Review of Stagecoach (1939) by Kenneth L — 15 Jul 2015

This is one of those movies that may seem cliched now, but only because everyone else stole from it later on: at the time, it was totally new. And it does have lots of cliches that are still found in Western stories today: an outlaw hero, an honorable prostitute, a slick gambler, Indian attacks, a guy whose anger scares everyone in the saloon, a shootout in the middle of the town.

John Wayne (in his breakthrough role) is the top credited actor in the movie, but actually doesn't appear until a good ways in, in a zooming-in closeup that pretty much shouts, "Hi! I'm going to be a movie star!" The movie actually spends a good deal of time with the rest of the characters in its ensemble cast before it gets to Wayne.

The way the movie was shot, particularly in the major action sequence of the Indian attack, clearly influenced later Westerns and action movies. There are lots of stunts that are completely insane, especially for 1939.

The supporting cast is full of great character actors: the one that stands out the most is Thomas Mitchell as an alcoholic doctor, a part for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. This was one of the five legendary Best Picture nominees in 1939, along with Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mr.

Smith Goes to Washington, and Wuthering Heights. Quite a year, 1939.