Stagecoach1939
Stagecoach (1939)
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AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Typifying the best that the Western genre has to offer, Stagecoach is a rip-roaring adventure given dramatic heft by John Ford's dynamic direction and John Wayne's mesmerizing star turn.
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Movie Info
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Cast
as The Ringo Kid
as Dr. Josiah Boone
as Dallas
as Hatfield
as Buck Rickabaugh
as Mr. Samuel Peacock
as Lucy Mallory
as Sheriff Curly Wilcox
as Henry Gatewood
as Lt. Blanchard
as Luke Plummer
as Chris
as Yakima
as Billy Pickett
as Mrs. Pickett
as Capt. Whitney
as Billy Pickett Jr.
as Capt. Sickels
as Indian Scout
as Mrs. Gatewood
as Sheriff
as Mrs. Nancy Whitney
as Ike Plummer
as Hank Plummer
as Cavalry Scout
as Telegraph Operator
as Express Agent
as Jerry the Bartender
as Sergeant
as Capt. Simmons
as Dr. Boone's Housekeeper
as Dancing Girl
as Dancing Girl
as Cowboy
as Cowboy
as Sheriff of Lordsburg
as Lucy's Baby
as Saloon Keeper
as Editor in Lordsburg
as Deputy
as Expressman Jim
as Ogler
as Barfly
as Lordsburg Express Agent
as Cavalryman
as Deputy
as Bartender
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Critic Reviews for Stagecoach
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (0) | DVD (4)
Directorially, production is John Ford in peak form, sustaining interest and suspense throughout, and presenting exceptional characterizations. Picture is a display of photographic grandeur.
The rugged background of Monument Valley, Ariz..., the admirable pace given to the screen play by Writer Dudley Nichols and Director John Ford, the unostentatious acting of a well-chosen cast make it one of the season's most satisfactory pictures.
One of the most fascinating motion pictures ever released is Walter Wanger's Stagecoach, which definitely should go on your "must see" list. In fact, I urge you to go out of your way to see it.
Its virtues remain intact.
With this, Ford transformed the western from fading B-movie filler into genuine adult fare.
Seen today, Stagecoach may not seem very original. That's because it influenced countless later movies in which a mixed bag of characters are thrown together by chance and forced to survive an ordeal.
Audience Reviews for Stagecoach
How riveting it is to be immersed in this classic influential Western that is not only entertaining and exciting but is above all a sincere story that always rings true with its unforgettable gallery of three-dimensional characters who grow on us and make us care so much about them.
Super Reviewer
A stagecoach containing a disparate assortment of characters comes under Indian attack. John Ford revolutionized the genre with this beautifully crafted western and John Wayne was catapulted to stardom for his performance as the vengeance seeking gunfighter caught up in defending a group of strangers. But for me, the film is all about Thomas Mitchell as his preferred typecast of intellectual drunkard although it's one of many wonderful performances as the faultless cast represent a hugely likeable bunch and offer Ford an opportunity to highlight social prejudices. The message is to never judge a book by its cover as outlaws can be honourable, "fallen women" can be thoughtful and considerate, drunks can be courageous and respected gentlemen can be crooks. Also featuring some ground breaking stuntwork, this story has been remade many times and its influence can be seen in everything from the work of Akira Kurosawa to The Breakfast Club and it still stands up as one of the very best of the genre.
Super Reviewer
I realize that my review is going to be considered controversial, but listen, this is all just my opinion. I do love westerns. They are an American institution, and, by and large, have proven to be perhaps the only genre films that are truly uniquely American. Having said that, this film is overrated. Yes, it wasn't the first western, but it pretty much defined the genre and set the standard for basically every film to follow for the new few decades until revisionism hit starting in the late 60s. This put both John Ford and John Wayne on the map, making icons and legends out of them, but c'mon, if you strip away all of the historical, culutral, and aesthetic significances, and ignore the film's influence and legacy, it's really not all that special or interesting. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it really hasn't held up that well. Perhaps I'd feel a lot differently had this been the first western I ever saw, but since it is so old, and things have changed so much since then, I can't help but kinda take this for granted by default. The plot follows nine travelers thrust together on the titular vehicle as they make their way across the west through the dangerous Apache Territory, and how they must all band together if they want to survive. Okay, so fine, the plot's not much, but the performances do slightly make up for it, and yeah, it looks decent, and the music is really good, and the stunts and action are okay, but I can't let myself get swept up in everything and give this one a high rating by default. I'll admit that I've done that sort of thing in the past, and maybe I need to be more honest and make some reconsiderations, but for now, with this one, I'm standing my ground and saying that yes, while this is a landmark film, it's not a masterpiece when taken solely on its own terms.
Super Reviewer
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