Back To Index Stagecoach
 Barnes & Noble Often lionized (affectionately but incorrectly) as the first "adult" western, Stagecoach certainly represents a milestone in movie history: In addition to plucking John Wayne from Poverty Row studios and setting him on the path to superstardom, it revitalized the genre by encouraging other filmmakers to craft big-budget westerns with more ambitious story lines and less stereotypical characters. Stagecoach is, first and foremost, a character study of nine disparate people riding a coach across trackless wastelands, where they’re victimized by the elements and menaced by marauding Indians. As the Ringo Kid, Wayne isn’t significantly different from the white-hatted heroes he previously played in dozens of cheap quickies -- but this time he’s surrounded by veteran players of major-film quality, including Claire Trevor (particularly affecting as a tenderhearted woman of ill repute), Thomas Mitchell (who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a garrulous, drunken doctor), George Bancroft, John Carradine, Berton Churchill, Donald Meek, Andy Devine, and Louise Platt. Director John Ford (The Searchers) trains his camera on starkly beautiful Monument Valley, which makes a picturesque backdrop for a vigorous battle with Indians on horseback -- a bravura sequence employing expert cinematography, stunt work, editing, and scoring. But it’s the interplay of finely drawn characters that really distinguishes Stagecoach, a landmark in the maturation of movie westerns and a timeless classic of cinema. The DVD provides notes on the films production and includes seven different trailers. Ed Hulse Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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