Plot: Strongly motivated by the beautiful utopia he has been nurturing for so long, the autocratic U.S. Senator, William Tadlock, leaves the Congress to lead a wagon train of audacious pioneers from Missouri to the promised land of Oregon, in 1843. With the help of the experienced scout, Dick Summers, the slow and almost defenceless caravan of impatient settlers ventures into the long and rugged Oregon Trail, as martinet Tadlock's sacred rules and heightening self-involvement threaten to jeopardise the entire expedition. However, as leadership and conflict go hand-in-hand, the stern senator's leadership skills will be put to the test, when the horrid death of the Great Sioux Chief's young son demands justice. Can the visionary William Tadlock carry out the mission successfully?
Alternative Plot: In search of greener pastures, Senator William J. Tadlock (Kirk Douglas) heads west, with scores of settlers following behind. Tadlock has hired an experienced scout, Dick Summers (Robert Mitchum), to accompany the caravan on the way from Missouri to Oregon. But hazards along the trail, and Tadlock's increasing megalomania, threaten to break up the expedition. Their problems get bigger when one of the pilgrims accidentally kills the son of a Sioux chief.
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