Get Up On This Stagecoach Partner!

A lot of times when you go back to the earliest piece of work from a legendary actor, it's bound to be some small-scale role without much in the way of glamor, an amusing contrast to the massive presence they would cultivate in the years to follow. Do you think anyone watching Grizzly II: The Concert back in 1983 would have thought that fella playing the bit character of Ron would end up becoming George Clooney, one of the biggest leading men of all-time? How about the fella who played Detective Fartman in Lenny The Wonder Dog who would end up becoming one of the great dramatic actors of this decade and one of the leading members of the newest Star Wars trilogy?


The 1939 John Ford movie Stagecoach came later in John Wayne's career than Grizzly II or Lenny The Wonder Dog did for either George Clooney or Oscar Isaac respectively (Wayne had been starring a couple of movies during the 1930's) but it was the one that cemented him as a staple of Western cinema and took him to the next level of fame. Stagecoach reached new levels of acclaim and awards attention (including multiple Oscar nods, including Best Picture!) previously unseen by Wayne's past efforts. Seeing John Wayne in such a young form (which is introduced to the audience by way of some awesomely theatrical camerawork) is quite the experience and luckily, there's plenty in Stagecoach to keep one riveted beyond just the spectacle of seeing one of Hollywood's more prolific leading men in the prime of his youth.

As the title subtly suggests, a stagecoach plays a key role in the events of Stagecoach, with it transporting seven individuals (nine, technically, since two dudes are steering it and keeping it on the road) across dangerous terrain that is the home of Apache warriors and especially the formidable warrior Geronimo. The feature is all about cramming a bunch of distinctive personalities into this one crammed space and let the fireworks go off between them. These seven people on the train are the booze-loving medical professional Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell), whiskey drummer Mr. Peacock (Donald Meek), social pariah Dallas (Claire Trevor), Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt) who wants to locate her soldier husband, straight man Hatfield (John Carradine) and corrupt banker Henry Gatewood (Benton Churchill).

Who's the seventh member of this group? Well, that's where o'l John Wayne himself comes in. He plays Ringo The Kid, a convicted criminal who's broken out of prison in order to exact some revenge. Though being a fugitive, he's a swell enough feller, particularly towards Dallas to whom he shows kindness when no one else will do so. Interestingly, despite Wayne already having headlined numerous movies before this, his characters nowhere near the sole focus of attention in this film. He's the protagonist for sure, but he's not the only individual in the plot to get time in the limelight. Why, he doesn't show up until twenty or so minutes into the movie, leaving plenty of time for the audience to become more acquainted with the other six members of this ensemble cast.

John Wayne works quite well here in more of a supporting capacity, especially since the well-defined and entertaining personalities of his companions on this journey have an entertaining time rubbing against Ringo The Kid. Not having Wayne hog up the spotlight and letting the various members of a distinctly ensemble cast get equal time to shine allows Stagecoach to achieve an unexpected level of engaging, especially since it's able to incorporate a bit of nuance into certain players of the story as time goes on such as emphasizing the loneliness in Dallas or having Doc Boone try to sober up on his own accord in order to help deliver a baby.

Given how John Ford is so well-known as prolific filmmaker at this point for his filmmaking relying on grandeur and spectacle, it's impressive how well he handles directing more intimate scenes, showing a strong sense of framing and shot composition in his visual work while also demonstrating a keen eye for getting strong performances out of his various actors. Looking back on it now, it's no wonder Stagecoach both garnered so much acclaim and launched John Wayne to new levels of stardom since both Wayne's performance and the movie itself really are terrific. Stagecoach is one of the best classical Westerns I've seen honestly, a character-driven piece that has intriguing characters, memorable dialogue and tremendous performances in spades, all the kind of elements you need to make a movie like Stagecoach a classic.