Stagecoach is one of the first important Western motion pictures made in Hollywood. The film was released in 1939 and made a star of John Wayne . Wayne had previously appeared in dozens of minor Westerns. Stagecoach marked the first time that Wayne teamed with director John Ford . The two went on to make several classic Western films together.
Much of Stagecoach was filmed in the majestic Monument Valley of Utah, adding a vivid element of outdoor splendor to the drama. Stagecoach exhibited a depth of character and an adult approach to its story that was new to the Western film. The magnificent setting of Monument Valley influenced many outdoor scenes in later Westerns.
Stagecoach concerns a group of five passengers traveling by stagecoach to Lordsburg, New Mexico. The passengers have nothing in common except their destination. They include a gambler, an alcoholic doctor, and a cafe dancer. The group is joined by the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), an outlaw on his way to Lordsburg to avenge the killing of his father and brother. The outlaw and the cafe dancer fall in love.
The stagecoach party endures an Indian attack before being saved by the United States cavalry. The coach finally reaches Lordsburg, where the Ringo Kid gets his revenge. At the end of the film, he goes off with the cafe dancer to start a new life.
Thomas Mitchell won an Academy Award as best supporting actor for his performance as the alcoholic doctor. The film was nominated for best picture, and John Ford was nominated for his directing. Claire Trevor played the cafe dancer, John Carradine was the gambler, and Andy Devine portrayed the stagecoach driver. Other actors in the film included George Bancroft, Tim Holt, Donald Meek, Louise Platt, and Tom Tyler.
