It is based on the true story of the donner party, an 1840s westward traveling group of settlers headed for california. Californias donner lake got its name from the donner party, whose members endured a terrible winter nearby in 1846. Only 48 of the 87 party members arrived in sacramento alive. The donner party is far more harrowing than this movie. Perhaps because they were ordinary people farmers, merchants, parents, children their story captures the imagination. The donner party were a group of 81 american settlers who tried to cross the sierra nevada into california in the winter of 184647. After becoming snowbound in the sierra nevada during the winter of 18461847, a number of the trapped settlers joined. The donner party is a 2hour documentary that explores the donner partys infamous journey. The 81 members of the donner party 25 men, 15 women and 41 children, including six nursing infants were now huddled miserably in two makeshift winter camps. The donner party is a 2009 period drama film written and directed by terrence martin credited as t. The donner party was the most famous tragedy during the westward migration. The film, narrated by david mccullough, premiered at the telluride mountainfilm.
The donner party was a group of wagontrain emigrants who traveled west to california in the spring of 1846. Based on the real events of the donner party tragedy. The donner party sometimes called the donner reed party was a group of american pioneers who migrated to california in a wagon train from the midwest. A donner party member murdered two people for use as food. From november 20, 1846 to march 1, 1847, irish immigrant patrick breen, a donner party member, kept a diary of his ordeal in the mountains. Donner party, group of american pioneers stranded en route to california in 1846. After several early snowstorms, the emigrants and its leaders crispin glover and clayne crawford find themselves trapped, freezing and without any source of food. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 184647 snowbound in the sierra nevada mountain range. He is excellent as william foster, the man who nominates himself to lead the expedition and who eventually begins to enjoy killing off the other members in his party. But i hope someone else makes a good dramatization of this event that is historically accurate from the beginning of the journey to the end. Simply put, the donner party is a plodding chore of a movie to watch. An exact accounting of the donner party is made difficult by deciding exactly when the donner party actually formed.
Trapped in the sierra nevada mountains, they fall prey to subzero temperatures, torrential rainfalls, floods and ten foot snow drifts, and are eventually forced to. Rent the donner party 2009 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. George donner was elected captain of the party at the little sandy river on july 20, 1846, but several people joined the party later, at fort bridger and in the wasatch. When the donner party enters utah, the wheels begin to come off. Some of the migrants resorted to cannibalism to survive, eating the bodies of those who had succumbed to starvation and sickness.
He is excellent as william foster, the man who nominates himself to lead the expedition and who eventually begins. What starts out as a voyage to the west in pursuit of the american dream quickly turns deadly for the donner party after a. Recalling the donner party s 184647 trek westward from illinois to california, which took a tragic turn when some members resorted to cannibalism after snow stranded them in the sierra nevada for. With darrin miller, elizabeth austin, libby baker, jon bloch. Every day, watch this offers staff recommendations inspired by a new movie coming out that week. Fiftynine people in the vanguard were forced to take refuge near truckee lake now donner lake, while the rest of the party, consisting of 22, was snowbound in a meadow six miles back. After several early snowstorms, the group and its leaders crispin glover and clayne crawford find themselves lost, freezing and without any source of food.
The donner party was a group of californiabound american emigrants caught up in the westering fever of the 1840s. Almost ninety wagon train emigrants were unable to cross the sierra nevada before winter, and almost onehalf starved to death. Thirtysix of them died from starvation, disease and the cold weather. After becoming snowbound in the sierra nevada in the winter of 18461847, some of them resorted to cannibalism. The donner party 2009 stream and watch online moviefone. The donner party monument at the donner memorial state park. Donner, george donner, leader of what was to become the most famous of all the hundreds of wagon trains to start for the far west, the tragic, now nearly mythic donner party. Sometimes known as the donnerreed party, the emigration west was initiated by james frasier reed, a business man looking forward to the promise of the west. They became famous in the history of the american west the party left springfield, illinois in april 1846. Clubs 10 days of horror, we recommend the movies that frighten us the most the donner party 1992.
The donner party was a group of 89 emigrants from illinois who purportedly turned to cannibalism to survive after getting trapped by snowfall while on a westward journey in 1846. Its a history professors voiceover away from being indistinguishable. Based on the harrowing true story, the donner party picks up after william hastings steers a wagontrain, known as the donner party, off course by promising a shorter route to california through the sierra nevada mountains. The forlorn hope group, as it was known, had been gone for. Of the 89 men, women and children who entered the sierra nevada mountains in october 1846, only 49 made it out the other side to safety. The group was named for the expeditions captain, george donner. The ric burns documentary on the donner party is very good. Watch the donner party american experience official site pbs. Recalling the donner partys 184647 trek westward from illinois to california, which took a tragic turn when some members resorted to cannibalism after snow stranded them in the sierra nevada for.
The donner party 2009 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. The donner party was a group of californiabound american settlers caught up. Hastings cutoff retracing the footsteps of the donnerreed party. The donner party begins their trek across the 80mile great salt lake desert. He prepared to move his family west in great style. A year of suffering was spent on a time that was thought to have been only a few months of easy traveling on a shortcut routed by a man named lance hatings. Thats right, one of the most unsettling movies of all time is a pbs history special by ric burns brother of ken, relating the infamous tale of frontier. Clubs 10 days of horror, we recommend the movies that frighten us the most. A hardtofind tvmovie about the infamous 1846 donnerreed party which found itself trapped in the snow high in the sierranevada. The donner party set out from illinois in april of 1846. Rent the donner party 2009 starring crispin glover and clayne crawford on dvd and bluray.
What starts as a call to the west quickly turns to a deadly journey for three. One hundred and sixtyplus years ago this week the sixtysome members of the desperate donner party were counting on the snowshoers who had left for the pass and sutters fort on december 16. It was october 28, 1846 and the sierra snows had started a month earlier than usual. The donner party has a strong cast made up of very talented actors. Based on the harrowing true story, the donner party, picks up after william hastings steers a group, nicknamed forlorn hope, off course by promising a shorter route to california through the sierra nevada mountains. The donner party, led by george donner and james f. The donner party fortysix survivors out of an original 87, reached california starving, tired, and traumatized for life from the experience they had just been through. The donner party was a group of californiabound pioneers that encountered severe weather in the sierra nevada and many died. Clinging to survival with his wife margaret and their. What starts as a call to the west quickly turns to a deadly journey for three families and their compatriots on a quest for the american dream. A new history of the donner party and the dark side of. Based on the harrowing true story, the donner party picks up after william hastings steers a group, nicknamed forlorn hope, off course by.
If it had worked out differently, the group of settlers that came to be known as the donner party would have slipped over the sierra nevada into. For many people did not like the truth, it seemed thought it was a dirty and. Videos and art from various sources and artists, mostly with a cannibal fetish theme. Watch the donner party 2009 full movie free online. The donner party is a 1992 documentary film that traces the history of the donner party, an illfated pioneer group that trekked from springfield, illinois to sutters fort, california a disastrous journey of 2500 miles made famous by the tales of cannibalism the survivors told upon reaching their destination. What happened to the survivors of the donner party. Colt 45, who operates the site, has used this website as an archive of some of the better cannfetish stuff produced at places like pulptoon and dolcett girls. The donner party was a group of californiabound american settlers caught up in the western expansion of the 1840s. Three years before the gold rush, 87 pioneers took a shortcut westward to california, only to get caught in the snows of the sierra nevada.
The way, for instance, george donners popular but irresponsible leadership seals the partys doom. This park was created by the state of california in 1927 to honor the pioneering spirit of the donner party, as well as to commemorate the tragic events that occurred in this sierra nevada valley during the winter of 184647. During the forlorn hope expedition, the hiking party included a pair of indians named salvador and luis, both of. One more mountain the donner party 1994 tvmovie complete. It was widely circulated that members of the party resorted to cannibalism after their food ran out, giving the party its lasting notoriety. The harrowing saga of a donner party bride by daniel james brown, ordeal by hunger. After becoming snowbound in the sierra nevada during the winter of 18461847, a number of the trapped settlers. Martin, and starring crispin glover, clayne crawford, michele santopietro, mark boone junior, and christian kane. Released 2009, the donner party stars crispin glover, clayne crawford, christian kane, mark boone junior the r movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 35 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. They camped at the future site of reno in october of that year and by nov.
In this storygame you become a member of the donner party. Watch the donner party american experience official. As i stated earlier, i love crispen glover and think that the guy can do no wrong. A group of american emigrants en route to california are forced to resort to cannibalism after becoming stranded in the sierra. As the donner party approached the summit of the sierra mountains near what is now donner lake known as truckee lake at the time they found the pass clogged with newfallen snow up to six feet deep. With crispin glover, clayne crawford, michele santopietro, mark boone junior. The donner party is a 2009 period drama film written and directed by terrence martin credited. The donner party started its trip dangerously late in the pioneer season. This movie was rife with historical inaccuracy from the first scene. American experience 2000 starring david mccullough and j. Travel on the california trail followed a tight schedule.
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