Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Sabah Hensley This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 21 September 1934 by Paramount Productions, Inc. New York opening at the Mayfair: 3 October 1934. U.S. release: 15 September 1934. U.K. release: 23 March 1935. 6 reels. 56 minutes. Alternative U.S. TV title: CARAVANS WEST.SYNOPSIS: Fur trappers stir up Indians to attack a wagon train headed for Oregon in 1844.NOTES: A re-make of Fighting Caravans (1931) which starred Gary Cooper as Clint Belmet, Fred Kohler as Murdock and Lily Damita as the heroine.Charles Barton's first film as full director.COMMENT: You would naturally expect William A. Wellman's close friend and longtime minor associate to model his first film after the master. But Hollywood is usually so unpredictable and illogical, it's actually a surprise to find this surmise actually happening. Barton never became a really class "A" director and his later films with the likes of Abbott & Costello and Donald O'Connor are just about as far away from Wellman territory as it's possible to get. But here he makes a reasonable attempt to follow Wellman's foot-steps with a slice of historical saga. Although the plot is different, notice how close in mood and structure and atmosphere this movie is not only to Wellman's Westward the Women (1951), but even more to Ford's Wagon Master (1950).It's said that this movie uses out-takes from Fighting Caravans, which is probably correct though the footage is so skillfully integrated and matched that most people will assume that a lot of money was spent on Wagon Wheels. It certainly looks mighty impressive. Not only ruggedly picturesque, but vividly, colorfully realistic. The action spots are vigorously staged, and though there is room for romance and sentiment, these elements are for the most part subordinated. With three exceptions, the approach is unvarnished and unglamorously realistic. The exceptions are a bit of amusing comic by-play between Jan Duggan's over-romantic spinster and Raymond Hatton's rough-hewn frontiersman, three or four rousing musical interludes (a device which certainly brings Wagon Master to mind), and some unfortunate but fortunately limited encounters between our hero and a typically Hollywood precocious ankle-biter, over-enthusiastically played by Billy Lee. The rest of the cast is much more agreeable, with Randolph Scott contributing his usual stalwartly ingratiating performance, Gail Patrick making a surprisingly spirited heroine, and solid character studies from the likes of Jan Duggan, Leila Bennett, Raymond Hatton, villainous Monte Blue, and Olin Howland doing more than justice to a major role. All told, Barton's direction has the necessary sweep and pace, whilst production values are by "B" standards outstandingly lavish.OTHER VIEWS: It seems a contradiction in terms to talk about a "B" epic, but that's exactly what this remarkable film is. In fact were it not for its short running time, Wagon Wheels could make every claim to being a class "A" feature - and no audience would argue the point. The scriptwriters have packed an astonishing amount of incident into 56 minutes, and yet seem to have found plenty of time and opportunity not only for lavish pictorial effects of the multi-wagon train stretching clear to the horizon but for rich characterizations and three or four appropriately realistic musical interludes as well... In fact the emphasis throughout is firmly on realism. The film conveys not only a vivid record of the rigors of the trek, but an unvarnished look at the pioneers themselves: heroes certainly, but with feelings and dreams, lusts and emotions strangely recognizable as akin to our own.

boblipton One of about twenty Zane Grey novels filmed by Paramount from 1930-1940, WAGON WHEELS is a remake of FIGHTING CARAVAN, a movie about the Oregon Trail. It's definitely a B movie, with its running time under an hour, plenty of library footage to give it some size, Charles Barton sitting in the director's chair for the first time and singing to eke it out -- Even Randolph Scott warbles a couple of lines of the title song.It's worth seeing for Scott in an early western. His first appearance in one had been a bit part in THE VIRGINIAN, but since his success in WILD HORSE MESA and THE THUNDERING HERD, Paramount had been giving him one or two oaters a year, in between the usual assortment of comedies, dramas and even lending him to other studios for musicals. He's solid here, opposite Gail Patrick, with some good support from Raymond Hatton as an old Mountain Man. However, it's still an okay B movie, even if he would do great things in the genre over the next three decades.

MartinHafer The print for this old western is only fair and unfortunately it does not have any sort of captioning---either closed captioning or DVD captions.I chose to watch this film because it starred Randolph Scott--and I never turn down a chance to see another one of his westerns. Compared to the average film in the genre, Scott's always seem a bit better--much of it due to Scott's seemingly effortless acting. Even here, early in his career, his gentle yet rugged persona is intact--and quite enjoyable in this rather short B-movie. Another reason, it turned out, to see it was young Billy Lee--one of the cutest child actors I can recall--and not in a cloying and saccharine manner.Not surprisingly considering the title, "Wagon Wheels" is about a wagon train that is heading to Oregon but must deal with the elements as well as American-Indians that are being stirred up by a jerky half-Indian (Murdock). Scott and his two very scruffy looking friends are in charge of getting these settlers to their destination.As for the story, it's very straight-forward---without a lot of the sentiment and clichés you'd normally find in a 30s B-movie. As a result, the film does seem a tad rushed but is otherwise pretty watchable.By the way, for historical purists out there, while the story is supposed to be set around 1850, the guns are clearly newer--with the settlers using what appear to be cartridges--which were not readily available at that time in history. Also, while popular in films, American-Indians did NOT make a habit of attacking wagon trains--in fact, it was a very, very rare occurrence.

bkoganbing In 1931 Paramount filmed Zane Grey's Fighting Caravans and turned it into an A picture western with Gary Cooper. It was the mentality of the studio bosses back then, why waste good stock footage. So a shorter version of this same story was done three years later with Randolph Scott playing the leading role of Clint Belmet.Having both versions, I could compare them side by side. Same footage involving the wagon train going west and of the Indian attack climax. Just juxtapose close-ups of the current cast and you got yourself another movie on the cheap.Since this version is only 56 minutes it was part of Paramount's B unit and played second on double bills.Like in the first Fighting Caravans, Wagon Wheels has one young scout and two old ones leading the wagon train west. Gail Patrick gets one of her first and only leads. Usually Patrick is cast as the other woman. Maybe her best know role was as Carole Lombard's sister in My Man Godfrey. Gary Cooper was an A list star, but Randolph Scott was on the way up and would get to not quite the top of the heap soon. He acquits himself well here.Great stuff for the Saturday matinée crowd.