The Covered Wagon

Shot with enormous attention to detail, this pioneering saga tells the story of two treks that set off for the Golden West around 1850 and are exposed to capricious weather, Indian attacks and, above all, jealousies between two men with a claim to leadership. Dorothy Arzner is not only responsible for the editing, but is also Cruze's right-hand woman on set - which she uses as a springboard for her own career as the first female director in Hollywood. Lead actress Lois Wilson remembers: "Shooting the film was an adventure! We were freezing, but the film wouldn't have turned out so well if we hadn't constantly had to deal with new adversities." THE COVERED WAGON was one of the most successful productions of 1923; even the US President at the time, Warren G. Harding, was among the film's admirers.