Review of Stagecoach (1939) by Bob M — 20 Jun 2010

While the greatness of Toy Story 3 reverberates through the halls of RT, Stagecoach reminds us of how great films were made over 70 years ago. A wonderful film, Stagecoach created the Western as a legitimate genre in film-making. And it's easy to see how Director John Ford managed to accomplish that.

Filmed on location in Monument Valley, Utah long before cars ever made their presence felt there, Ford uses the lonely, desert lasdscape to help set the tone for the danger that is in his story. And in Ford's West, danger is always present. In this case, Geronimo, the famous Native American warrior, is on the attack. And the stagecoach is riding right through his territory. The threat of imminent attack overshadows the entire film.

But the threat of attack is only the backdrop for the best part of the film, the various characters on the fateful stagecoach ride. In all, nine characters helped make this story successful and Ford makes them all feel personal to us with their various stories while the dangerous stagecoach ride forces on them an intimacy that would not have occurred otherwise.

This is John Wayne's first big role as the Ringo Kid. And he delivers the screen presence that would soon make him very famous. Andy Devine, who to me is synonomous with westerns, is on board as one of the stage drivers. However, one of the best roles was that of alcoholic Doc Boone played by Thomas Mitchell. A quick IMDB search revealed that Michell had an incredible career from 1923 through 1961 and you can see why. Irrascible, yet with a heart of gold, he keeps the tensions of the passengers all in check. The Southern gambler, the prostitute, the embezzling banker, the whiskey saleman, the main stagecoach driver/sheriff and the soldier's wife all make this a fun (for the viewer) journey through the desert.

The end is predicatable in a sense, but in this movie you care what happens to all of the characters so it would be trite to say it was a happy ending. Looking back on this film 70 years, you can see what effect it had on later films. So, in a way, Toy Story really isn't that different from Stagecoach, a band of characters facing trouble and riding it through. No wonder movies have been entertaining us for over 100 years now......