The Iron Horse 1924-John Ford's epic-scale silent western

John Ford directed this epic-scale silent western, which was one of his first major successes and was hugely influential on outdoor films that followed. David Brandon (James Gordon) is a surveyor in the Old West who dreams that one day the entire North American continent will be linked by railroads. However, to make this dream a reality, a clear trail must be found through the Rocky Mountains. With his boy Davy (Winston Miller), David sets out to find such a path, but he's ambushed by a tribe of Indians led by a white savage, Peter Jesson (Cyril Chadwick); while the boy manages to escape, David is killed. Years later, the adult Davy Brandon (George O'Brien) still believes in his father's dream of a transcontinental railroad, and legislation signed by President Abraham Lincoln has made it an official mandate. Davy is hired on as a railroad surveyor by Thomas Marsh (Will R. Walling), the father of his childhood sweetheart Miriam (Madge Bellamy). While Davy hopes to win Miriam's heart as he helps to find the trail that led to his father's death years ago, he's disappointed to discover that Miriam is already married — and shocked to discover her husband is Peter Jesson, now working with the railroad as a civil engineer. As the Union Pacific crew presses on to their historic meeting at Promitory Point, Davy must find a way to earn Miriam's love and uncover Peter's murderous past. Shot on location in Arizona in Ford's beloved Monument Valley, The Iron Horse was a massive production that employed over 6,000 people; two temporary cities were built to accommodate them, with 100 cooks on hand to serve meals.

Cast:

Winston Miller - Davy (younger)

George O'Brien - Davy Brandon

Madge Bellamy - Miriam Marsh

Peggy Cartwright - Miriam (younger)

Charles Edward Bull - Abraham Lincoln

Cyril Chadwick - Peter Jesson

James Gordon - David Brandon, Sr.

Fred Kohler - Deroux

John Farrell MacDonald - Cpl. Casey

Gladys Hulette - Ruby

James Marcus - Judge Haller

Francis Powers - Sgt. Slattery

James Welch - Private Schultz

Colin Chase - Tony

Walter Browne Rogers - Gen. Dodge

John Padjan - Wild Bill Hickok

Charles O'Malley - Maj. North

Charles Newton - Collis P. Huntington

Delbert Mann - Charles Crocker

Frances Teague - Polka Dot

Stanhope Wheatcroft - John Hay

Chief John Big Tree - Cheyenne Chief

Danny Borzage

Judge Charles - Abraham Lincoln

Clark Gable ---------------------------------look who's here

John B. O'Brien - Dinny

Edward Peil Sr. - Old Chinaman

Chief White Spear - Sioux Chief

George Waggner - Buffalo Bill Cody

William Walling - Thomas Marsh



It's a long movie 150 minutes