Ford classic defines honor
by Ken Cornwall
Stagecoach (1939)
Written by Ernest Haycox, Dudley Nichols & Ben Hecht
Directed by John Ford
Is their any director this side of Hitchcock more associated with a genre of film than John Ford? It’s impossible to talk about the Western without bringing up his name and assessing his legacy and influence, not only on the Western film, but our image of the West itself. Perhaps more than any other director, Ford helped to establish and cement the standards of the genre that still exist today.
In his action packed 1939 Stagecoach, Ford has all of his favorite notions in place: honorable cowboys, strong frontier women, comic relief, and incredibly exciting set pieces.
Several strangers set out in a stagecoach to Lordsburg, a journey that will take them through dangerous territory where the Apaches are on the warpath. Will they survive the journey?
That plot is deceptively simple, but there is a certain amount of complexity in the themes and relationships between the characters. Each has their reasons for needing to pick up and move on.
One stranger is lovely Dallas (Claire Trevor) escorted against her will to the stagecoach by the women of the town. The film doesn’t fill us in on the details, but it’s implied that she’s had a racy past.
Doc Boone, played by great character actor and John Ford regular, Thomas Mitchell, has also overstayed his welcome due to his taste for alcohol and an inability to pay the rent. He’s happy to find that Mr. Peacock, a whiskey salesman with a suitcase full of samples will be sitting right next to him.
Other passengers include the young wife of an army officer hiding a delicate condition, a notorious gambler, a bank manager absconding with his client’s funds, and the genial stagecoach driver.
At the last minute, Curly, the town marshal, decides to go along for the ride. He hopes to run into the Ringo Kid, a man with warrant on his head and a big reward for his return.
The Ringo Kid shows up once the stagecoach sets out. Played by John Wayne, he’s introduced standing heroically on the plain as the camera zooms in to a loving close-up. Having lost his horse, he accepts a ride knowing that the marshal will turn Ringo in once they arrive. But like the others, Ringo has his own reason to get to Lordsburg.
Trouble looms. It seems that the young wife is pregnant and about to give birth. Doc Boone and Dallas step up to the plate proving the strength of their character to their fellow passengers. Ringo takes a shine to Dallas, but what kind of life can he offer her when he’s got a prison cell waiting for him? And will his feelings change when he learns about her past? And on top of it, they have to get past the hostile Apaches. Will any of them make it?
I don’t think it will ruin your enjoyment of Stagecoach if you know that everything turns out okay in the end. The reason to watch it is for the exciting action sequences, the humor, and the lively character interaction. And Ford manages to touch upon some of his favorite themes: how dire circumstances bring out the best in some people and the worst in others, and the importance of honor and keeping your word.
John Ford started his career in silent films, making over forty of them before the advent of the talkie. He didn’t slow down a bit when sound came in, making another thirty films and winning the Academy Award for the Informer in 1935, all before he made Stagecoach in 1939. Closely associated with the Western, he made films in all genres and served as an influence for countless filmmakers from Sergio Leone to Akira Kurosawa and even Steven Spielberg. Ford’s favorite leading man was Marion “Duke” Morrison—John Wayne. Stagecoach made Wayne a huge star, nine years after his first leading role.
And really that’s the best reason to see Stagecoach: the kick you get from seeing John Ford at his peak—and witnessing John Wayne become JOHN WAYNE before your eyes.
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