{"id":31993,"date":"2013-07-01T16:47:55","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T23:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31993"},"modified":"2021-01-01T10:44:38","modified_gmt":"2021-01-01T17:44:38","slug":"stagecoach-1939","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31993","title":{"rendered":"Stagecoach (1939)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;There are some things a man just can&#8217;t run away from.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Poster-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-31998\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Poster-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Poster-681x1024.jpg 681w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Poster.jpg 1996w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA diverse group of passengers &#8212; including a prostitute (Claire Trevor), an alcoholic doctor (Thomas Mitchell), a gambler (John Carradine), a whiskey seller (Donald Meek), a shady banker (Berton Churchill), a sheriff (George Bancroft), and the pregnant wife (Louise Platt) of a cavalry officer &#8212; embark on a stagecoach trip led by a nervous driver (Andy Devine), despite warning of warring Apaches up ahead. Along the way, Bancroft picks up an escaped prisoner (John Wayne) who falls for Trevor &#8212; but will they survive both the rigors of their journey, and the outlaws waiting for Wayne at their final destination?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Claire Trevor Films<\/li>\n<li>George Bancroft Films<\/li>\n<li>John Carradine Films<\/li>\n<li>John Ford Films<\/li>\n<li>John Wayne Films<\/li>\n<li>Morality Police<\/li>\n<li>Prostitutes and Gigolos<\/li>\n<li>Road Trip<\/li>\n<li>Thomas Mitchell Films<\/li>\n<li>Westerns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary opens his review of this &#8220;seminal&#8221; John Ford western &#8212; written by Dudley Nichols, whose &#8220;script was adapted from <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ernest_Haycox\">Ernest Haycox<\/a>&#8216;s story &#8216;Stage to Lordsburg'&#8221; &#8212; by accurately referring to it as &#8220;the type of film you&#8217;ll take for granted&#8221;, and noting that &#8220;between viewings, one forgets what a magnificent film [it] is&#8221;. He adds that &#8220;Ford kept it simple &#8212; it is a simple morality play &#8212; but directed with great feeling for the West, the time, and for his characters&#8221;, and notes that &#8220;it&#8217;s obvious that the actors really cared about the people they played&#8221;. He points out that while &#8220;we may [primarily] recall the action scenes &#8212; a lengthy Indian attack on the stage, John Wayne as the Ringo Kid shooting it out with three bad guys&#8221; &#8212; one &#8220;sees that Ford is more interested in how characters respond to danger &#8212; for instance, are they worrying about themselves or others when lives are at stake?&#8221; Indeed, <em>Stagecoach<\/em> is essentially a compelling, character-driven drama couched within a consistently suspenseful western-adventure, and bolstered by a sweet romance &#8212; the perfect recipe for a genuine American classic!<\/p>\n<p>I believe this was the film that sparked my admiration for character-actress Claire Trevor as a teenage film fanatic; I recall learning that she considered herself merely a &#8220;working stiff&#8221; in Hollywood, trying to survive as a single mother, and that I felt intense admiration for her no-nonsense approach to a notoriously ego-filled field. She&#8217;s top-billed among the ensemble cast here, and deserves this status, given that she&#8217;s the emotional glue holding the stagecoach passengers together. When Platt suddenly gives birth along the journey (during the film&#8217;s most heartfelt extended sequence), Trevor selflessly cares for the newborn while Platt recovers; and when she&#8217;s given the unprecedented opportunity (by Wayne) to turn her life around, she cares more about his safety than her own future. Speaking of Wayne, he&#8217;s never been more charismatic or appealing than he is here (as Peary points out, &#8220;What an entrance Ford gave him!&#8221;); and the rest of the &#8220;marvelously cast&#8221; supporting players &#8212; Mitchell, Meek, Carradine, unknown Platt, and others &#8212; are excellent as well. I especially like how nearly every character in the story is given an arc of some kind, and allowed to emerge by the film&#8217;s end as someone much more nuanced than we could ever have expected.<\/p>\n<p>All this in a &#8220;mere&#8221; western! &#8212; one which, on the surface, seems like simply a conglomeration of conventional characters and situations, yet comes together so seamlessly it&#8217;s been studied as a masterwork by countless famed directors (most notably Orson Welles). Indeed, <em>Stagecoach<\/em> is an excellent example of a solid genre flick which simultaneously functions as a vehicle for deeper musings on human nature. To that end, Peary notes that &#8220;the coach serves as an arena for a clash between those who represent society&#8221; (the banker, the doctor, the married woman, and the salesman) and &#8220;those whom society considers outsiders&#8221; (the escaped prisoner, the prostitute, the gambler) &#8212; with nearly all the former passengers (the corrupt banker being a key exception) &#8220;won over&#8221; by the latter, and the driver and sheriff remaining &#8220;<em>outside<\/em> on the ride through the wilderness&#8221; (they represent &#8220;neutral figures who are part of civilization but have open minds towards those who don&#8217;t fit in&#8221;). <\/p>\n<p>While I&#8217;m not generally a fan of Ford&#8217;s characteristic incorporation of humor throughout his films (usually in the form of buffoonish characters), in this case he uses humor as a starting point for some surprisingly heartwarming revelations: Mitchell&#8217;s tippling doctor, for instance, eventually sobers up enough to deliver Platt&#8217;s baby (and to be of genuine help during the pivotal, excitingly directed Indian attack); Meek may initially stand &#8220;meekly&#8221; by while Mitchell downs his supply, but he ultimately proves he&#8217;s more than merely a spineless sap; Devine&#8217;s whimpering ninny of a stagecoach driver keeps going despite his own worst fears (which come true); etc.  <\/p>\n<p>Regardless of whether one chooses to view this film as part of Ford&#8217;s broader oeuvre &#8212; or merely as an engaging flick in its own right &#8212; it remains a must-see classic, one worthy of multiple enjoyable visits. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Interestingly, at the time he directed <em>Stagecoach<\/em>, Ford &#8212; who&#8217;s largely remembered these days for helming countless classic westerns &#8212; hadn&#8217;t made one in 13 years, since the silent western <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=25775\"><em>Three Bad Men<\/em> (1926)<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Claire Trevor as Dallas<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-32000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Wayne as the Ringo Kid<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Wayne.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Wayne-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-32002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Wayne-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Wayne-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Wayne-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Wayne.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Donald Meek as Mr. Peacock<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Meek2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Meek2-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-31994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Meek2-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Meek2-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Meek2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Meek2.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Thomas Mitchell as Doc Boone<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Mitchell.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Mitchell-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-31995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Mitchell-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Mitchell-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Mitchell-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Mitchell.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bert Glennon&#8217;s &#8220;magnificent&#8221; cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Cinematography-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-32004\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Cinematography-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Cinematography-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Cinematography-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Cinematography.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Iconic use of Monument Valley as a backdrop<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Monument-Valley2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Monument-Valley2-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-31997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Monument-Valley2-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Monument-Valley2-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Monument-Valley2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Monument-Valley2.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Expert direction by Ford<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor2-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-32001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor2-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor2-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Trevor2.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The genuinely exciting Apache attack sequence<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Shootout.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Shootout-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-31999\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Shootout-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Shootout-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Shootout-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Stagecoach-Shootout.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>An Oscar-winning score &#8220;adapted from American folk songs&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, of course &#8212; this one is a genuine classic, and ranks among my<br \/>\npersonal favorite westerns. Nominated one of the Best Films of the Year in Peary&#8217;s <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0031971\/?ref_=sr_1\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.nytimes.com\/movie\/review?res=9801E1DB173BE533A25750C0A9659C946894D6CF\">NY Times Original Review<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/stagec.html\">FilmSite Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/index.php?page=review&#038;id=2380\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.tvguide.com\/stagecoach\/review\/118837\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3204stag.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/li>\n<li><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/stagec.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/91227\/stagecoach#articles-reviews?articleId=12474\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/llaNx8auHzs\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;There are some things a man just can&#8217;t run away from.&#8221; Synopsis: A diverse group of passengers &#8212; including a prostitute (Claire Trevor), an alcoholic doctor (Thomas Mitchell), a gambler (John Carradine), a whiskey seller (Donald Meek), a shady banker (Berton Churchill), a sheriff (George Bancroft), and the pregnant wife (Louise Platt) of a cavalry officer &#8212; embark on a stagecoach trip led by a nervous driver (Andy Devine), despite warning of warring Apaches up ahead. Along the way, Bancroft&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31993\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31993"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60992,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31993\/revisions\/60992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}