John Ford’s WAGON MASTER Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive

Great news for fans of director John Ford. His 1950 classic WAGON MASTER is now available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive

The rivers are wide and rapid. The desert is vast and unforgiving. And when the trail turns craggy, men use pickaxes to dig grooves for the wagon wheels. Mother Nature can be overcome, but human nature remains deadly and unpredictable: Outlaws are using the Mormon wagon train as a hideout from a pursuing posse. John Ford’s WAGON MASTER is one of the legendary filmmaker’s personal favorites, a visually stirring celebration of Western will and cooperation set to the soundtrack crooning of the Sons of the Pioneers. Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Ward Bond (who would later lead TV’s Wagon Train) and other familiar Ford stock company players take the reins in this glorious paean to the pioneer spirit. “Wagons west!”

Master director John Ford assembles most of his ever-reliable ensemble sans headlining stars for this character driven drama in which a pair of laconic horse traders lead a group of Mormon pioneers across the wilds of the American West. Under the leadership of gruff Elder Wiggs (Ward Bond), a group of Mormon’s employ Travis Blue (Ben Johnson) and Sandy Owens (Harry Carey, Jr.) to guide them to a new home after getting ejected from Crystal City. As a true community begins to emerge on their trek, they encounter their opposite number in the murderous and criminal Clegg family. A personal favorite of Ford’s, this often-overlooked masterwork is a perfect summation of Ford’s cinematic legerdemain – a tribute to both the American ethos, the glories of Moab and the simple pleasure of hanging out with interesting characters. Now, Wagon Master’s quiet majesty is revealed like never before in this glorious 1080p HD presentation. Special Feature: Commentary by Harry Carey, Jr. and Peter Bogdanovich with archival contributions by John Ford.