Paint Your Wagon (1969) User Reviews

A very silly but very fun movie

[Samus Aran · 8/10 · 5 March 2004]

(No spoilers herein).

My friend sent me this movie wanting to know my comments on it, without telling me even a word of what it was about or what he thought of it. I went and checked out the entry on IMDB and was a touch confused why he was sending me a sort of musical half-western flick, being that neither of those categories would pop up at the top of either our lists.

Needless to say, something about this movie surprised me -- I fully enjoyed watching it ! Right from the start the characters were interesting and the scenes quite absurdly funny. Some of the singing was truly awful (in a funny way), and other songs were actually very toe-tappingly catchy.

There is a whole lot of physical humor in this movie, from the opening scene after they bury the guy, to the ending scenes with the bull. And holy crap the older man drinks a lot. I don't think I've ever seen a movie where a single character drinks so much hard alcohol ! Along with the numerous sexual jokes I certainly wouldn't recommend this movie for children.

As the movie came to a conclusion, I found myself attached to the main characters and wanting to see more of their adventures. The plot had a very natural progression. As silly and ridiculous as it certainly was, the plot made a strange sort of sense.

I rate the movie an 8 out of 10.

A Better Film Than Its Original Reviews

[tomsaint-10-359149 · 8/10 · 25 March 2011]

Paint Your Wagon has often been sited as an example of a big-budget film that lost its way. The problem for the film was that it was released at a time that the traditional Hollywood musical was dying. Motion pictures such as Bonnie and Clyde and Midnight Cowboy were ushering in the age of dramatic realism. However, with the film's release now more than forty years in the past, it holds up amazingly well and is thoroughly entertaining.

The film follows the life of two gold mining partners (Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood) who find themselves in love with the same woman (Jean Seberg). The twist is that she is in love with both men. The solution is that Seberg's character marries and lives with both of them. This unusual family is made possible by the fact that they find themselves in a rough gold mining camp in the California wilderness. Eventually, the tri-marriage breaks down due to a variety of circumstances and one of the husband leaves and one stays.

The often-dismissed production values of the film now look amazing. Alan Jay Lerner shot much of the film outside of Baker City, Oregon in the wilderness. The town, No Name City, was recreated to scale. Indeed, no studio would green-light this kind of big-budget musical film today. One of the things that make it so special is that a modern audience is seeing something that could not be produced in the present.

Along with the production values, the music is exceptional. There are no throw-away songs, and against the backdrop of the Oregon wilderness they come alive. When it was released Marvin's and Eastwood's voices were ridiculed. Once again, the passing of time has led to audiences that don't expect the perfect pitch-and-tone musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Their voices sound like that of a couple of gold miner's.

No matter the age group, this is a film that is worth seeing. Undoubtedly it will be a pleasant surprise for young and old.

Despite...

[gilligan1965 · 7/10 · 14 June 2015]

the ratings this movie received; the fact that Lee Marvin considered it 'crap' and only did it for the money; and, that 'tough-guy' Clint Eastwood sings in it, which most considered silly...I believe this to be a very good and entertaining movie.

Sure, it's likely all of this - it received low ratings and it's crap to those who dislike musicals; and, seeing 'Clint' sing and be all lovey-dovey was probably too much for most viewers and only appealed to children in a "Doctor Dolittle" sort of way.

However, it is also a 'fun' movie in the way that the characters interact; especially how these two men (the two main stars) "ALLOW" and "ACCEPT" to be the husband(s) of the same beautiful woman, Elizabeth (Jean Seberg).

In a time when musicals were on their way out, this movie actually makes me wish they came back.

This is a very enjoyable movie! :)

Clint CAN sing. Movie is a hoot.

[MaKoch · 18 December 1998]

I once heard a critic state any movie where Clint Eastwood sings should be rated for violence. He must have never actually listened to this movie. Clint may not be the best voice in the cast but he is surely not the worst. As a young man he has a pleasant "everyman" kind of voice I ENJOY. And in addition to that this an outrageously funny and moving movie.

"Gotta Dream Boy, Gotta A Song, Paint Your Wagon, And Come Along"

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 January 2007]

Unfortunately Paint Your Wagon came at a time when big budget musicals were going out of vogue. The expenses of this film nearly bankrupted Paramount and it was many years before the studio recouped its investment. Another big Broadway hit from the same era, Finian's Rainbow also came to the big screen a few years earlier and bombed at the box office.

Paint Your Wagon ran 289 performances for the 1951-1952 season on Broadway. Daring in its time, Paint Your Wagon had an interracial love theme. That was too tame for the newly liberated silver screen from the Code and here we have a woman, Jean Seberg, marrying two gold miners, Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin. This might be the first story on screen about polyandry unless you count Noel Coward's Design for Living and that was a heavily censored version.

Listening to Lee Marvin it sounds like an eminently practical arrangement. Lee saves Clint Eastwood after a fall and nurses him back to health and he makes him a partner. Then he 'buys' at auction Jean Seberg who is the second wife of passing Mormon John Mitchum.

Since Clint's a partner in everything, sharing a wife seems a sensible arrangement. Lee's character Ben Rumson has some very interesting ideas on morality, especially morality out in the wilds. You'll have to see Paint Your Wagon to hear him explain his views.

Jean Seberg's voice is dubbed by Anita Gordon, but Eastwood and Marvin do their own numbers. For Marvin, he does it in the tradition of Rex Harrison and Richard Burton in those other Lerner and Loewe musicals and it comes off nicely. Clint Eastwood's many talents do not include singing however.

But as it turned out Paint Your Wagon needed all the help it could get at the box office. They could have cast a singer in Clint's part, but where was there on who could play the role, be the right age, and bring in the dollars. By 1969 there really was no such male singer in Hollywood. Probably in the fifties someone like Gordon MacRae or Howard Keel might have done it then.

The comedy is pretty raucous from Lee Marvin's original ideas on sex to the whole town caving in because of all the mine tunnels beneath. Paint Your Wagon holds up well and it's not as bad a film as has come down by reputation. It might be painful for Clint Eastwood fans to hear him sing though.

Spectacular western musical-comedy set in California Gold Rush with a lot of songs

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 25 December 2019]

Agreeable musical with patches of interest, long runtime and nice settings. Dealing with the California Gold Rush, in which two adventurers, Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, living at a gold mining boom town, join forces as tough prospectors. The plot involves a farcical discovery of gold and the growth of a mining towm : No Name City. Then a Mormon wife, Jean Seberg who was mercifully dubbed, is sold by her husband and bought by a drunken Marvin. Later on, the lady pioneer takes two hubbies, but its quality scarcely matters given that the husbands are performed by the great Marvin and Clint Eastwood, hamming away as the second hubby.

A breathtaking, rotund but overlong rendition compensated for a solid plot, being based on a notorious, hard-shelled musical play by Lerner and Loewe with pretty sounds. This movie put Marvin's gravel voice at the top of the charts, thanks to the million-selling famous song Wandrin' star .Here there is also an enjoyable picture postcard approach to history. Resulting to be a sympathetic movie with plenty of panoramic scenary about two prospectors sharing the same Mormon spouse completing with a vintage Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe musical score .

It contains a colorful and brilliant cinematography in Technicolor by William A. Fraker. Amusing and entertaining screenplay by the prestigious writer Paddy Chayefsky. There stands out Lee Marvin who steals the show, he chews the sagebrush scenary. There are marvelous songs as highlights, such as Wandrin' Star sung by Marvin and the other vocal highlight : The call the wind Maria sung by Harve Presnell. Furthermore : Talk to the trees, I still see Elisa, I am on my way, Best things, among others.

Displaying a supremely tuneful score by various composers Alan Jay Lerner, Fredeick Loewe and Andre Previn .This big budgeted western musical comedy rendered very pretty and wonderful look at by filmmaker Joshua Logan. This craftsman was a good filmmaker who directed successful films, usually dramas and musical , including big name actors such as Picnic, Bus stop, Sayonara, South Pacific, Fanny, Ensign Pulver, Camelot and this Paint your wagon. Rating 7/10. Above average musical. The flick will appeal to Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood fans.

Forgotten and a little misunderstood

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 10/10 · 29 December 2017]

I've never understood the cloud of negativity surrounding Paint Your Wagon, a terminally eccentric, raucously bawdy musical western epic in which old school tough guys Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood get to sing, or at least do their best. Sure it's a giant unwieldy spectacle, not all of the songs make a three point landing and it runs on far too long, but it's such an interesting piece from many perspectives, it doesn't deserve even half the shade thrown on it by critics over the years. I like it specifically because of how odd and random it is at times, how it meanders and lingers across the gold rush frontier town it takes place in, following the paths of it's strange characters diligently. Marvin is the life of the party as Ben Rumson, a booze soaked, misanthropic prospector idling his way through the west in a haze of hangovers and hijinks. Eastwood is Pardner, a soft spoken stoic type whose life is saved by Ben, and the two strike a bond that's eventually tested by Elizabeth (Jean Seberg), the beauty who loves them both. The trio makes the best of life in a rough n' tumble settlement called No Name City, a feverish shantytown on the precipice of nowhere, populated by scoundrels, miscreants and hooligans. And that's pretty much it, the story punctuated by a whole gallery of songs, some brilliant and others excruciating. The best is a haunting, melancholy melody by Marvin called 'Wandering Star', which is so good it could be listened to on repeat. 'They Call The Wind Mariah' is a gorgeous tune belted out by a young looking Harve Presnell as Rotten Luck Willie, a slick kingpin who basically runs the township. 'There's a Coach Comin In' rouses spirits, and the titular theme is well staged too. Unfortunately all of the songs sung solely by Eastwood are a slog through the mud, as he bleats like a goat and gets saddled with the most boring tracks like 'I Talk To The Trees', the sappy 'Elisa' and 'Gold Fever', a musical sleeping pill. Whenever Marvin is around it's a banger of a party, he goes the extra mile to keep the energy levels unbridled, while Eastwood is a little sleepier. There's no way the film deserves the dodgy reputation it's been slapped with though, a lot of it is fun as all hell, the big budget is spent well on fantastic production design, epic sets and big names who earn their keep, Marvin in particular.

Frustrating in its storytelling approach, but at the same time it provides us with lots of laughs and an incredible performance from Lee Marvin

[jimbo-53-186511 · 7/10 · 30 August 2015]

Despite the fact that Paint Your Wagon seems to have a non-existent plot line (at least for the first two thirds of its running time) it is a film that I did find to be highly enjoyable. Although the storytelling is rather weak, the writers provide so many humorous scenes that to me it very rarely mattered. Lee Marvin is the main reason to see this and his performance here was nothing short of sublime. Although Marvin was great here, I was a little disappointed with Eastwood. The truth of the matter is that his character was a bit bland and nowhere near as interesting as Marvin's character. However, the blame for this lies with the writers and not Eastwood and I just didn't find his character that interesting and also found the chemistry between Eastwood and Marvin was a bit hit and miss.

The musical numbers here are colourful, lively and very enjoyable (I don't think there was one song that I didn't like). However, usually with musicals songs are used to cover plot points or to convey emotions from characters. In Paint Your Wagon there were a couple of songs here that worked in this manner, but a lot of songs were rather random and had nothing to do with the story. Again this isn't a major problem as the musical numbers were fun, but again it made the story a little strange at times.

Where this film really comes good is in its final third (when we get to the point of the story) and the final act was absolutely hilarious.

On balance there is definitely more good than bad here. Despite the fact that there was no real story for the first two thirds of the film, there were still enough fun moments to make this worthwhile overall. However, Lee Marvin's superb performance and incredibly funny on-screen antics are definitely the biggest selling points here.

Unfairly reviled

[Debo · 10/10 · 30 May 2000]

Much has been written about how terrible this film is, how it marked the end of both the Western and Musical genres, but to those of us who like both musicals and westerns this movie is a real treat. Clint's vocal stylings do indeed leave something to be desired, but Lee Marvin's talky singing is reminiscent not only of Robert Preston in the Music Man, but to Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady.

But the reason I recommend this movie is that it is dashed funny. Clever, one might say, and not a bit bawdy, in a chaste-by-today's-standards sort of way. I agree that people who don't like musicals--and it's not unreasonable to assume that many Eastwood fans fall into that category--wouldn't enjoy this movie any more than they would enjoy any other movie in which people wander in and out of songs at random. But I do argue that it shouldn't be avoided on reputation. It's divinely amusing.

Nevertheless, I still enjoy it.

[russellalancampbell · 7/10 · 2 April 2015]

The film has its detractors because of its running time and the quality of the singing from non-singing actors such as Eastwood and Marvin. Nevertheless, I always find a lot to enjoy when I watch the film. Strangely, when I saw the stage version of PYW, I was quite bored by the story and the songs which were sung by "better" voices but with a lot less character. I am sure Josh Logan knew that Lee Marvin's voice was not the note perfect baritone expected in a stage performance but it was the voice of a dishevelled and disillusioned yet crustily resilient gold prospector of the Californian gold rush.

I love Marvin's work in virtually every film he did - although I think at times he hammed it up just a little too much in this film. For most of PYW though, his comic timing is perfect and his wryly philosophical "arias" are funny with the ring of a human truth.

Perhaps my enjoyment of PYW is increased by my interest in gold rushes. Many of the key elements of gold fields life and gold diggers although perhaps not faithfully reproduced are nevertheless explored. Solid citizens like Eastwood's Pardner are transformed against their better judgement by gold fever into opportunistic and greedy scramblers for gold. Egalitarianism of the gold fields. People from all backgrounds and nations lived together as equals - except for the Chinese who were always the outsiders on the field. Women were scarce and men did come from miles away just to see a woman. Men often fainted at the sight of a woman on the fields. Who wouldn't have walked a mile or two to see Jean Seberg? And, of course, prostitution flourished.

I am still thrilled at the moment that Harve Presnell steps up into frame and hits the line "Way out west.." Logan was right to get a real singer to do the one song that truly needed a powerful voice. The drama and pathos of the song is helped by the chorus of miners dolefully singing as the rain and wind exacerbates their alienation from the comforts of home and of female companionship. "They Call the Wind Mariah" in this film is a gem of sound and vision.

I also love the scene in which Ben attempts to corrupt Horton, the young newcomer from a pious apple farming family, who unexpectedly and hilariously takes to drinking, cigar smoking and finally sex like a duck to water.

Paint Your Wagon is not a classic but it is fun and has some excellent moments. Enjoy the good parts and try to forgive some of its excesses.

For those who were born under a wandering star.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 18 December 2014]

It only took seven years for Lerner and Lowe's "Brigadoon" to be made as a movie, eight for "My Fair Lady" and seven for "Camelot". But for the team's second big Broadway musical, "Paint Your Wagon", it took almost 20, and when the movie did finally get a release, it was at a time when movie musicals were beginning to tank at the box office. Unlike the first three movie musicals, "Paint Your Wagon" had not been a huge hit, running a season (which at the time was respectable and considered a semi-hit, if not a huge smash) and introducing several songs which have become standards in the world of showtune music. The movie altered the story a bit, taking on traditional themes of more recent westerns, and had some casting choices that while perfect for a western seemed questionable for a musical.

Certainly Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood were known for westerns, and here, they share both co-starring billing and the same woman (Jean Seberg). What they also share is a lack of musical experience, and if you are going to put them together in a musical, it should be a genre in which they have experience. Their voices are perfect for the characters they play, with grizzled Marvin singing several songs in a very raspy manner and a very low-key Eastwood almost whispering his. Their voices pale in comparison however to Harve Presnell who gets the show's most famous song, "They Call the Wind Maria", as well as several others, so there have been many a jokester who ridiculed this film by saying either, "I never miss a Lee Marvin musical!" or "I never miss a Clint Eastwood musical!".

All that glitters is not gold, and in the case of the photography in this movie, it's filmed in a sort of faded color that almost seems like sepia tone. Somewhat overly long, it gets boring and tedious at times, but there are some wonderful musical moments that make up for the lack of singing talent. Clint's "I Talk to the Trees" is performed heartfelt and moving, while Lee's "Wandrin' Star" is also sweetly done. But you'll never hear "Hand Me Down That Can O' Beans" at a piano bar or "The First Thing You Know" where Lee's singing voice really gets grating, making Elaine Stritch's raspy voice seem soprano in comparison. Jean Seberg fails to impress as the heroine torn between the two men. This is one of those movie musicals which probably seemed like a good idea at the time but even with a powerhouse stage and musical director (Joshua Logan) behind the camera, it comes out as a missed opportunity and basically, "Too little, too late."

fabulous film

[dane-lucas · 10/10 · 24 January 2005]

I love this film,

i think it portrays the idea of the last outpost of freedom before 'society' catches up brilliantly. I have always thought this film to be male orientated so maybe this is why it was not successful. Out in 'No Name City' there were no women till Ben hijacked the tarts stage remember. Still there was real camaraderie between the men, even love really when you consider how Ben and Partner shared everything ! But seriously those two men loved each other, speaking as a married non homophobic male I could relate to the affection that they had for each other. Some of us men if we would dare admit it have male friends that we have shared our lives with,laughed and cried with, got blind drunk with, ran from the law with, watched each others backs...etc etc. Great film, great songs 'theres a coach.... Moria...get the soap and water...no name city... Full of free spirit, adventure, hope, whisky,women (eventually !) "here it is I mean here it is "

"i give you the boy,give me back the man !"

Music, Polygamy, and Gold

[brandinscottlindsey · 7/10 · 16 July 2017]

Paint Your Wagon is a 1969 musical/western/comedy. The story follows Pardner, a man searching for a living, played by Clint Eastwood. Pardner soon becomes indebted to an alcoholic panhandler named Ben Rumson, when Ben saves Pardner's life after a severe carriage accident. The mining camp that Ben and Pardner are working in is inhabited by four hundred men, and not a single woman. This leads to a Mormon man with two wives coming to town and all hell breaking loose, as one of the wives is auctioned off to the miners. Now that one of the miners has a wife, antics ensue as all the problems one could imagine arising from this situation occur: jealousy, fighting, and distrust.

Paint Your Wagon is an enjoyable movie and manages to entertain throughout the lengthy run time. Many of the songs displayed throughout the film are highly memorable and all of the cast did a fantastic job in their roles. Many of the jokes are still hilarious, even forty years later. There are also some funny twists throughout the story. These plot choices are interesting, but they're fun and they work.

Some of the best parts of the film are also the same things that bring the film down at times. While the comedy is great, some of the slapstick humor is dated and pratfalls are simply no longer entertaining. This film also displays the obnoxious form of intoxication. You know what I'm talking about, crossed eyes and tongue hanging out. This is common in older films, but it always stands out as irritating. It's as if the actors were taught how to act drunk by Bugs Bunny. Another point that is great about the film is the music, but there are some songs that don't quite fit. For example, the men of the camp speak of the loneliness and the rain that seems to put a depressing pall on everyone. Out of nowhere, one of the characters adds that the wind is bad too, despite the fact that there is no wind. This leads to a song about the wind, and even during the song there is no wind. This is an example of a song that needed to go somewhere and was clumsily added to the story.

Despite these complaints, Paint Your Wagon is still very entertaining. Even those who are not fond of musicals will find plenty to enjoy in this film, not to mention this is a great movie for Eastwood fans.

To be honest, I don't know what to make of this film

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 13 January 2011]

I love musicals, but I honestly didn't know what to make of this film. Out of the Joshua Logan-directed musical movies, this film is my least favourite. It does have some nice photography, costumes and sets, and the score and songs are very pleasant and hummable. Out of the cast, Ray Walston and Harve Presnell(who actually has the best songs) come off best, and the chorale work directed by Roger Wagner is some of the finest ever heard in a musical. However, Joshua Logan's direction didn't work, I personally found it too stage-bound and smug. Also the dialogue doesn't convince, the film is too long and the story is forgettable and has one too many silly moments. The acting is nothing special, and while the singing isn't amazing it was passable. Lee Marvin's rendition of Wandrin' Star is listenable, and some of his comedy is a nice touch. Wasn't sure about Clint Eastwood though, I was perplexed at his casting initially and after hearing his singing my opinion hasn't changed. In conclusion, if I had to make an honest summary of this film, I would say worth watching for the music, chorale work and production values if little else. 5/10 Bethany Cox

"A Happily-Married ... Triple"

[stryker-5 · 14 August 2000]

Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin - in a musical? Yes, and it works rather well.

No expense was spared by Paramount in assembling the behind-camera talent. Lerner and Loewe's successful stage show was beefed up by Andre Previn's compositions and Nelson Riddle's arrangements, and a script by Paddy Chayefsky. If Clint and Lee aren't exactly Mario Lanza and Tito Gobbi, they are good enough. Clint sings timidly but tunefully ("I Talk To The Trees", "Gold Fever") and Marvin's growly "Wandering Star" was a big chart success back in 1969. The songs are strong, the lyrics clever and the choreography slick and busy. At two and three-quarter hours, the film is rather too long, but it contains plenty of interesting things, including some excellent comedy.

No-Name Town is a rough and ready prospectors' settlement, one of many such ramshackle communities springing up during the California Gold Rush. Two very different men link up as partners and grow into inseperable friends. 'Pardner' (Eastwood) is a straight, solid farmer from the Mid West, while Ben Rumson (Marvin) is a hell-raising wildman from no place in particular. When a mormon auctions one of his wives (Elizabeth, played by Jean Seberg), Rumson buys her. Things get complicated when Pardner falls in love with Elizabeth, and she falls in love with .... er, both men.

Added interest is provided by the arrival of a bunch of French whores and a party of rescued wagon-trainers (this last was drawn from a true story).

Good things include a barnstorming performance from Marvin, radiating enormous personality and a real flair for comedy. His career flowered late, but he was at his best in the late sixties ("Point Blank", "Hell In The Pacific", and of course this one). Previn's musical interlude which introduces the Parson (Alan Dexter) is superb, leading into one of the film's best songs, "Here It Is". The comical discords of the musical passage are a joy in themselves, and they pave the way perfectly for the Parson, who is at odds with everybody. "Hand Me Down That Can Of Beans" is rendered by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, guesting in the movie. The boys obviously decided to stay on, because they crop up in various shots throughout the film. Mad Jack is played with manic zest and a peculiar British accent by Ray Walston, none other than TV's "My Favourite Martian".

The interminable gag of the collapsing tunnels stand as a metaphor of the film's shortcomings - over-elaborate, and over-long.

Good and a pleasant surprise

[grantss · 7/10 · 14 June 2020]

Different to what I was expecting, which initially made me dislike the movie. I was expecting a typical western-drama: stars Lee Marvin & Clint Eastwood - wouldn't you? Instead it is actually a comedy-musical, with more than a smidgen of romance too. I generally don't like musicals, and seeing action men like Marvin and Eastwood in a musical just seemed...wrong.

However, it grew on me. The music is catchy, and some scenes and dialogue are hilariously funny. The love triangle is interesting, helped a lot by the stunning beauty of Jean Seberg.

Despite being out of their element, Marvin and Eastwood put in great performances. Marvin is particularly surprising as he generally takes on one-dimensional action roles, and here he does a great comedic turn. Very funny, and spot-on for the role.

Eastwood is solid and plays more to his strong suit - the strong silent type. Though he does get to sing...

Jean Seberg is great, and, as mentioned before, incredibly beautiful.

Not at all what I was expecting but entertaining nonetheless.

Not the Best Casting Choices I've Ever Seen

[CaressofSteel75 · 7/10 · 16 March 2019]

I'd like to teleport back to 1969 and see who thought casting Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood in this was a good idea. They were not exactly noted chanteurs in their day.

The production and songwriting are all pretty good- there were still people around then who at least knew what a classic musical should look like. It's got some good comedy about gold prospectors who set up a corrupt town in the California wilderness. A lot of the good points are overshadowed by the miscasting in the leads and also by the fact that it's waaay too long- well over two hours.

Some musical high points: Mariah by Harve Presnell and No Name City. I have the original soundtrack on LP, and it's very good.

It's the Only Musical I can Watch Over Again.

[mikemcmillan2002 · 10/10 · 30 August 2019]

It's the Only Musical I can Watch and reWatch Over Again.

a must-hear movie

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 2 March 2006]

This movie is certainly a lot of fun to watch and is a lot of entertainment packed into just one film. I really like to watch PAINT YOUR WAGON and have seen it several times. However, there is absolutely no way I could with a clear conscience give it a higher score because the notion of having Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood star in a musical is completely nuts!!! While Eastwood's singing is quite poor, Lee Marvin sings worse than a cat in heat. But, it is because of this that I like the movie so much! In other words, the awfulness of their singing is amazing and captivating!! Now, the rest of the singing actually is good--particularly the songs sung by the townspeople. Plus, the script is witty and memorable. So, it's worth seeing but terribly bad in some ways that makes me assume the producers were either insane, abusing drugs, tried to make a flop (like in the film THE PRODUCERS) or did this all as a big joke (and considering how much the film cost to make, this is the least likely possibility).

Better than critics say

[davemaxwell-55940 · 9/10 · 1 March 2019]

Forget the critics. This is a hilarious, outrageous movie. Too unsophisticated for city slickers, but for the average person, a hoot.

Better On The Small Screen

[rube2424 · 7/10 · 14 November 2002]

One of the first Broadway musicals I ever saw was James Barton, Olga San

Juan and Tony Bavaar in Lerner and Loewe's PAINT YOUR WAGON. Mind you,

this was in 1951 (I was a mere child!). It took almost twenty years to

make the film version and when I saw it I was astounded that they even

called what came out PAINT YOUR WAGON!

In the first place the story is totally different. In the original Ben

Rumson is a single father. He sings "I Still See Eliza" about his dead

wife. (In the movie Clint Eastwood sings it leaning against a tree as a

song with no relation to the story at all.) In the Broadway play, Ben is

trying to raise a young and anxious daughter who falls in love with a

Mexican prospector. Yes there are prospectors and yes there are "Bawdy

women," but the heart of the original has been cut out for the movie.

All that's left in the screen version are some of the beautiful songs

from the show by Lerner and Loewe, (and some not so beautiful ones

written for the film by Andre Previn,) some characters with the same

name as those in the play and that's about it.

Needless to say I was very disappointed when I saw the film on a

reserved seat roadshow version in London in 1970. (I doubt if I have

looked at my watch more than at that show, except maybe for THE PERFECT

STORM and DUDLEY DOO-RIGHT.) Recently however, a friend gave me the DVD

of the film as a birthday gift and, wanting to hear at least a few of

the good songs, I popped it into the player last night. Surprise! The

film is not as bad as I had remembered. I think I know why. That this

time I am not expecting the Broadway play is a given, but mainly the

film just plays better on home video. On it's initial release, Lerner's

simple story got dwarfed by the 70mm projection and the booming sound.

Seen on a 32 inch screen (with surround sound), the film can be seen for

the almost chamber piece that Lerner conceived. All at once the

brilliance of Lee Marvin's performance shines through, an incredibly

young Clint Eastwood accounts himself well (and sings pleasantly!), and

the tragic Jean Seberg comes across as a far better actress than I had

imagined. Yes, the destruction of the mining camp is still ridiculous

and yes, Joshua Logan's direction is stultifyingly dull (as it was in

CAMELOT), but all in all the film is a surprising treat. If you hated

PAINT YOUR WAGON the first time, give it another chance. I think you

will be pleasantly surprised.

Absurdly fascinating

[cricketbat · 4/10 · 31 October 2018]

Paint Your Wagon is absurdly fascinating. It features an epic western setting, elaborate sets and tons of extras, yet this movie is absolutely ridiculous. I have no idea how a movie this silly got such a large budget. And I also have no idea why Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood agreed to be in it. The story is all over the place and, as strange as it sounds, there are too many musical numbers in this musical. This movie is almost worth watching because of how jaw-droppingly strange it is.

A great film for melancholy

[gp198 · 10/10 · 23 May 2001]

The dynamics between Pardner and Ben were fantastic. The friendship and trust that grows in a pioneer settlement was something I really related to. The music and the timing of the songs was a feature of the movie. The song about civilization was particularly poignant given the rapidly diminishing availability of untamed land.

Close to the best part of the movie was the dancing scene in the mud near the start of the movie. The careless, complete enjoyment of a group of men in a gold mining tent city dancing to some crazy folk music made me wish that everyone could experience that wild abandon.

As a connoisseur of melancholy moments I really enjoyed this movie. The ending was not unexpected but well packaged and presented.

Lively as a Mirage; Colorful, Funny, Large-Scale and Raucous Musical Fun

[silverscreen888 · 7/10 · 19 August 2005]

As a writer and director, I find the "Paint Your Wagon" cinematic project to be a fascinating one. A play first staged on Broadway, Alan Jay Lerner's and Frederic Loewe's first popular hit was done with human beings, lighting, effects and music. As a film., director Joshua Logan opened the production out; he showed men trekking West in a fantastic array of wagons and rolling vehicles, founding a city amid tall trees in the hills of California, striking gold and building their town "No Name City" from nothing. The feature was scenic, big in appearance, outdoor-oriented, spacious and colorful I suggest--and he downplayed the musical numbers with the exception of "They Call the Wind Maria". So, we as appreciators and viewers of his large-scale work need to look at how and why he did what he did to make this a very cinematic experience--one which begins by the camera resolving fractured or hazy images into clear forms and which ends with an opposite devolution as the city's dwellers trek off to the next goldfield and vanish like the elements of an improbable mirage or fever-dream. Logan had directed "Picnic" with extraordinary skill, moving it to real locations and out-of- doors; but the difference was that he then had a cast of mostly stage-trained actors to work with. Here, his attempt as in "South Pacific" to use plausible physical types and not trained actors did not work as well, once again, I suggest. In a musical, singers are not always good actors--which is why they are frequently replaced on soundtracks by dubbed voices of singers; and so the director's priorities are to find the right actors if he is having them sing or else plausible actors among available singers. The story-line of "Paint Your Wagon", as written for the screen by naturalistic author Paddy Chayefsky and Lerner, is amusing but not important. The narrative follows men West who are misfits, seekers after gold, and/or men with an inordinate desire, wish or lust of some sort. These men find gold in California's hills; they labor months on short rations under rain, stormwinds, cold, privation and loneliness. And two strike up a firm friendship as a tent city is raised--bright, moody, hard-drinking Ben Rumson (Lee Marvin) and Pardner, a Man who is obviously new to the West. The two eventually end up agreeing with the young woman who suggests the solution to the fact that she is in love with both of them, Elizabeth (Jean Seberg), that she ought to marry both of them at once. This is a mining camp--no one objects. From this point on, the wild West becomes even wilder. The men hijack a stagecoach after holding a huge meeting to discuss the action. And its cargo is brought to No Name City--six shady Gallic ladies. The growth and wildness of the place continues unabated. There are saloons erected, gambling houses running full-bore and vast underground tunneling operations being conducted. Instead of the gentle "I Talk to the Trees", the evocative "Paint Your Wagon", and "I Still See Luisa" now the songs become hard-edged, "Gold" and "I Was Born Under a Wand'rin' Star". There is rough humor involving Ben introducing a young man to sex with the help of the Madam of the local cathouse and being amazed by his progress. There are arguments between Ben and Pardner. And Elizabeth finally refusing to leave the house they build for her, as a wild-eyed preacher predicts the fall of No Name City--and watches as it collapses as if on cue as a bull stampedes down the main thoroughfare. The qualities of the film are opulent but a bit inconsistent. William A Fraker was the feature's cinematographer, John Truscott did the good production design. Carl Braunger did the vivid art direction and the set decorations were supplied by James L. Berkey. John Truscot also designed the many admirable costumes. In the cast, Lee Marvin dominates in a nearly-award-caliber and lively attempt. His renditions of "Gold" and "Wanderin' Star" are very effective despite his lack of singing ability. Clint Eastwood is pleasant and adequate as Pardner, even though he cannot sing at all. Jean Seberg is rather good as Elizabeth, showing maturity as a star performer. Others in the numerous cast include Alan Dexter as the dynamic preacher, Ray Walston (charismatic) as Mad Jack, Harve Presnell, Benny Baker, H.B. Haggerty, Tom Ligon, H.W. Gim and Robert Easton, Carl Bruck, Alan Baxter and Paula Trueman. The film has the defects of director Logan's methods as noted above. I assert; but the film's breezy success as an entertainment owes much to Logan's eye for physical and interpersonal moments: the staging of "They Call The Wind Maria" to symbolize the loneliness of a grey winter; and the cheerful industry of the miners singing "Gold" as they tunnel happily away, the great meeting etc. I admire much of the film's drive and attempted realism; and I appreciate many of its best moments, its lighting, its lack of pretension. I saw the film in New York City in 1969; and I still enjoy it as much as ever without being insensible of its imperfections.

Bloated

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 30 December 2019]

PAINT YOUR WAGON is an overlong, misfiring musical western that allows the viewer the novelty of hearing Clint Eastwood sing a number of songs. Otherwise, it's a sprawling enterprise that simply isn't very interesting. Sure, there are hints that place this in the late '60s rather than a decade earlier, such as a greater emphasis on sex and sexuality and a menage a trois between the central characters, but otherwise this is bloated and dated and it's no surprise it flopped on release. It's also an hour too long. The good aspects are Eastwood and in particular Lee Marvin, whose Wandering Star rendition is the undoubted highlight of the whole thing; Jean Seberg also matches them in tempestuous spirit. The rest is so-so at best.