John Wayne Centenary: The '30s - The Big Trail and Stagecoach - Page 2

For all its epic stature, the film didn’t set the box office alight and Wayne failed to capitalise on his big break.

It was another nine years before Duke got another chance to shine. Those years were filled with an endless list of forgettable B westerns and bit parts. By the time Stagecoach came around in 1939 Wayne was almost a seasoned pro.

Stagecoach (1939)

This film is essential viewing for anyone with an interest in the history of the western. Prior to Stagecoach the genre had been looked down on as the province of B pictures after the failure of, amongst others, The Big Trail. Ford, making his first film in the genre in thirteen years, changed all that.

The story is a simple one, detailing the journey of a stagecoach from Tonto, New Mexico to Lordsburg. What makes the film so special is its cast of characters and some amazing action scenes and breathtaking cinematography.

The drunken doctor, the crooked banker, the mysterious gambler and the “dance hall girl” with a heart of gold, the characters may sound like stereotypes now but this is the film that created them and bringing them to life are an incredible cast. Character actor Thomas Mitchell plays Doc Boone, a role that calls for both impeccable comic timing and powerful emotional drama, both of which Mitchell delivers in spades. John Carradine, an actor best remembered for his horror films, brings a subtlety to the worldly gambler, Hatfield, that makes the character come alive. Screen veteran Berton Churchill is Gatewood, the bank manager who’s stealing money from his own bank; he’s all bluster on the outside but a coward at heart. Gatewood's the only unlikable passenger and Churchill does a fine job as the blowhard.

Article Author: Ian Woolstencroft

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben meant when he said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ …

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