Stagecoach (1939)

January 31, 2023 9:02 AM

An assorted group of colorful passengers travels aboard the Overland stagecoach bound for Lordsburg, New Mexico, in the 1880s. An alcoholic philosophizer (Thomas Mitchell), a lady of ill repute (Claire Trevor) and a timid liquor salesman (Donald Meek) are among the motley crew of travelers who must contend with an escaped outlaw, the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), and the ever-present threat of an Apache attack as they make their way across the Wild West.

Also starring Andy Devine, John Carradine, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Berton Churchill, Tim Holt, Tom Tyler, Chief John Big Tree, Yakima Canutt, Francis Ford, William Hopper, Chris-Pin Martin, Paul McVey, Jack Pennick, Harry Tenbrook, Whitehorse, Hank Worden, Dorothy Appleby, Ted Billings, Wiggie Blowne, Danny Borzage, Ed Brady, Fritzi Brunette, Nora Cecil, Steve Clemente.

Produced and directed by John Ford. Written by Ben Hecht, Dudley Nichols, Ernest Haycox.

100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Widley available streaming. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total)

Orson Welles figured, leading up to the production of Citizen Kane, that he needed a film education.

His solution was to watch this 40+ times.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:32 AM on January 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

Lordsburg is my favorite western setting. It's dark. It's full of spectators hiding in the shadows (not unlike Greely's in Unforgiven). And it has a creepy red light district (not unlike Lolo's in A River Runs Through It).
posted by Stuka at 10:35 AM on January 31, 2023

I know I've told this before, but I took a pop culture class in college 20ish years ago & the professor decided he wanted it to be about Westerns because why not? This was the first movie we watched. It was a night class so we had a break in the middle & the professor was talking about John Wayne a bunch.

Before the movie restarted, a classmate turned to me and said "He keeps talking about John Wayne. Which one is John Wayne?"

And I didn't even know what to do with that. Even if you didn't know John Wayne before (what?) ... he's the one you want to look at!
posted by edencosmic at 4:34 PM on January 31, 2023 [2 favorites]

I never understood John Wayne’s appeal until I saw this movie and his entrance (“Hold it!”) is electric.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:42 AM on February 1, 2023 [3 favorites]