Stagecoach (film)

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Stagecoach

original film poster
Directed by John Ford
Produced by Walter Wanger (Exec. Prod.)
Written by Ernest Haycox (story)
Dudley Nichols & Ben Hecht
Starring Claire Trevor
John Wayne
Music by Gerard Carbonara
Cinematography Bert Glennon
Editing by Otho Lovering
Dorothy Spencer
Walter Reynolds
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) February 15, 1939
Running time 96 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role.

The screenplay is an adaptation of 'The Stage to Lordsburg', a short story by Ernest Haycox, itself inspired by another short story, Boule de Suif by Guy de Maupassant.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A motley group of strangers boards the stagecoach to Lordsburg, New Mexico, among them Dallas (Claire Trevor), a woman of ill repute driven out by the local womenfolk, alcoholic Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell), pompous banker Henry Gatewood (Barton Churchill), Southern gentleman Hatfield (John Carradine), pregnant cavalry officer's wife Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt), whisky salesman Samuel Peacock (Donald Meek), Marshal Curly Wilcox (George Bancroft) and the driver, Buck (Andy Devine). Along the way, they pick up the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), who has broken out of jail to get even with the Plummer brothers for killing his father and brother. Though they are friends, he is promptly taken into custody by Curly. As the trip progresses, the Kid takes a strong liking to Dallas.

They encounter a cavalry detachment, which informs them that Geronimo and his Apache warriors are loose. At this point, Lucy faints from exhaustion, and Doc Boone shoos everyone out of the room. They are left in the outer room pacing around nervously, until he reappears with the recovering Lucy and a newly-delivered baby. They then hold a vote to decide whether to proceed to Lordsburg or turn back. They go forward. At a rest stop, Ringo makes a break for it, but turns back when he sees signs of the Indians. Curly then releases the Kid to help fight them off. A long chase ensues, in which Hatfield is killed and Peacock is injured. Just when they are almost out of ammunition, the U.S. cavalry comes to the rescue.

The rest of the passengers make it safely into town, whereupon Gatewood is arrested by the local sheriff for stealing bank funds. Dallas begs Ringo not to go up against the Plummers, but he has to go settle matters. In a shootout, the Kid dispatches Luke Plummer (Tom Tyler), his brother and a henchman. He returns to Curly, expecting to go back to jail; he asks the lawman to take Dallas to his ranch. When he gets on a wagon to say goodbye to her, Curly and Doc laughingly start the horses moving, letting him "escape". It ends with the sheriff offering to buy Doc Boone a drink, and the alcoholic Boone surprises everyone by replying, "Just one."

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Awards and honors

Trevor and Wayne
Enlarge
Trevor and Wayne

[edit] Winner

[edit] Nominated

[edit] Honors

The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

[edit] Trivia

  • This was the first of many films that John Ford made in Monument Valley, Utah, many starring John Wayne.

[edit] Principal cast

[edit] Remakes

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