History Film / TheIronHorse

Although TheWestern had been a popular genre dating back to ''Film/TheGreatTrainRobbery'' in 1903, this film, along with ''Film/TheCoveredWagon'' the year before, marked the evolution of the genre into epic drama. It was also the first big western for Ford, who would spend decades making many classics of the genre.

It is a story of the construction of the Transcontintal Railroad in the 1860s. The film opens with young Davy Brandon accompanying his father, a surveyor, on a trek to examine possible railroad routes. Right after the Brandons discover a pass through the mountains, Davy's father is murdered by a band of Cheyenne, led by a white man who is missing the last three fingers on his right hand.

* VehicleTitle. Iron horse is the Indians' name for the locomotive.
* YourCheatingHeart: Jesson, Miriam's slimy fiance, has an affair with Ruby, a camp prostitute.

* TheSavageIndian: Somewhat subverted. The Indians are resisting something that represents a mortal threat to their way of life. In the climactic battle, a Cheyenne is killed, and his dog trots over and nuzzles his master's corpse.

''The Iron Horse'' is a 1924 film directed by Creator/JohnFord. It is a story of the construction of the Transcontintal Railroad in the 1860s. The film opens with young Davy Brandon accompanying his father, a surveyor, on a trek to examine possible railroad routes. Right after the Brandons discover a pass through the mountains, Davy's father is murdered by a band of Cheyenne, led by a white man who is missing the last three fingers on his right hand.

Although TheWestern had been a popular genre dating back to ''Film/TheGreatTrainRobbery'' in 1903, this film, along with ''The Covered Wagon'' the year before, marked the evolution of the genre into epic drama. It was also the first big western for Ford, who would spend decades making many classics of the genre.

'''''The Iron Horse''''' is a 1924 film directed by Creator/JohnFord. It is a story of the construction of the Transcontintal Railroad in the 1860s. The film opens with young Davy Brandon accompanying his father, a surveyor, on a trek to examine possible railroad routes. Right after the Brandons discover a pass through the mountains, Davy's father is murdered by a band of Cheyenne, led by a white man who is missing the last three fingers on his right hand.

* ArtisticLIcenseHistory: The Pony Express had been out of business for quite some time when construction began on the railroad. In fact, it only ran for a year and a half, as the operating expenses were too high for the Express to make a profit.

* AnachronismStew: The Pony Express had been out of business for quite some time when construction began on the railroad. In fact, it only ran for a year and a half, as the operating expenses were too high for the Express to make a profit.

''The Iron Horse'' is a 1924 film directed by Creator/JohnFord. It is a story of the construction of the Transcontintal Railroad in the 1860s. The film opens with young Davy Brandon accompanying his father, a surveyor, on a trek to examine possible railroad routes. Right after the Brandons discover a pass through the mountains, Davy's father is murdered by a band of Cheyenne, led by a white man who is missing the last three fingers on his right hand.

* ManifestDestiny: A major theme of the film, as the railroad will link east and west.

* KilledMidSentence: A telegraphic variant. A guy climbs a telegraph pole to tap out a message but is shot down by the Cheyenne. His message is decoded as "Indians attacked Train No. 8 near Clay send help to--".

* MataHari: Ruby the dance hall girl (and implied hooker, because what else would she be doing there?) is tasked with seducing Jesson and getting him under Bauman's control. She doesn't have to try very hard.

* SatelliteLoveInterest / TokenRomance: Miriam does nothing and hardly affects the plot at all, and seems to be there for no other reason than to be a love interest for Brandon. If Madge Bellamy and her character had been written out of the movie the story would be almost exactly the same.

Skip forward a couple of decades, and construction on the railroad is underway. David Brandon Sr.'s old friend, Thomas Marsh, is a contractor with the Union Pacific, and his daughter Miriam (Mae Marsh), Davy's childhood sweetheart, has come along. Miriam is engaged to Jesson, the railroad's chief engineer. Grown-up Davy is a Pony Express rider for the railroad. Unfortunately for the railroad, Jesson is in cahoots with Bauman, and unscrupulous land speculator who is trying to detour the railroad through some land that Bauman owns. Unfortunately for Davy, Bauman always keeps his right hand hidden...

'''''The Iron Horse''''' is a 1924 film directed by Creator/JohnFord. It is a story of the construction of the Transcontintal Railroad in the 1860s. The film opens with young Davy Brandon accompanying his father, a surveyor, on a trek to examine possible railroad routes. Right after the Brandons discover a pass through the mountains, Davy's father is murdered by a band of Cheyenne, led by a white man who is missing the last three fingers on his right hand.