''The Iron Horse'' is a 1924 American silent

epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

Western film The Western is a film genre defined by the American Film Institute as films which are "set in the American West that mbodythe spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the new frontier." Generally set in the American frontier between the Calif ...

directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

and produced by

Fox Film The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox. It was the corporate successor to his earlier Greater Ne ...

. It was the studio's hastily planned response to the success of

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

' ''

The Covered Wagon ''The Covered Wagon'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent Epic film, epic Western film released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Cruze based on a 1922 novel of the same name by Emerson Hough about a group of pioneers tr ...

''. The studio gave Ford his first major budget, which he exceeded. The gamble paid off, and ''The Iron Horse'' was an enormous success. The film marked the beginning of Ford's strong association with Westerns. In 2011, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

and selected for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...

. It is now in

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

Plot

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

David Brandon daydreams about a transcontinental railroad. He is mocked by railroad owner Thomas Marsh. A young

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

visits the men, and Brandon confirms his plan to head west with his son Davy. Marsh's daughter Miriam bids a lovelorn goodbye to Davy. The Brandons survive the cold and wilderness for three months until they are attacked in the Cheyenne Hills. Davy manages to hide but witnesses his father's murder by a two-fingered white man posing as

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

. He takes refuge with American frontiersmen. In 1862, Congress authorizes construction of two railways: the westbound

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

and eastbound Central Pacific. Before signing the

Pacific Railroad Acts The Pacific Railroad Acts of 1862 were a series of acts of Congress that promoted the construction of a "transcontinental railroad" (the Pacific Railroad) in the United States through authorizing the issuance of government bonds and the grants ...

, President Lincoln asks Miriam about Davy's fate. Miriam is unaware, but introduces her fiancé Peter Jesson. Chinese immigrants are imported to build the

first transcontinental railroad America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the "Overland Route (Union Pacific Railroad), Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line built between 1863 and 1869 that connected the exis ...

. After the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, veterans of the Union and

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

armies also work on the Union Pacific railway which has now reached North Platte. William F. Cody (

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend at the young age ...

) provides buffalo meat to the railroad workers. The Cheyenne attack a payroll and supply train. It prompts Thomas Marsh to seek a shorter route through the

Black Hills The Black Hills is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk Peak, which rises to , is the range's highest summit. The name of the range ...

than the one along the Smoky River. Most of the land on the intended route is owned by Deroux who learns of Marsh's desire for a shortcut. The frustrated workers are freezing and now being asked to work without pay. On her father's behalf, Miriam implores them to keep working. Jesson is put in charge of charting the shortcut. Meanwhile, Miriam reunites with Davy Brandon. She asks him if there is a shorter route available. He remembers one his father mapped and goes with Jesson to survey it. When they come to a canyon, Jesson cuts a rope holding Davy. He alerts Marsh that Davy is dead, unaware that he survived the fall. Miriam is bereft. Jesson appoints three former soldiers to supervise the completion of the railroad: Sergeant Slattery, Corporal Casey, and Private Mackay. Upon Davy's return, he is shocked to see the tracks still pointing towards the Smoky River. Miriam is relieved he is alive, but Davy is irate that Jesson lied about the shortcut. They scuffle with each other. Deroux warns Jesson that he needs to get Davy out of the way. He gathers his gang to help Jesson. Meanwhile, Miriam begs Davy to steer clear of Jesson. She confesses her love for Davy. Jesson tries to shoot Davy in the saloon and a brawl ensues. Davy explains to Miriam how he tried to make peace with Jesson, but she refuses to forgive him. Deroux enlists the Cheyenne to attack the railroad to prevent it from using Davy's shortcut. During their ambush, Davy fires up the engine and drives it back to town for help. Miriam joins the volunteers who ride back to the battle. The

Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language: * Pawnee people * Pawnee language Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States: * Pawnee, Illinois * Pawnee, Kansas * Pawnee, Missouri * Pawnee City, Nebraska * ...

serve as their cavalry. During the fighting, the two-fingered renegade is confronted by Davy who recognizes him as Deroux. He kills him and avenges his father's death. On May 10, 1869 at

Promontory Summit Promontory is an area of high ground in Box Elder County, Utah, United States, 32 mi (51 km) west of Brigham City and 66 mi (106 km) northwest of Salt Lake City. Rising to an elevation of 4,902 feet (1,494 m) above s ...

, the

golden spike The golden spike (also known as the last spike) is the ceremonial 17.6-Carat (purity), karat gold final Rail spike, spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States connecting t ...

is driven to join the Union and Central lines to complete the transcontinental railroad. Davy and Miriam reconcile and marry.

Cast

Production

William Fox gave John Ford $450,000 to create a picture that would rival Paramount's ''The Covered Wagon'', which had earned millions in 1923. Since it was shot on location, Fox sent Ford to shoot in

Wadsworth, Nevada Wadsworth is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada. The population was 834 at the time of the 2010 census. It is part of the Reno– Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area and located entirely within the Pyramid Lake India ...

. Sol Wurtzel solved the town's lack of hotels by renting sleeper cars from Al G. Barnes Circus. The cast and crew of 200 left Los Angeles on New Year's Eve 1923.Davis, Ronald L. ''John Ford: Hollywood's Old Master''.

University of Oklahoma Press The University of Oklahoma Press (OU Press) is the publishing arm of the University of Oklahoma. Founded in 1929 by the fifth president of the University of Oklahoma, William Bennett Bizzell, it was the first university press to be established ...

, 2014. 52–8. Most of the Californians were underdressed for temperatures that were below zero and they took to wearing their costumes to stay warm. Barnes' cars were flea-ridden. The result was an impromptu Camp Ford where people slept in tents and the movie sets. The cast was a broad mix of ethnicities, including Chinese men who had worked as

coolies Coolie (also spelled koelie, kouli, khuli, khulie, kuli, cooli, cooly, or quli) is a pejorative term used for low-wage labourers, typically those of Indian or Chinese descent. The word ''coolie'' was first used in the 16th century by Europ ...

building the Central Pacific. Members of

Paiute Paiute (; also Piute) refers to three non-contiguous groups of Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, these three languages do not form a single subgroup and th ...

, and

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

tribes played Native Americans in the film. They would also stand in as Chinese and vice versa. Ford was injured while filming the buffalo stampede. He was positioned in a plank-covered trench when some animals ran over his location. Wurtzel was so encouraged by the rushes that he urged Ford to continue. Ford's older brother Eddie worked as his assistant and ran interference with the studio. Their uncle had laid track for the Union Pacific, and when the difficult shoot wrapped, Ford felt they had experienced something similar. The film accurately depicts a notable episode during the construction of the Central Pacific route when supply trains had to be hauled overland. Central Pacific loaned Ford its engine No. 3, " C.P. Huntington". 50 horses were hitched to the front of the locomotive while dozens of men pushed from the back. The production also relied on a hidden wires attached to another train to inch the C.P. Huntington along on a sled in the scene. C.P. Huntington was also displayed to promote the West Coast premiere of ''The Iron Horse''.West Coast Showing of Fox's 'Iron Horse' a Brilliant Affair
, ''

The Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. ...

'', Volume 73, No. 2. March 14, 1925. 183. The title card before the golden spike ceremony includes a note: ''The locomotives shown in the scene are the original Jupiter and #116''. The actual trains ( Union Pacific No. 119 and

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

) were scrapped in the 1900s. The finished print ran for 12 reels and 11,355 feet.Bennett, Carl.
The Iron Horse
, ''Progressive Silent Film List''. Accessed March 1, 2008.

Distribution

''The Iron Horse'' opened at

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, also known as Egyptian Hollywood and the Egyptian, is a historic movie theater located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

on August 24, 1924. ''The Iron Horse'' was promoted heavily in New York City. Skywriters were employed to display the name in giant letters above the skyline.

Ernö Rapée Ernö Rapée (or Erno Rapee) (4 June 1891 – 26 June 1945) was a Hungarian-born American symphonic conductor in the first half of the 20th century whose prolific career spanned both classical and popular music. His most famous tenure was as the h ...

composed an orchestral score for the film which was played during its run at the Lyric Theatre.

Reception

In the '' Daily News'', Mabel McElliott praised the film and said it came off well in comparison with ''

''. She did find Rapée's score overwhelming and "hard on the ears". The '' Los Angeles Express'' raved, "Nothing more truly dramatic than 'The Iron Horse'...has been put together for the screen".

Home media

The film was released on DVD in America in its full-length US version (accompanied by the truncated UK version). A 2011 release of ''The Iron Horse'' on DVD in the UK included both the US and International/UK versions of the picture, and a half-hour video-essay about the film by author and critic Tag Gallagher. The international version includes some variant shots and uses different names for some supporting characters; it also carries a dedication to the British railway engineer

George Stephenson George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and Mechanical engineering, mechanical engineer during the Industrial Revolution. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victoria ...

Novelization

In the early 1920s,

Grosset and Dunlap Grosset & Dunlap is a New York City-based publishing house founded in 1898. The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of Penguin Random House through its subsidiary Penguin Group. In recent years, through the P ...

started publishing novelizations of major Hollywood films. Journalist Edwin C. Hill adapted ''The Iron Horse'' into a novel in 1924. Hill would become a prominent radio broadcaster best remembered for ''The Human Side of the News''.

Legacy

Ford's upward angle as the locomotive advances over the camera in ''The Iron Horse'' became essential visual grammar for Westerns. It is reused in

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone ( ; ; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Leone's film-making style ...

's 1968

spaghetti western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

Once Upon a Time in the West ''Once Upon a Time in the West'' ( is a 1968 epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, who co-wrote it with Sergio Donati, based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci and Leone. It stars Henry Fonda, playing against t ...

''. Ford's shot of the railroad slowly advancing on the workers laying its track is also quoted by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

in ''

'' (1939) as well as Leone.Frayling, Christopher.
Sergio Leone: Once Upon a Time in Italy
'. Thames & Hudson, 2008. 59, 63. In December 2011, ''The Iron Horse'' was selected for inclusion in the

. In choosing the film, the Registry said that ''The Iron Horse'' "introduced to American and world audiences a reverential, elegiac mythology that has influenced many subsequent Westerns." The film's importance was recognized by the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

in the 2008

AFI's 10 Top 10 AFI's 10 Top 10 honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute (AFI), the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008. In the special, various actors ...

, where it was nominated in the Western category.

References

External links

Iron Horse'' essay by David Kiehn
on the National Film Registry website *
''The Iron Horse'' at AllMovie
* * *

at acinemahistory.com
''The Iron Horse''
on Amazon Prime Video {{DEFAULTSORT:Iron Horse (film), The 1924 films 1924 Western (genre) films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Articles containing video clips English-language Western (genre) films Films directed by John Ford Films produced by William Fox Films scored by Ernö Rapée Films set in 1869 Films set in Utah Films with screenplays by John Russell (screenwriter) First transcontinental railroad Fox Film films Rail transport films Silent American Western (genre) films Surviving American silent films United States National Film Registry films Cheyenne in popular culture Pawnee in popular culture