Barnes & Noble

Often lionized (affectionately but incorrectly) as the first "adult" western, Stagecoach certainly represents a milestone in movie history: In addition to plucking John Wayne from Poverty Row studios and setting him on the path to superstardom, it revitalized the genre by encouraging other filmmakers to craft big-budget westerns with more ambitious story lines and less stereotypical characters. Stagecoach is, first and foremost, a character study of nine disparate people riding a coach across trackless wastelands, where they’re victimized by the elements and menaced by marauding Indians. As the Ringo Kid, Wayne isn’t significantly different from the white-hatted heroes he previously played in dozens of cheap quickies -- but this time he’s surrounded by veteran players of major-film quality, including Claire Trevor (particularly affecting as a tenderhearted woman of ill repute), Thomas Mitchell (who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a garrulous, drunken doctor), George Bancroft, John Carradine, Berton Churchill, Donald Meek, Andy Devine, and Louise Platt. Director John Ford (The Searchers) trains his camera on starkly beautiful Monument Valley, which makes a picturesque backdrop for a vigorous battle with Indians on horseback -- a bravura sequence employing expert cinematography, stunt work, editing, and scoring. But it’s the interplay of finely drawn characters that really distinguishes Stagecoach, a landmark in the maturation of movie westerns and a timeless classic of cinema. The DVD provides notes on the film's production and includes seven different trailers. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Although there were Westerns before it, Stagecoach quickly became a template for all movie Westerns to come. Director John Ford combined action, drama, humor, and a set of well-drawn characters in the story of a stagecoach set to leave Tonto, New Mexico for a distant settlement in Lordsburg, with a diverse set of passengers on board. Dallas (Claire Trevor) is a woman with a scandalous past who has been driven out of town by the high-minded ladies of the community. Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt) is the wife of a cavalry officer stationed in Lordsburg, and she's determined to be with him. Hatfield (John Carradine) is a smooth-talking cardsharp who claims to be along to "protect" Lucy, although he seems to have romantic intentions. Dr. Boone (Thomas Mitchell) is a self-styled philosopher, a drunkard, and a physician who's been stripped of his license. Mr. Peacock (Donald Meek) is a slightly nervous whiskey salesman (and, not surprisingly, Dr. Boone's new best friend). Gatewood (Berton Churchill) is a crooked banker who needs to get out of town. Buck (Andy Devine) is the hayseed stage driver, and Sheriff Wilcox (George Bancroft) is along to offer protection and keep an eye peeled for the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), a well-known outlaw who has just broken out of jail. While Wilcox does find Ringo, a principled man who gives himself up without a fight, the real danger lies farther down the trail, where a band of Apaches, led by Geronimo, could attack at any time. Stagecoach offers plenty of cowboys, Indians, shootouts, and chases, aided by Yakima Canutt's remarkable stunt work and Bert Glennon's majestic photography of Ford's beloved Monument Valley. It also offers a strong screenplay by Dudley Nichols with plenty of room for the cast to show its stuff. John Wayne's performance made him a star after years as a B-Western leading man, and Thomas Mitchell won an Oscar for what could have been just another comic relief role. Thousands of films have followed Stagecoach's path, but no has ever improved on its formula. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 012569758995
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Time: 1:36:00

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