- Sea Captain Windwagon Smith hits Westport, Kansas, the starting point of the old Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, and is quickly the laughing stock of the town; instead of traveling in the usual oxen-drawn covered wagon, he is at the helm and wheel of a Contestoga-type wagon with a full set of sails. He plans to go to Oregon by taking advantage of the prairie winds. First, he wins over the town mayor, falls in love with the mayor's beautiful daughter, Molly Crum, and then secures financial backing from the townspeople. He sets sail across the plains, with Molly Crum as a covered-wagon stowaway, and a Kansas twister looming on the horizon. And, then, the wind hits the sails. And the fan, too, if he had had one.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
- At the start of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, lies the sleepy little town of Westport, Kansas. One day, the townsfolk are thrown into an uproar when a strange contraption comes 'sailing' into town amid a cloud of dust.
The contraption turns out to be a conastoga wagon, with rigging like that of a sailing vessel. At the helm of the wagon is a man named Windwagon Smith. After having sailed the 7 seas, Smith has now set his sights on sailing the lone prairie.
After a meal (served by the Mayor's lovely daughter, Molly), the Mayor and his associates have a proposition for Smith: could his windwagon be made to carry freight? Smith sees no reason why not, and says that the windwagon could become a very economical and lucrative way to transport goods. Whereas a cart with oxen can take 4 months to travel the Santa Fe trail, Smith's mode of transportation could cover the distance in 2 weeks! This claim wins over many of the men in town, and when Smith unveils his plans for a super-windwagon, the business venture begins.
During the construction of the super-windwagon, Smith continues to woo Molly, much to the Mayor's displeasure.
Finally, construction is complete, and the board of executives go aboard for the maiden voyage. Molly wishes to go as well, but her Father refuses. Smith then sets the 'ship' adrift, and the windwagon pitches to and fro, causing many of the board members to become riled, demanding to be let off. Smith turns the 'ship' around, but the tiller becomes stuck, causing each of the members to bail out as they pass by Westport.
As Smith prepares to go down with his ship, Molly appears, telling him that she had stowed away. However, their reunion is cut short when a tornado comes along and scoops up the super-windwagon. In doing so, the tiller is finally dislodged, and Smith and Molly ride atop the tornado as it continues across the plains.
In a musical epilogue, it is claimed that the citizens of Westport never saw Smith, Molly, or the super-windwagon again. However, some assume that Smith and Molly are in the skies above, sailing along on the clouds above the great midwestern prairies.
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By what name was The Saga of Windwagon Smith (1961) officially released in Canada in English?
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