In this sound-era epic, a young John Wayne, in his first starring role, personifies the restless spirit of those early wagon-train "armies" of settlers, out to conquer the wilds (and the natives) of North America. But the film itself was an adventure, having been produced by Fox Film in one of the earliest widescreen processes, Fox Grandeur, a 70mm format. After its brief widescreen run, it was available only in shortened 35mm prints until The Museum of Modern Art completed the extensive work of restoring the film to its original "grandeur" (converted to Cinemascope) and dramatic sweep, reinstating the missing visual and soundtrack material. William K. Everson describes The Big Trail as "literally the definitive film of its type. Much of it is still genuinely breathtaking, especially the climb down the sheer cliffs, with the roping of wagons and cattle. The staged sequences done with wind machines and specially constructed mud holes seem not one whit less realistic than the rest of it. It's a fine piece of Americana, backed up by some really colorful playing (by Tyrone Power in particular)...and some surprising (for 1930) use of musical scoring for highlights and transitions."