Customer Reviews

Wagon Train: The Complete First Season

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This has been a glorious month for classic TV westerns fans. First comes the announcement that season one (in two sets) of NBC's "The Virginian" will be released by Timeless Media in the spring of 2010. Then CBS/Paramount confirms that season four, set one of CBS' "Have Gun Will Travel" is set for retail release next spring. Finally, saints be praised, season one (all 39 episodes) of "Wagon Train" hit the streets 12/15 to starving sodbuster viewers like me. I got mine recently in the mail (certified set #09811, no less) and I am thrilled with the picture and audio quality (a solid "8"). Yes it is pricey, but, trust me, it is worth the cost to see Major Adams and company again. The set comes in a collectable tin and holds 10 discs in a handsome heavy-duty, fan-type jacket. The jacket contains pictures of the primary characters and a rundown of each episode. All of my top six all-time TV westerns ("Gunsmoke," "HGWT," "The Virginian," "Wagon Train," "Bonanza," and "Cheyenne") have now been (or will soon be) at least partially released on retail. So, I guess I can now go to "Cowboy Heaven." (However, it is doubtful if Warners will EVER release more than season one of the "Big Fellas" program. Which leaves little hope for "The Lawman," "Maverick," "Bronco," "Colt 45," or "Sugarfoot.") Thank you for taking the time to read my review. What follows is the breakdown of guest stars (a "Who's Who" of 50's luminaries) to be found in season one of "WT." "WAGON'S HO............"

#1 Willy Moran Story -- Ernest Borgnine, Andrew Duggan, Richard Devon
#2 Jean LeBec Story -- Ricardo Montalban, Grant Withers
#3 John Cameron Story -- Michael Rennie, Claude Akins, Jack Elam
#4 Ruth Owens Story -- Shelley Winters, Kent Smith
#5 Les Rand Story -- Sterling Hayden, Sallie Brophy
#6 Nels Stack Story -- Joanne Dru, Mark Stevens
#7 Emily Rossiter Story -- Mercedes McCambridge, John Dehner
#8 John Darro Story -- Eddie Albert, Edgar Buchanan, Margo
#9 Charles Avery Story -- Chuck Connors, Farley Granger
#10 Mary Halstead Story -- Agnes Morehead, Walter Coy
#11 Zeke Thomas Story -- Gary Merrill, Janice Rule
#12 Riley Gratton Story -- Guy Madison, James Westerfield, Karen Steele
#13 Clara Beauchamp Story -- Nina Foch
#14 Julie Gage Story -- Robert Sterling, Anne Jeffreys
#15 Cliff Grundy Story -- Dan Duryea, Russell Johnson
#16 Luke O'Malley Story -- Keenan Wynn
#17 Jesse Cowan Story -- George Montgomery, Lee Van Cleef
#18 Gabe Carswell Story -- James Whitmore, Scott Marlowe
#19 Don Charlie Story -- Cesar Romero, Virginia Grey
#20 Dora Gray Story -- Mike Connors, Linda Darnell, John Carradine
#21 Annie MacGregor Story -- Richard Long, Jeannie Carson
#22 Bill Tawnee Story -- Morgan Woodward, MacDonald Carey
#23 Mark Hanford Story -- Tom Tryon, Kathleen Crowley
#24 Bernal Sierra Story -- Gilbert Roland, Dorothy Adams
#25 Marie Dupree Story -- Nick Adams, Debra Paget
#26 Man Called Horse -- Ralph Meeker, Michael Pate
#27 Sarah Drummond Story -- June Lockhart, Wm. Talman, Gene Evans
#28 Sally Potter Story -- Marty Milner, Johnny Crawford
#29 Daniel Barrister Story -- Roger Smith, Charles Bickford
#30 Major Adams Part 1 -- Virginia Grey
#31 Major Adams Part 2
#32 Charles Maury Story -- Charles Drake, Wanda Hendrix
#33 Dan Hogan Story -- Jock Mahoney, John Larch, Rachel Ames
#34 Ruttledge Munroe Story -- John Barrymore Jr., Mala Powers
#35 Rex Montana Story -- Forrest Tucker, Myron Healey
#36 Cassie Tanner Story -- Majorie Main
#37 John Wilbot Story -- Robert Vaughn, Audrey Dalton
#38 Monty Britton Story -- Claude Akins, Mona Freeman, Ray Danton
#39 Sacramento Story -- Dan Duryea, Linda Darnell, Margaret O'Brien

This is going to be an "uncut" first season of Wagon Train. The 39 episodes have be remastered and reside on 10 dual layer DVD's. The series was inspired by the western, "The Wagonmaster", which is one of those few classic films that is getting a pressed DVD release this year, so you can examine both and compare. There is some confusion about this set, for I've seen reports that it was going to be exclusive to Sam's Club, yet it shows up here for sale. This particular edition is supposed to be a limited run in a collector's tin shaped like a covered wagon, so if it is re-released, it will probably be in a plain case.

This first season began airing in September of 1957 and stars Ward Bond, recreating his role from John Ford's "The Wagonmaster" as Major Seth Adams. Also starring is Robert Horton as Head Scout Flint McCullough, Frank McGrath as the cook Charlie Wooster, and Terry Wilson as Assistant Wagon master Bill Hawks. The big picture of the series is that it takes place a few years after the Civil War and involves the forementioned characters taking a wagon train of settlers from Missouri to California.

Each episode is pretty much self-contained as it focuses on the stories of the passengers on the wagon train and is framed by the fine performances of the main cast. Guest stars in this first season include Ernest Borgnine (The Willy Moran Story), Sterling Hayden (The Les Rand Story), Agnes Moorehead (The Mary Halstead Story), Keenan Wynn (The Luke O'Malley Story), June Lockhart ( The Sarah Drummond Story), and Debra Paget and Nick Adams (The Marie Dupree Story).

It is interesting to note that when Gene Roddenberry was making his pitch to the networks for Star Trek he described it as a "Wagon Train to the Stars".

I was anxious to get this DVD set. However the packaging inside the Collector's tin is terrible. My set came with at least three discs scratched because of overly tight cardboard sleeve which are difficult to remove the discs from . There are no plastic trays- the discs are jammed into cardboard pages. I will now have to return the set and decide if I want to try another or get a refund. I hope the set will be re re-released by Timelesss in conventional packaging. I hate to say anything bad about this company , because they've released some great shows including a lot of old TV western . They were ill advised to release this show in this type of package .

Finally, Universal and Timeless have seen fit to release the first season of Wagon Train and overall they have done a very good job. The quality of most of the discs and the sound are as good or better than any I have seen.

It is a pleasure to be able to relive the days when television meant good, clean entertainment that could be enjoyed by all ages and both sexes. There was something for everyone in this show - action for the men and romance and sex appeal for the women. Kids learned good values and had role models to follow, unlike the current crop of shows and films. Violence was minimal but action was meaningful.

As a long time fan of Robert Horton (for more than 55 years, long before Wagon Train) I was delighted to have the start of what will hopefully be a full collection of all his performances in Wagon Train, including the missing half dozen or more episodes from seasons 4 and 5. Maybe, with some luck and good sales for the producers of this first batch, we will get all of the first five series, which were undoubtedly the best of the whole run of more than 265 shows. The ratings were excellent in the first five years, reaching number one in series five. But after Robert Horton left and Ward Bond passed away, the magic just wasn't there anymore.

My only compaint about this collection is the packaging. While the container and the illustrations are imaginative and the discs look very nice, the cardboard sleeves are difficult to contend with. Broken nails are only the least of the problems. Getting the discs out of the sleeves can cause real problems with scratches. Already I have discovered that one episode in the first disc does not play (The John Cameron Story). I have gone through nearly all of the discs and this is the only fault I have found so far. After I finish running through the remainder I will return this to Timeless. I had a problem with a disc in another set I bought (Wagon Train, The Color Series) and they were very good about sending me a new one, but this had the same fault. As the episode wasn't one about which I particularly cared I didn't pursue this any further. However, I have now placed all the new discs in crystal disc holders.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed for the next four series. While the retail price is high, discounted offers can be found everywhere. I had originally ordered the set on line at Amazon but when the price dropped I cancelled it and re-ordered it. No problem, I got it for a much reduced price. Delivery was delayed for quite some time, but I did finally get it in time for Christmas.

Let's all keep in mind that if we don't support the first season we may not get the rest of them.

I am giving this Wagon Train Season 1 set a Five Star rating for the content. The content is the reason for owning a DVD set. Wagon Train has fine acting, good stories, and exceptional production values for its era. Wagon Train is my all time favorite TV series. The episodes I want in my collection are those from the first five seasons, when the show was on NBC and Robert Horton played Flint McCullough.
This set is much better than the two previous sets from Timeless Media. The Going West set didn't have any desirable episodes. I and my friends bought the Color Season set for the season 1 - 5 episodes among the bonus episodes. Overall, Wagon Train is an exceptionally good TV series and season 1 has some very good episodes. No doubt five stars for content.

Sound & picture quality and completeness: I am an avid collector who previously collected all the season 1 episodes and worked to upgrade my collection. Sound quality is good. Overall picture quality is fine, some episodes better picture than my previous best. An episode or two "might" be less crisp than my "best" copy, but maybe not. Episodes on this set generally run 49 or 50 minutes, suggesting complete episodes. I haven't found any omissions from known program content. Sarah Drummond, 46 and a half minutes, is shorter than typical. Satisfactory to me.

Defective discs: I have 4 copies of this set, two with low numbers and two with high numbers. There is an imperfection on the two low numbered copies of Disc 7. When playing Marie Dupree on these two discs there is an problem that I can't go past when playing on one DVD player. A second player has a pause in the same location. A third player handles the discs with no problem. My two high number copies of Disc 7 and all the other discs seem to be fine. A friend has a problem playing John Cameron on Disc 1.

Packaging: I agree that the cardboard book is an awkward way to store DVDs you watch regularly and could lead to stratched discs. I took all my discs out of the cardboard books and moved them to a CD/DVD wallet or to Tyvek sleeves in a small box for mailing CDs. Problem solved.

Pricing: The $80 list price is reasonable for 39 episodes of about 50 minutes each. I would have bought at least one set at that price if I couldn't find it at a lower cost. I paid about $43, including shipping and/or tax, for each of my 4 sets. Don't pay $80 if you can do better.

The November Release: The manner and timeliness of how this set was released was troublesome & sloppy. Before Christmas, I did end up with the two sets I pre-ordered and two sets I found at a local membership store. That issue has been resolved.

Summary: This set has some very fine TV viewing. Buy it and enjoy it.
**** Note to Timeless Media: Expect this reviewer to buy seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5.

I must explain that I have given 5 ***** to the episodes of Wagon Train and 1 * to the posting
and the packaging of this first season.
The package arrived at my Australian address without any form of protection in this month of
February 2010, so the tin had a large dent in it, this was a surprise to me as my previous
purchases from Amazon have been very well protected with bubble wrap.
In regard to the 10 DVD, I have solved the problem of those terrible carboard sleeves,
by placing them in plastic holders, troublesome but much improved.

Having purchased this item, and watched many episodes, I can only thank Timeless Media and NBC for putting this DVD set together. A lot of thought has gone into the packaging, and unlike some of the other reviewers I was pleased with the cardboard sleeve booklet, which has many fine colour images of the stars of this series and holds the discs securely.
As for pricing, you are getting 39 episodes here of one of the finest TV Westerns ever made, with star actors in abundance, a real bargain to me. But what a show... the hard life of the trail shines through and there are human stories here in every episode. Ward Bond was never better as the cantankerous, moody wagonmaster with a big heart, Robert Horton also shines, as do many other actors in this series. Buy it... then hopefully we might see more episodes in the future.

I wasn't around when this TV series came out but I was very happy to see it released and have just started watching it. I noticed other people commenting on the packaging for this DVD set but I've just started on Disc 2 and found it stops half-way through the first episode on this disc and won't replay. Also you can't fast forward or "rewind" on this production. I accept the picture quality, but it is not a patch on the Rawhide series. I also believe you need to have chapters or scenes within each episode in the menu. Other than that I'm enjoying the series. Let's see how the rest of the discs play.
Update: I'm having trouble with all the discs in this set. Disc 8 is unplayable for all four episodes. I'm finding if I clean each disc with mineral turps it tends to play. I put the cause down to the packaging but the manufacturer needs to address this issue.

WAGON TRAIN I DON'T EVER THINK I MISSED AN EPISODE, THEY WERE USUALLY AIRED ON SUNDAY NIGHTS, PRIOR TO SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM, EVERY WEEK WARD BOND & ROBERT HORTON WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT GUEST STARS AND STORIES, IT WAS A DELIGHT THEN..AND NOW! WITH THIS RELEASE OF SEASON 1, AND HAVE TO SAY "YUP" THEY REALLY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THIS ANYMORE, I CAN RECOMMEND THIS DVD RELEASE 100%..."SADDLE UP"

due to reviews of how the disc are packaged, i waited on purchasing this item, though wagon train's been on my wish list years before "timeless" gave thought to production of this....

when the price was drastically reduced, fearing that it may one day be discontinued by the manufacturer, i went ahead and bought it...i thought, just how bad can the disc be packed...

it is that bad, discs are solidly packed into a cut out cardboard, 1/2 pocket in the front where you slowly pry the disc out....i cannot believe there is a brain out there that thought this disc packaging was a good idea.......

having said that, i am still happy i bought this set, if you are a wagon train fan, my goodness, this is a must have...however a couple of my disc on observation after releasing them from the cardboard, do have a few scuff marks, i am certain these were made during the packing and not the un-packing by me....

i have watched disc 1 and disc 2, there are a few spots that freeze, then continue, i dont know if it is due to the scuff marks or it was produced that way.....I WOULD APPRECIATE IF SOMEONE OUT THERE WOULD LET ME KNOW IF THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM....

discs are not going back into the cardboard, i put them in double sided slimcases, 5 cases hold all 10 disc, stored them in the tin, rubber band around the slimcases and the tin, disc are now safe.. please folks, dont even attempt to re-insert these discs into the original cardboard.....

if you are on the fence about buying this, jump over and do it, solid packed pure entertainment the way TV was designed to be, i get goosebumps watching flint mccullough ride the plains again, enjoy, "Wagons Ho"