Wagons East
Encyclopedia
Wagons East! is a 1994 Western
comedy film
directed by Peter Markle
and starring John Candy
and Richard Lewis
.
, 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 gunslinger
s 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
.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Peter Markle
Peter Markle
Peter Markle is an American TV and film director. He has worked on Everwood, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The X-Files as well as many other programs. He was director of the successful "Flight 93" in 2006 and he also directed the poorly-received comedy western film Wagons East!...
and starring John Candy
John Candy
John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
and Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis (comedian)
-Early life:Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. His father worked as a caterer and his mother was an actress. Lewis is Jewish. He later attended Ohio State University and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity....
.
Plot
After the 1860s Wild WestAmerican Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, a group of misfit settlers including ex-doctor Phil Taylor (Lewis), prostitute Belle (Ellen Greene
Ellen Greene
Ellen Greene is an American singer and actress. Greene has had a long and varied career as a singer, particularly in cabaret, as an actor and singer in numerous stage productions, particularly musical theatre, as well as having performed in many films – notably Little Shop of Horrors...
), and homosexual bookseller Julian (John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
) 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
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
. This leads to comedic exploits when the drunken wagon master leads them into Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
territory and they are pursued by the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. They also have to contend with hired gunslinger
Gunslinger
Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...
s 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
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
.
Production
On March 4, 1994, Candy died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in his sleep on location in the Mexican state of Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
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. 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.
Both the VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
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
Canadian Bacon (film)
Canadian Bacon is a 1995 comedy film which satirizes Canada – United States relations along the Canada – United States border written, directed and produced by Michael Moore, his only non-documentary feature...
, was released in 1995.
It was also the last film from Carolco Pictures
Carolco Pictures
Carolco Pictures, Inc., Carolco International N.V., or Anabasis Investments was an American independent film production company that, within a decade, went from producing such blockbuster successes as Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the first three movies of the Rambo series to being bankrupted by...
to be distributed by TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is an American film production/distribution studio and subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
. Carolco would switch their primary US distribution base to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(now owned by a partnership led by TriStar parent Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
), 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
StudioCanal
StudioCanal is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
. These rights are owned by Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
(successor to Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment Inc. was a privately held independent American movie studio until it was purchased by a Canadian studio, Lionsgate, in 2003. At the time of its acquisition, Artisan had a library of thousands of films developed through acquisition, original production, and production and...
, formerly Live Entertainment), the US video distributor for most Carolco films.
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 officeBox office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
disaster and reviews were universally negative, criticizing the acting, story and comedic material. Critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
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.