Stagecoach
by John Ford
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Andy Devine, Claire Trevor, John Carradine, John Wayne, Thomas MitchellDirector: John Ford
Brand: Warner Brothers
Cinematographer: Bert Glennon
Producer: John Ford
Editor: Dorothy Spencer
Editor: Otho Lovering
Writer: Ben Hecht
Writer: Dudley Nichols
Writer: Ernest Haycox
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-08-02
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of Stagecoach
Movie Review: There are some things a man just can't run away from
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1939, the modern adult Western was created when director John Ford collaborated for the first time with B-movie cowboy actor John Wayne in STAGECOACH. But although this film would catapult Wayne to A-list stardom, it is really an ensemble piece of the highest quality. This was also the first collaboration between John Ford and Monument Valley, where he was destined to return time and time again throughout his career.
In STAGECOACH, John Ford introduces a number of stock character types that nevertheless resist falling into cliche due to the fine story that he is telling here and the standout performances from this cast. The premise is a stagecoach journey through hostile territory which throws together a disparate group of travellers who, each with their own stories and problems, grow closer due to the trials and difficulties of this journey.
Ford consistently has great supporting actors in all his films, and STAGECOACH is particularly blessed. Claire Trevor plays Dallas, the fallen woman with a heart of gold who has been run out of town along with Doc Boone, the flamboyantly alcoholic doctor played brilliantly by the wonderful Thomas Mitchell. Wayne plays the Ringo Kid who has recently broken out of jail with vengeance on his mind. John Carradine plays Hatfield, the courtly Southern gambler and Louise Platt is Lucy Mallory, the pregnant Southern wife of a cavalry officer intent on joining her husband at his post. Donald Meeks plays Peacock, the small, meek whiskey drummer heading back to Kansas City to rejoin his wife and kids and Berton Churchill plays Gatewood, the pompous corrupt banker who has embezzled his banks funds and is running away from his shrewish wife. Gatewood is the only character who remains aloof from the rest of the group throughout the journey. Rounding out the ensemble are George Bancroft as the marshall taking Ringo back to jail and Andy Devine as the rotund, comic stage driver.
In my opinion, the standout star of the ensemble is Mitchell, who was arguably the most accomplished actor in the cast at the time the film was made. His heavily nuanced portrayal of the drunken, disgraced doctor who shows his true mettle and gains redemption by the end is outstanding. 1939 was a busy year for Mitchell, with supporting roles in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS, MR SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, and, especially, GONE WITH THE WIND. But significantly, he won his Oscar that year for STAGECOACH.
Another star of this movie is the beautiful black and white cinematography of Bert Glennon. It is interesting to note that Orson Welles studied STAGECOACH extensively prior to shooting CITIZEN KANE. Some of Glennon's techniques such as deep focus photography and low-angle interior shots showing ceilings (actually stretched muslin) would show up in spades in KANE. John Ford himself would further develop this style when he worked with legendary cinematographer Gregg Toland in THE GRAPES OF WRATH and THE LONG VOYAGE HOME. Toland, of course, would go on to shoot CITIZEN KANE for Welles.
STAGECOACH is a perfectly satisfying cinematic experience even if it is a bit simplistically optimistic for my tastes, unlike the later, more complex Ford films. Also, the John Ford directorial "style" (the longer takes and resistance to cutting in of close-ups) is not as firmly established here as it would later become. For these reasons, there are other John Wayne, John Ford movies that I like better. But STAGECOACH remains an absolute essential to any fan of the Western, of John Ford, and of John Wayne.
Jeremy W. Forstadt
Summary of Stagecoach
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