One of director john fords defining movies, it also elevated john wayne to stardom. Many of the elements of movie westerns are to be found in stagecoach, including the john wayne character s summation of what westerns are all about. The western was a bmovie experience during this time period, a surprising thought considering the alist talent associated with this 1939 film. In the front, sit buck the driver and marshal curley wilcox, who is riding shotgun to protect the stage from hostile indians and from the plummer brothers, a vicious band of outlaws. Aug 29, 2014 stagecoach 1939 one of the most comprehensive westerns youll ever see in that it contains all the familiar storylines what would become stereotypical characters scenery e. Despite the familiarity of these conventions, stagecoach holds our attention effortlessly and is paced with the elegance of a symphony. Parents need to know that stagecoach is a classic, landmark western from 1939, a masterpiece from director john ford that featured john wayne in his breakout role.
Ringo kid wayne joins the stagecoach cos his horse has gone. Stagecoach 1939 the definition of depression giggles is pretty fluid in my class because were touching on every genre which hit theaters during the 1930s. Cavalry scout indian attacking stagecoach uncredited nora cecil. Ford doesnt squander his action and violence in an attempt to whore for those with short attention spans, but tells astory, during which we learn to know the characters and become invested in them. Buck is the affable and comic driver of the stagecoach. Find movie and film cast and crew information for stagecoach 1939. The 1939 western stagecoach once and for all established the duke john wayne as the supreme actor in the genre. Ernest haycox story stage to lordsburg dudley nichols. It is considered one of the great films in cinemas greatest year, 1939. This western eclipsed all films in the genre that had gone before it, and so vastly influenced those that followed. Scenes of action alternate with scenes of character development, a. Find movie and film cast and crew information for stagecoach 1939 john ford on allmovie. Stagecoach was released the same year as gone with the wind, the wizard of oz, mr. The plot, the characters, and the music all seem to take about half the film to gel, and until they do, some of the pieces can be irritating before they finally fit together.
Dec 07, 2014 stagecoach 1939 official trailer john wayne, john ford western movie hd. Monument valley and other elements one associates with the genre. Cast member louise platt, in a letter recounting the experience of the films. A tonto businessman climbs out and two figures remain sitting in the coach. Stagecoach is a classic 1939 western directed by the legendary john ford, notable as the starmaking role for the even more legendary john wayne. The texas jack story 1 hours and 30 minutes movie 2016 a former stagecoach robber is hunted by a vengeful us marshal. Stagecoach 1939 directed by john ford from a screenplay by dudley nichols is generally. From the last part of the stagecoach journey through the final scene of the film is a fine sequence, though, and certainly, the whole movie is far above many 30s westerns. Stagecoach and hollywoods awestern renaissance pdf. Stagecoach is a 1939 american western film directed by john ford and starring claire trevor and john wayne in his breakthrough role. To optimize your experience with your screen reading software, please use our website, which has the same tickets as our and websites. Smith goes to washington, wuthering heights, dark victory, the wizard of oz, of mice and men and ninotchka were all nominated for best picture alongside stagecoach that year. John fords landmark western revolves around an assorted group of colorful passengers aboard the overland stagecoach bound for lordsburg, new mexico, in the 1880s. They include rummy sawbones josiah boone bing crosby, dancehall girl and prostitute.
It would be hard to think of american cinema without thinking of westerns, and it would be hard to think of westerns without. Director john ford combined action, drama, humor, and a set of welldrawn 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. Stagecoach changed all of that and movie history was made. Mar 04, 2012 the 1939 western stagecoach once and for all established the duke john wayne as the supreme actor in the genre. Ive always been intrigued by the western genre of books,films and games etc but i never took a complete plunge into it. Notes for viewing john fords stagecoach the movie is set in 1885.
John fords smash hit and enduring masterpiece stagecoach revolutionized the western, elevating it from b movie to the alist and establishing the genre as we. The real villain of john fords stagecoach 1939 bright lights. Stagecoach is a 1939 american western film directed by john ford and starring claire trevor. This movie was designed for grownups, exploring complex psychological, moral and character issues through its simple story. Oct 09, 2016 united artists released stagecoach to theaters on march 3, 1939. Wayne gets a solid entrance after we have heard about him multiple times from other characters. A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of geronimo and learn something about each other in the process. Smith goes to washington, wuthering heights, and of mice and men, and still, even with all that competition. Although there were westerns before it, stagecoach quickly became a template for all movie westerns to come. He cares about his passengers and about getting them safely to lordsburg, and his fear of danger often leads. Cast and crew credits for stagecoach, 1939, directed by john ford, with claire trevor, john wayne, andy devine, at turner classic movies. In 1855, the overland stage from tonto to lordsburg leaves town with eight people on board.
George bancroft, john wayne and louise platt in stagecoach 1939 in june 1880, a group of strangers board the stagecoach from tonto, arizona territory, to lordsburg, new mexico. Moral ambiguity abounds as a cast of disparate characters are put together in. Title, quality, size, seeders, leechers, download, magnet. The classic western, stagecoach is one of john fords greatest frontier epics. Director ford also wove into the story colorful western characters from bret hartes the. The script is full of wit and intelligence never once feeling blighted by dated dialogue exchanges, the cast are totally believable and if the characters seem ever so slightly stereotypical then they are but what you have to remember is this was 1939 and since then stagecoach has been copied and plagurised to the point where it no longer feels. More a drama than an action film, stagecoach rescued both its genre and its star, john wayne a charisma machine here as a goodhearted outlaw, from bmovie oblivian. Rent stagecoach 1939 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. John fords stagecoach 1939 starring john wayne and claire.
John ford directs the film which stars john wayne, claire trevor, andy devine. Stagecoach 1939 official trailer john wayne, john ford western. Run by jeff surrett bruce cabot, dodge city isnt safe for anyone or anything. Read the full synopsis of stagecoach, 1939, directed by john ford, with claire trevor, john wayne, andy devine, at turner classic movies. Apr 25, 2016 the main characters of stagecoach western films have had a long, tough road in film history, and stagecoach is the golden example of the greatness that can come from this genre. One of his more humorous affects is his constantly cracking voice. An eclectic group of settlers boards a stagecoach in tonto, arizona territory. Mar 02, 2020 stagecoach, american western film, released in 1939, that is a classic of the genre, widely considered to be the first adult western. Many of the elements of movie westerns are to be found in stagecoach, including the john wayne character s summation of. Outbound from a small town recently besieged by indians, a stagecoach carries several diverse characters. Two notable westerns were released in 1939 that transcended the bmovie cheapie status that had defined that genre for ten years or more. Stagecoach 1939 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Stagecoach 1939 a one of the 15 films listed in the category art on the vatican film list.
Yet stagecoach is one of the films that initiated these conventions and perhaps has lost some of its freshness only through subsequent imitation of later works. Stagecoach 1939 john ford synopsis, characteristics. That changed when i played the game call of juarez gunslinger, a fantastic fast paced shooter which sold me on the genre and immediately started looking for some classic western movies and. The film opens as a stagecoach is set to make the perilous journey from. Like the characters in last stage to lordsburg, the characters in the film stagecoach are stereotypes, but, except for gatewood, they acquire a depth and humanity that haycoxs characters dont. Thats because it influenced countless later movies in which a mixed bag of characters are thrown together by chance and forced to survive an ordeal. Stagecoach 1939 is a classic western from film auteur john ford. Fandom apps take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Director john ford combined action, drama, humor, and a set of welldrawn characters. Good story, great cast, and the best thing that ever happened to the duke, director, john ford. The screenplay by dudley nichols is an adaptation of the stage to lordsburg, a 1937 short story by ernest haycox.
Stagecoach 1939 film ultimate pop culture wiki fandom. He also develops the action and its meaning by showing how characters react to one another. Forget genre prejudices and thrill to john wayne, claire trevor and all of the rest of one of the richest supporting casts. A national catholic register videodvd picks film sdg. It holds up as a sturdy piece of storytelling, paced just right with plenty of room for its characters to breathe. An inferior, technicolor remake was attempted by gordon douglas in the 60s, stagecoach 1966 with bing crosby, annmargret, robert cummings, stefanie powers, and red buttons. Media in category stagecoach 1939 film the following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. All of the characters riding inside fords stagecoach are transformed by the experience. Stagecoach 1939 cast and crew cast photos and info fandango. Before 1939, most talking westerns were dashedoff second. Stagecoach quickly became a template for all movie westerns to come.
Jul 31, 2012 the classic john ford western stagecoach 1939 is a movie for everybody. Stagecoach is a 1939 american western film directed by john ford, starring. See the full list of cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. This film his first sound western was a return to his mostacclaimed film genre after a thirteen year absence following foxs three bad men 1926 and the iron horse 1924. Based on ernest haycoxs story stage to lordsburg, john fords stagecoach 1939 is considered one of the first great westerns, ranked 63rd on the american film institutes list of the top 100 films.
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