In 1957, my parents told me we were moving from the Bronx, New York, to Phoenix, Arizona. I was eight years old and didn’t have a clue what to expect next. I didn’t really know a thing about Arizona except that it was clear across the country. All I knew from my vast experience was gathered from my eleven story apartment building, the stoop where older women would congregate daily while keeping an extra eye on every neighborhood kid, my Zeda who lived one floor above, but always ate all his meals with us, my Aunt Ray, Uncle Irving, and Cousin Howard who lived two blocks away, and of course, my gang of friends. I remember feeling scared, confused, and a little excited.
I have this core memory of my second-grade teacher, Miss Cooperman, calling me up to the front of my class during a “show and tell” session. I can still hear her telling the entire class that we were moving at the end of the school year. Then she pulled down the roll-up map to show everyone how many states away Arizona was from New York. She asked me how I felt. I know I mentioned “cowboys, Indians, horses, and a stagecoach” (My family watched a ton of movies). She laughed gently and said I would be okay. I was not sure what she meant. The Old West was a mystery.
We did move that summer, and we did survive. My view of the world just got larger. I often think back to where I got my first pictures of Arizona. The answer was always so simple. The screen, whether small, television-sized, or movie-theater-sized, supplied me with a good part of my knowledge and creativity. My parents were fans of westerns. STAGECOACH was one of their favorites, spurring my imagination into new visions of those wide-open spaces.
STAGECOACH was director John Ford’s first feature” talkie” film. It premiered in 1939 and was nominated for Best Picture, but lost to GONE WITH THE WIND. It did, however, receive two Oscars for Best Music Score and Best Supporting Actor (Thomas Mitchell). It went over budget and hit $500,000, but grossed a million. It was the movie that launched John Wayne (The Duke) as a feature film leading man. Ford waited eight years to bring STAGECOACH to the screen so he could give Wayne time to mature and hone his acting skills. He was right. Wayne was destined for fame and stardom.
Wayne, as the Ringo Kid, showcased his softer side of his cowboy image in STAGECOACH. He emulated the romantic hero who made fans blossom everywhere. He introduced his own cowboy hat, which he would wear in dozens of Western-themed movies for decades to come. He wore it until it fell apart, then retired it under a glass dome at home. Wayne also introduced one of his many famous quotes, “A man’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.” This was the key that spurred the plot continually forward.
The film was highly praised for its beautiful cinematography that captured Monument Valley in northern Arizona. Each frame was allowed to simmer as audiences followed the STAGECOACH make its enormous trek across the open desert. Ford so loved this location that he used it for several of his later projects. It was stunning, and I am sure many viewers yearn for the open skies.
The STAGECOACH cast was powerful and dynamic. Each actor brought a different viewpoint on the many characters who must have lived in the Wild West. This stellar ensemble includes Andy Devine, Claire Trevor, John Carradine, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, and, of course, Thomas Mitchell. Actually, Mitchell was my favorite. He played a drunk Doc who had many wise words and often saved the day in some crazy situations. When he and Bancroft walked away together at the end, it reminded me of the final scene in CASABLANCA. It was a sweet, strong moment in a rough-and-tumble western.
There was a scene in STAGECOACH that changed stunt work forever. It was extremely dangerous, and Ford always said, ” Thank goodness they got it in one take, because he would never ask the stunt person to do it again. It made audiences and studios realize the importance and impact of a well-executed stunt. I am sure it must have influenced Tom Cruise in later years.
There are two things I don’t like about this film. First, I am embarrassed by how Native Americans were portrayed. It is not who we are today, or at least it should not be. Second, horses were injured during the chase and battle attacks. To make a horse fall while at full gallop, a trip wire had to be employed, causing broken legs and severe injuries. This is just beyond cruel, and thank heavens this technique is no longer an issue. STAGECOACH was also the catalyst for protests to ensure this inhuman practice ceased. We must remember STAGECOAST is over eighty years old. It was a different time. We hadn’t even entered WWII yet.
STAGECOACH is a smartly written film that gives audiences a taste of what it must have been like to take a journey over vast distances while being crammed like sardines in a tiny, jostling, dusty, and dangerous mode of transportation. STAGECOACH perfectly personified a classic western adventure that had ripple effects on the future of cinema. Some scenes have been copied and recreated in modern times. It reminds us that our country is very young, flawed, and still growing. It reinforces that not every situation is black or white. Our past was built on shady, questionable decisions, while we continually learn that not everyone is who they appear to be. The individuals who sat on board that STAGECOACH took a risk and came out okay. So did my family when we boarded that DC10.
STAGECOACH is available on TCM.
