Nine strangers take what begins
as a typical stagecoach journey through Arizona on the way to New Mexico only
to find themselves in danger when Geronimo goes on the warpath. The nine people
become band together to survive the threat, learning secrets about each other.
The film is one of director John Ford’s masterpiece
westerns starring John
Wayne (along with The
Searchers and The Man Who Shot
Liberty Valance). Though Ford won four Best Director Oscars during his
career, he never won for one of his westerns (for which he is best remembered).
Stagecoach was also the only western in which he received a Best Director
nomination. Ford worked with composer Gerard Carbonara,
cinematographer Bert Glennon,
and art director Alexander
Toluboff on the film.
The ensemble cast features Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell (who won an Oscar
for his work in the film), Louise
Platt, George Bancroft, Donald Meek, and Berton Churchill in addition to
John Wayne.
What sets Stagecoach apart from
other westerns is that it is not just a typical cowboys and Indians or white
hats and black hats genre piece, though there is a bit of that in there too.
Rather, it develops its characters, digging into social issues like social
prejudices, alcoholism, and greed. This film was also highly regarded by auteur
Orson Welles,
who studied it intensely before and during the making of his first feature Citizen Kane. It is a
must-see for fans of Ford and Wayne, and those looking to see the best westerns
in cinematic history. Stagecoach was nominated for Best Picture, but lost to Gone
with the Wind.
Trailer: Here
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