Admirable film.

A different way of telling a story

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

STAGECOACH is a slick, action-focused western from famous director John Ford, best known as the movie that catapulted John Wayne from B-movie success into Hollywood stardom. The plot is simplicity itself and involves a stagecoach riding through Apache territory. Much of it gets by thanks to character interplay between a diverse assortment of different types, among them Wayne's convict hero and John Carradine playing a gambler. After an hour of set-up, the climax lets rip with some well-shot mayhem and a ton of stunts. This isn't my favourite western, but it certainly sets the stage for subsequent entries in the genre.

Relegated to B-movie status, the Western was Hollywood's stepchild and was never thought of as a serious movie. Stagecoach changed all of that and movie history was made. Moral ambiguity abounds as a cast of disparate characters are put together in claustrophobic environments and forced to deal with each other in the ultimate road trip movie (still used today: Rain Man, Little Miss Sunshine). Orson Welles watched Stagecoach over 40 times while filming Citizen Kane and incorporated scenes with ceilings (a practice rarely used). Akira Kurosawa was inspired so much by this movie he went on to make The Seven Samarai. Stop and think about this for a minute, Stagecoach was responsible for two of the greatest movies ever made!! Combine this with being John Ford's first talking film, his first time filming in Monument Valley and John Wayne's star- making role makes this not only an influential Western genre film but also one of the most influential films of all time.

They Just Don't Make Westerns (Or Any Genre) Like This Anymore ... Critics Claim This Is The Movie That Made John Wayne A Star And It's Easy To See Why ... This Reminds Me Of The Movie "12 Angry Men" As These Travelers Make Their Way Across Apache Territory After Geronimo Has Declared War ... The Things They Learn About Who They Really Are Is The Corner Stone Of An Excellent Character Study ... John Ford's Brilliant Direction Moves Seamlessly Between Action And Calm Without Ever Losing Pace ... Even In Black And White The Scenery Is Marvelous ... Truly A Movie That Should Be Seen By Any Fan Of The Golden Era Of Movies ...

Imagine you are 25 year old Orson Welles watching this one more than three dozen times as he works on his masterpiece Citizen Kane. Such is the influence of John Ford's Stagecoach. It may or may not be the greatest western film of all-time (a matter of preference), but it's inarguably the most influential.More than 75 years later, it's difficult to imagine a time when John Ford and John Wayne weren't joined at the swaggering hip making movies together. By 1939, Ford had won an Oscar for The Informer (1935) but had not directed a western in more than a decade, while John Wayne's career to this point consisted of bit parts and B movies. The "firsts" here include: John Ford's first movie with John Wayne, the first movie filmed in Monument Valley, Ford's first talkie-western, and the first starring role in a major motion picture for John Wayne Probably the most iconic star-making screen ever is that first shot of John Wayne twirling and cocking the rifle as the camera zooms in on his face. It should be noted that The Duke was wearing his own cowboy hat – one he would wear in many movies over the years (until it finally was in such bad shape, it was placed in a glass display case at Mr. Wayne's home).Dudley Nichols (Oscar winning screenwriter for Ford's The Informer) adapted the original story from Ernest Haycox into a screenplay that examines the early attempts at transitioning the "wild west" into a more civilized society. Social commentary abounds as several characters from disparate background are crammed into a confined space (the titular stagecoach) for an extended period of time. Some viewers may complain about the use of clichés, but in fairness, what we have come to label as cliché, was anything but at the time.Adding their own special touch to the wide range of characters were some of the finest actors of the era. Claire Trevor was the best known star in the cast at the time, and she plays Dallas, the good-hearted woman whose past/profession causes her to be treated as an outcast by most in the group. Ms. Trevor would go on to win a Best Supporting Oscar for Key Largo (1948). Donald Meek plays the meek travelling salesman ironically named Peacock. John Carradine is perfectly cast as Hatfield, the elegant gambler carrying a secret. Drunken Doc Boone is played by Thomas Mitchell, who many will recognize as Uncle Billy in It's a Wonderful Life. Louise Platt plays Lucy Mallory, the pregnant wife who is on a mission to reunite with her soldier husband. The villainous banker is played with gusto by Berton Churchill, and Law Enforcement is represented by Marshal Wilcox, played by George Bancroft. The stagecoach is driven by the great Andy Devine (as Buck). Mr. Devine manages to create a bit of comedy relief by the use of his trademark high-pitched raspy voice. Other notables making an appearance are Tom Tyler (once known as the strongest man in America), Woody Strode (one of the saloon patrons) who is known best for his fight scene in Spartacus; and Tim Holt who brings the charging Calvary to the rescue, and is best known as one of the prospectors in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).Of course, it's John Ford and John Wayne who draw most of the attention when this film is discussed. The Duke plays bad-guy-with-a-heart Ringo Kid, and gets to show a pretty full spectrum of machismo, humanity, dignity and sensitivity. His extraordinary physical screen presence led him to the top of the film world with roles in some of the most popular films over the next 4 decades, capped by a Best Actor Oscar for True Grit (1969). John Ford won 4 Best Director Oscars (plus two special Oscars for his WWII documentaries): The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green was my Valley (1942), and The Quiet Man (1952).Two others deserve special mention. The movie provides Stuntman extraordinaire Yakima Canutt the opportunity for what may be his best and most daring stunt – leaping onto the moving stagecoach and its 6 horse team and then sliding down under the carriage and out the back … all at breakneck speed! It's fascinating to watch, and in this age of computerized special effects, it demands a level of awe and respect. While this film provided the first on screen glimpse of Monument Valley, it was Cinematographer Bert Glennon who figured out the best ways to take advantage of this breathtaking setting. Mr. Glennon was nominated for 3 Oscars (including Stagecoach), and was a frequent collaborator with both John Ford and Cecil B DeMille.Stagecoach received 7 Oscar nominations including wins for Thomas Mitchell as Best Supporting Actor and Best Music (score) for Richard Hagerman, W Frank Harling, John Leipold, Leo Shuken. The other nominees were for Best Picture, Best Director (Ford), Best Cinematographer, Best Art Direction and Best Editing. 1939 is considered by many to be the best ever year for movies: Gone with the Wind; Mr Smith Goes to Washington; Wuthering Heights; Goodbye, Mr Chips; Ninotchka; The Wizard of Oz; Of Mice and Men; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Young Mr Lincoln.Despite being the first movie to feature the "dead man's hand" – a pair of black aces and a pair of black eights (the hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was gunned down), this film continues to live on in cinematic lore and is often included in the discussion of the best westerns of all-time. It was a joyful experience to finally get to see this one on the big screen in a theatre setting. It's clear how this film elevated the western genre, and it certainly deserved recognition by the National Film Registry in 1995.