Stagecoach (1939)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Ernest Haycox (original story)
Dudley Nichols (screen play)
(more)

Release Date:

2 March 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Western

Tagline:

Danger holds the reins as the devil cracks the whip ! Desperate men ! Frontier women ! Rising above their pasts in a West corrupted by violence and gun-fire !

Plot:

A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.

Plot Keywords:

Stagecoach | Doctor | Drunken Doctor | Murder | Fugitive

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Claire Trevor	...	Dallas
John Wayne	...	Ringo Kid
Andy Devine	...	Buck
John Carradine	...	Hatfield
Thomas Mitchell	...	Doc Boone
Louise Platt	...	Lucy Mallory
George Bancroft	...	Curley
Donald Meek	...	Peacock
Berton Churchill	...	Gatewood
Tim Holt	...	Lieutenant
Tom Tyler	...	Luke Plummer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Appleby	...	Girl in Saloon (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	(uncredited)
Chief John Big Tree	...	Indian Scout (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Wiggie Blowne	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Danny Borzage	...	(uncredited)
Ed Brady	...	Lordsburg Saloon Owner (uncredited)
Fritzi Brunette	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	...	Cavalry Scout (uncredited)
Nora Cecil	...	Boone's Landlady (uncredited)
Steve Clemente	...	Bit (uncredited)
Bill Cody	...	Rancher (uncredited)
Jack Curtis	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Marga Ann Deighton	...	Mrs. Pickett (uncredited)
Patricia Doyle	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Tex Driscoll	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Johnny Eckert	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Deputy Frank (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Billy Pickett (uncredited)
Brenda Fowler	...	Mrs. Gatewood (uncredited)
Helen Gibson	...	Girl in Saloon (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Ed - Editor (uncredited)
William Hopper	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Si Jenks	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Cornelius Keefe	...	Capt. Whitney (uncredited)
Florence Lake	...	Nancy Whitney (uncredited)
Al Lee	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Duke R. Lee	...	Lordsburg Sheriff (uncredited)
Theodore Lorch	...	Lordsburg Express Agent (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Chris (uncredited)
Jim Mason	...	Jim - Tonto Express Agent (uncredited)
Louis Mason	...	Tonto Sheriff (uncredited)
Merrill McCormick	...	Ogler (uncredited)
J.P. McGowan	...	(uncredited)
Walter McGrail	...	Capt. Sickel (uncredited)
Paul McVey	...	Pony Express Agent (uncredited)
Jack Mohr	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Kent Odell	...	Billy Pickett Jr (uncredited)
Artie Ortego	...	Lordsburg Bar Patron (uncredited)
Vester Pegg	...	Hank Plummer (uncredited)
Jack Pennick	...	Bartender in Tonto (uncredited)
Chris Phillips	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Joe Rickson	...	Ike Plummer (uncredited)
Buddy Roosevelt	...	Rancher (uncredited)
Elvira Ríos	...	Yakima (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	(uncredited)
Margaret Smith	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Woody Strode	...	Man in Saloon (uncredited)
Chuck Stubbs	...	(uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Telegraph Operator (uncredited)
Leonard Trainor	...	Small Role (uncredited)
Mary Kathleen Walker	...	Lucy's Infant (uncredited)
Bryant Washburn	...	Capt. Simmons (uncredited)
Whitehorse	...	Indian Chief (uncredited)
Hank Worden	...	Cavalryman Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford

Writing credits
Ernest Haycox		(original story)
Dudley Nichols		(screen play)
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Produced by
John Ford	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Gerard Carbonara		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Otho Lovering		(film editor)
Dorothy Spencer		(film editor)
Walter Reynolds		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Alexander Toluboff

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett		(costumes)

Production Management
Daniel Keefe	....	production manager (uncredited)
Jack Kirston	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wingate Smith	....	assistant director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Lowell J. Farrell	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Wiard Ihnen	....	associate art director (as Wiard B. Ihnen)

Sound Department
Frank Maher	....	sound
Robert Parrish	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ray Binger	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Iron Eyes Cody	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Johnny Eckert	....	stunts (uncredited)
W. Frank Long	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Mohr	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills	....	stunts (uncredited)
Billy Yellow	....	stunt rigger (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James V. King	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ned Scott	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lee Bradley	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Harry Goulding	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Otho Lovering	....	supervising editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Gruenberg	....	musical score adaptation: based on American folk songs
Richard Hageman	....	musical score adaptation: based on American folk songs
W. Franke Harling	....	musical score adaptation: based on American folk songs (as Franke Harling)
John Leipold	....	musical score adaptation: based on American folk songs
Boris Morros	....	musical director
Leo Shuken	....	musical score adaptation: based on American folk songs
Danny Borzage	....	musician: accordion (uncredited)

Other crew
Walter Wanger	....	presenter
Danny Keith	....	location manager (uncredited)
W. Frank Long	....	horse handler/wrangler (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walter Wanger Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (released thru)
• Masterpiece Productions (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Atrium-Filmverleih (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Masterpiece Productions (1950) (USA) (TV)
• atlas Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Herald Film Company (1973) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Castle Hill Productions (1992) (USA) (all media) (colorized version)
• GP Museum Soft (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Cosmic Pictures (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• First Trading (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• PSG (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Corona Film (????) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Shochiku Eihai (1940) (Japan) (theatrical)
• ARC (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Tohokushinsha Film (2000) (Japan) (DVD)
• Tohokushinsha Film (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Tone (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (196?) (USA) (all media)
• UCLA Film and Television Archive (1996) (USA) (VHS) (re-release)
• Voulez Vous Film (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (digital remastered version)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S (1951) | Norway:16 (1939) | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #5029) | Australia:G | UK:U | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (nf) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company:

Walter Wanger Productions

Trivia:

John Wayne's 80th film.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At Apache Wells where Chris rushes in to wake the Marshal to say his wife has run off, the Marshal and Ringo Kid are chained together at the ankle. The Marshal delivers his line but moves his chained leg too far, jerking the chains around Ringo's ankle. Ringo yelps and grabs his ankle. As the Marshal turns toward Ringo to undo the chains, the Marshal is clearly struggling not to break up laughing as Ringo glares at him.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Cavalry scout:These hills here are full of Apaches. They've burnt every ranch building in sight.
[referring to Indian scout]
Cavalry scout:He had a brush with them last night. Says they're being stirred up by Geronimo.
Capt. Sickel:Geronimo? How do we know he isn't lying?
Cavalry scout:No, he's a Cheyenne. They hate Apaches worse than we do.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Movies Are Adventure (1948)

Soundtrack:

Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair

Great ensemble western

I grew up watching the old, crotchety, gruff John Wayne, the iconic hero of the right wing, and even though I'd seen some of his early films on television, I'd forgotten what a sexy and compelling presence he had when a young man. It's easy to see while watching his performance how this film made him a star. As great as Wayne is in this film, he doesn't overshadow any of his fellow performers. Thomas Mitchell plays the drunken doctor thrown out of town, a performance that earned him an Academy Award. Andy Devine is hilarious as the complaining, squeaky voiced stagecoach driver. John Carradine is sleek and snake-like as the gambler. Claire Trevor gives a heartbreaking turn as the good-hearted whore thrown out of town by pious hypocrites. Donald Meek plays his name, a meek whiskey salesman befriended by the whiskey-loving Doc. Each actor quickly and deftly sketches his character so vividly that every performance is memorable.

But the real star of the show is John Ford, the director. To introduce and define nine characters in the context of a fast-paced western is no easy task, and he accomplishes it in masterly fashion. Much of the action takes place in the limited confines of a stagecoach, but Ford takes advantage of the limits by staging brilliant and subtle bits between characters; John Wayne casts sultry glances at Clare Trevor, who blossoms under his glance, the young calvary wife's eyes glaze over as the banker pontificates, and Doc sneaks sips of whiskey from the samples case while he solicitously keeps the wind from chilling the whiskey salesman. When the action moves outside, he films the action in dynamic angles and stunts that were the most daring of its time.

If you enjoy westerns and haven't seen this, you have a great night of film-watching ahead of you. And if the last time you saw Stagecoach was some midnight years ago when you wandered home for a bit of the late show before bedtime, watch it again and rediscover what a great western it is