit] External links
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