If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

This remake of the original John Ford-directed 1939 version sticks to the same characters and mostly to the same story details, based on the 1937 short story "The Stage to Lordsburg". However, there are a number of significant differences. First, in many viewer's minds,is the replacement of John Wayne as the Ringo Kid by Alex Cord, who simply lacked the charisma of "Big John". Second, this version was shot in color, still a rare privilege in '39, not enjoyed by Ford's film. To me, this makes a huge difference, especially with the verdant scenery of the Colorado Rockies replacing the dry dusty Monument Valley scenery of the original. Although the unusual erosion remnants of that valley provide an unusual backdrop in Ford's film, they would have been much more spectacular in color, as realized in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and "The Searchers". Third, rather than scripted as taking place in AZ and NM, with Geronimo's bunch the main antagonists, here it is scripted as taking place in Wyoming, with Crazy Horse's bunch the main antagonist. Fourth, this longer version adds an initial massacre of a camped cavalry detachment by a Sioux war party to get the action started quickly. This makes an immediate impression that this is dangerous county for a lone stage to be traveling through vs. only hearsay that the Apache are on the warpath, in the original. The road is sometimes quite perilous, on a narrow ledge in the mountains, or a very primitive excuse for a road, more so than in the original. In both films, the stage personnel are far too efficient for realism in their shooting down pursuing Indians. This is a near universal criticism of westerns. Of course, the director knows that many in the audiences like to see antagonists fall over dead, especially from a galloping horse. Unlike the original, the stage personnel in this version don't need the help of the serendipitous arrival of a cavalry unit to beat off the remaining Indians chasing them. Also, unlike the original, the stage loses a back wheel, which makes the last leg of the journey vary precarious. I much doubt whether a stage could 'fly' in this condition.The showdown between Luke Plummer and Ringo is staged quite differently in the two films. In the original, it's a simple "High Noon" affair in the darkened street, and we don't see Luke and his sons fall. In this film, the shootout takes place in a fancy saloon. Ringo shoots down a chandelier, which starts a fire(no doubt aided by some gasoline sprinkled around). This brings out the hiding Plummers, and we see them fall.While Alex Cord was no John Wayne, Ann-Margaret is a much more cheerful woman that Claire Trevor, in the role of Dallas. That makes it a more pleasant experience, though perhaps Claire's dramatization is more realistic. Bing Crosby's Doc. Boone is more pleasant than Thomas Mitchel's brooding version. Van Heflin's portrayal of Curley, the Marshall, I prefer to George Bancroft's version. Mike Conner, as the card shark, Hatfield, is a cheerful dapper fellow, very different from John Carradine's dark menacing-looking character in the original. I prefer Donald Meek's characterization of the nervous whiskey drummer in the original over that of Red Buttons. I also prefer Andy Devine, with his unique manner of speaking and personality, in the original, over Slim Pickens, as the stage driver. However, Slim was also well cast in this role.On the whole, I prefer the remake over the original, despite the absence of a charismatic actor for Ringo. You may consider the generally darker atmosphere of the original more appropriate. I don't consider either version as among my favorite westerns. "Dark Command", Wayne's 1940 offering is more to my liking.

I love John Wayne's bulk and toughness in Stagecoach. He's the epitome of "a man to be reckoned with", but this version (1966) of Stagecoach, starring Alex Cord and Ann-Margaret is definitely worth seeing. In fact, I much prefer this version to John Wayne's... simply because John Wayne (though an exceptional actor in his own right and worthy of all the honors heaped upon him during his career), has always had a tendency to seem a bit "stiff" and it feels as if he "reads" his lines. I love John Wayne, but I've always had trouble watching his westerns because of that. He's definitely not a "love scene" Don Juan and in this version of Stagecoach Alex Cord and Ann-Margaret play up the love interest very effectively. They create a softness to The Ringo Kid (Alex Cord) that needs to be seen for the ending of the movie - the showdown - to be affective. There's an intense tension in this version that is sadly lacking in the original... and that's what makes this version of Stagecoach so great. Prove me wrong... watch it yourself all the way through.

Many people question why this and other films that we think are great are remade. I don't know about many others, but I did hear about why this one may have been remade.Before there was Cable TV and Movie Classic Channels people like me were at the mercy of TV programmers. We could look through TV Guides or newspapers and hope to find a certain movie would be on and then maybe it was showing at a time we would actually be around to watch it. Didn't have VCR's back then either.Then there were movies that weren't available for TV. Sometimes the powers that be wouldn't allow the movie to be shown on TV because they didn't approve commercials interrupting the director's vision. Sometimes there was other reasons that they weren't available for TV.I heard that the 1939 version of Stagecoach was one these movies. I can't find anything about this online, but I seem to remember hearing it. I do know that I didn't see the 1939 version till sometime in the 1990's. I see it was re-released in 1996.So, if people were deprived of seeing the original, then I can see why a remake was done and they didn't do a bad job either. I had put off seeing the 1966 version simply because the original is readily available and played frequently on TV here. I got to see it today and it in no way comes close to the original, but it isn't anything that anyone connected to it need be embarrassed about.As for other classics being remade in this day and age when the originals are easily available, well, Don't even get me started on that tangent, makes me want to pick up my Winchester and ride the Stagecoach into Indian Territory!

Agree with a comment about another Edition of Stagecoach.....that with Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings etc. DON'T COMPARE this with the John Wayne movie....Just enjoy it on its own. Alex Cord is cool, Ann Margaret beautiful, Red Buttons and Bing Crosby fun..... I still use Red's lines "la la la la la la etc............." Keenan Wynn is great as usual....Even at that...let's compare a little..... This movie is IN COLOR....and it has great credit art by Norman Rockwell.... I bought the book....don't remember reading it..... maybe it is good..... BUT the book had the portraits of the main characters by Rockwell and the Stagecoach, as does the movie. Very cool. Jerry Goldsmith's music is quite nice and the song Stagecoach to Cheyenne (Pockriss and Vance) and the twangy jews harp..... memorable!Also...Remember, this is just on the verge of the Revolution....when the movies went akilter....the antihero came on etc. This is in the last tier of basic Nice Pleasant movies, when you knew who the good guys were and who the baddies were.... 1966. Italian spaghetti westerns were just being made this year, too. The good writing from the first movie ....the basic plot is still here and it holds together.... This group of people have to or need to go to Cheyenne, even though it could mean attack from Indians. Danger.Slim Pickens is Great as Buck, the Coach Driver and Van Heflin, the co-star of Shane, is fun to see in a western once more,too..... Enjoy!