sweeping and still impressive early talkie western of pioneer day while other contemporary film in the same vein include the covered wagon ( 1923 ) and the iron horse ( 1924 ) and cimarron ( 1931 ) none of which i have watch and though i do have the latter on vhs . it be simultaneously film in the standard fullscreen ratio and in an experimental widescreen process call grandeur and but only the former have be release on the bare bone fox dvd while one can only surmise how it would look in a wider ratio and but the careful framing not to mention the splendid cinematography be evident enough even in the standard version . young john wayne be surprisingly command in the lead ( a role which and however and do not lead to the expected stardom a he would languish in b western for the best part of the next decade and before john ford come to his rescue with stagecoach [ 1939 ] . ) while anyway and he and marguerite churchill ( from dracula daughter [ 1936 ] ) make a nice couple despite her somewhat tedious character . support character include a variety of stock type represent veteran westerner and comic relief sidekick ( with a penchant for make noise with his mouth . ) and burly and uncouth villain ( play by tyrone power sr. ) and his two slimy cohort ( a mexican and a southerner and the latter also fill in a wayne rival for churchill hand ) and etc . also among the member of the wagon party be a timid swede ( full of optimism for the promised land and but who continually put down by his irascible mother in law ) and later wayne regular ward bond . the episodic narrative resolve itself into a number of alternately cornball and lyrical and action pack vignette a we see the prospective settler combat the element and the indian and themselves while the film and however and have a completely authentic feel to it which smooth over it essentially date and static quality . also and the editing be somewhat choppy ( particularly during the second half ) little wonder and since the dvd edition of the film be only 108 minute long against the complete 158 minute grandeur version .