Search - Stagecoach on DVD

Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Suitable for Children, Western Violence Movie Release: 1939 DVD Release: 10/29/1997 Format: DVD - Black and White Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 37 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 7 Genres: Western, Traditional Western See Also: Stagecoach, Stagecoach [Special Edition], Stagecoach

Although there were Westerns before it, Stagecoach quickly became a template for all movie Westerns to come. Director John Ford combined action, drama, humor, and a set of well-drawn characters in the story of a stagecoach set to leave Tonto, New Mexico for a distant settlement in Lordsburg, with a diverse set of passengers on board. Dallas (Claire Trevor) is a woman with a scandalous past who has been driven out of town by the high-minded ladies of the community. Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt) is the wife of a cavalry officer stationed in Lordsburg, and she's determined to be with him. Hatfield (John Carradine) is a smooth-talking cardsharp who claims to be along to "protect" Lucy, although he seems to have romantic intentions. Dr. Boone (Thomas Mitchell) is a self-styled philosopher, a drunkard, and a physician who's been stripped of his license. Mr. Peacock (Donald Meek) is a slightly nervous whiskey salesman (and, not surprisingly, Dr. Boone's new best friend). Gatewood (Berton Churchill) is a crooked banker who needs to get out of town. Buck (Andy Devine) is the hayseed stage driver, and Sheriff Wilcox (George Bancroft) is along to offer protection and keep an eye peeled for the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), a well-known outlaw who has just broken out of jail. While Wilcox does find Ringo, a principled man who gives himself up without a fight, the real danger lies farther down the trail, where a band of Apaches, led by Geronimo, could attack at any time. Stagecoach offers plenty of cowboys, Indians, shootouts, and chases, aided by Yakima Canutt's remarkable stunt work and Bert Glennon's majestic photography of Ford's beloved Monument Valley. It also offers a strong screenplay by Dudley Nichols with plenty of room for the cast to show its stuff. John Wayne's performance made him a star after years as a B-Western leading man, and Thomas Mitchell won an Oscar for what could have been just another comic relief role. Thousands of films have followed Stagecoach's path, but no has ever improved on its formula. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Claire Trevor - Dallas
John Wayne - The Ringo Kid
Andy Devine - Buck Rickabaugh
Thomas Mitchell - Doc Boone
George Bancroft - Sheriff Curly Wilcox
John Carradine - Hatfield

Although it was prepared for DVD release in the early days -- 1997 -- John Ford's Stagecoach takes advantage of several of the format's special feature capabilities, far more so than many more recent Warner DVD releases. The movie itself, which has been the subject of restoration, looks better than any recent theatrical presentation, though there are still dark patches and a certain roughness in the image. The story is so familiar it scarcely needs repeating, but for the uninitiated: A stagecoach headed for the town of Lordsburg sets out across the desert; aboard are a lawman, an alcoholic doctor, a nervous whiskey salesman, an expectant mother, a professional gambler, a banker with something to hide, and a girl of dubious reputation being run out of town. Into that mix lands the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), newly broken out of jail and aiming to kill the three men who murdered his younger brother. And they're all headed straight into an Indian war. Wayne became a star from his performance in this movie, and he and Ford were the most potent actor/director team in Hollywood for more than 20 years after. The DVD is enhanced by the presence of helpful (if somewhat superficial) biographical sketches of the principal cast and crew members, and a too brief account of Ford and Wayne's intersecting careers, as well as a short account of the production history of the film. Nothing here will astonish serious fans of either the director or the star, but they are handy, as far as they go. The special features are easy enough to negotiate, with a straightforward menu that is easy to read and manipulate, and Warner Bros. has given viewers a bonus in the form of six (not seven as promised on the box) trailers, for Stagecoach, The Searchers, Three Godfathers, Fort Apache, The Wings of Eagles, and They Were Expendable. Alas, the trailers on all but Stagecoach and Fort Apache look better than many parts of Stagecoach, but considering how badly that movie had come to look in almost all extant prints, this disc is still a decent job with some thoughtful extras thrown in. Perhaps someday a truly definitive DVD of this classic Western drama will be done, but until then, this release isn't an insult to the movie, either. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide