the audience applauded

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Except for some oddities about it, "Stagecoach" would warrant all 10 stars. Fortunately, those don't detract from excellent acting all around in a movie with a great plot. The story in this film is engaging and keeps one interested with new and different twists. None of these is surprising – except for the pleasant one at the end. But, those keep one interested watching a bunch of folks traveling on a stagecoach. Many reviews discuss the plot, and the film billing tells what the story is about. So, after these overall accolades about plot and cast, I'll note the oddities that lower the film production down a notch. I think of "Stagecoach" as the "Casablanca" of Westerns. By that, I mean that it has a little bit of everything for the time and place. And, it just seems to capture the atmosphere of the place and time in history. The film has a great cast with an engaging story. "Casablanca" had intrigue, World War II Vichy occupation and threats by Nazis, POWs on the run and others fleeing Germany, the fringe area just outside the cordon of the Nazis, black market, resistance, open market and regular business in an open city, night clubs with night life, and romance. "Stagecoach" has the Old West, Indian uprising, a pregnant woman traveling to be with her U.S Calvary husband, a saloon gal leaving town at the behest of the local prudence society, a clandestine bank robbery, an alcoholic doctor forced to change residences, an escaped criminal, a long stagecoach ride, and romance. Thomas Mitchell won best supporting actor for his role as Doc Boone. By now, most movie fans would know that "Stagecoach" was John Wayne's break-out film, as the Ringo Kid. "Duke" had made more movies before this than many movie stars make in a lifetime. He had more than 80 films under his belt, dating back to 1926. He had achieved some recognition for Westerns and sports films, but he mostly was stuck in the second-tier of movie makers before this. That all changed after 1939. He still made Westerns, but most were major studio productions with sound plots, sets and casts. And, he branched out with some drama, comedy and then war films. The rest of the cast is superb. It includes a later Oscar winner, Claire Trevor as Dallas, and Oscar nominee, George Bancroft, as Marshal Curley Wilcox. Others are some of the top supporting actors of the day – especially in, but not limited to, Westerns. Andy Devine is Buck, the stage driver. John Carradine is Hatfield, the professional gambler and former Civil War officer. Donald Meek is the traveling liquor salesman, whom Doc eagerly takes under wing. Tim Holt plays a cavalry officer, and other familiar faces have supporting roles. "Stagecoach" also won the Oscar for best musical score, and it had five other nominations, including best picture and best director. And that was in a year in which Hollywood produced more than a dozen truly great films, including "Gone With the Wind" that took home eight Oscars. "Stagecoach" and "The Wizard of Oz" each won two Oscars. These and any of the others of the 10 nominated for best picture would beat out most other films nominated since 2000, and many nominated in the last third of the 20th century. But, "Stagecoach" had some odd or nagging things about it as well. The first thing that struck me as very odd was Curley carrying a double barrel shotgun. Yes, he was riding "shotgun" on the stage, but they expected trouble with the Indians. His shotgun wouldn't be effective much beyond 75 yards and he is shooting at Indians clearly 100 to 200 yards away. And hitting them. For better reality, he should have had a rifle. Another oddity was the Indians. They all seemed to be older guys – many quite a bit older. It was usually the braves, the younger men, who went on the warpath. Then, when they arrive in Lordsburg, the stage first lets the women and wounded off. Then it keeps going down the street and when it stops, Dallas is already there. That seemed to be a continuity problem that was very obvious. John Ford supposedly discovered Monument Valley in Arizona and it became "the" place to film Westerns over the next couple of decades – at least for Ford. That area along the Arizona-Utah border is striking. It became a sort of icon of the territory of the West. In reality, most of the West is nothing like it – or has bits and pieces of what looks like Monument Valley among prairies, mountains, dry and lush valleys, etc. But Monument Valley is high country desert – with the desert climate to go with it. Only sagebrush grows there. The valley is just under 30 square miles and it lies entirely within the Navajo Indian Reservation. This movie shows the buttes of Monument Valley from just about every angle. It's hard to imagine anyone settling or living in a place like that, and indeed, no one did. So, when the stage pulls into a thriving town of Lordsburg, it's a stretch of the imagination. But for that little bit of unreality, "Stagecoach" is a fantastic film and one that generations to come should enjoy.

They Just Don't Make Westerns (Or Any Genre) Like This Anymore ... Critics Claim This Is The Movie That Made John Wayne A Star And It's Easy To See Why ... This Reminds Me Of The Movie "12 Angry Men" As These Travelers Make Their Way Across Apache Territory After Geronimo Has Declared War ... The Things They Learn About Who They Really Are Is The Corner Stone Of An Excellent Character Study ... John Ford's Brilliant Direction Moves Seamlessly Between Action And Calm Without Ever Losing Pace ... Even In Black And White The Scenery Is Marvelous ... Truly A Movie That Should Be Seen By Any Fan Of The Golden Era Of Movies ...

John Ford created a Western that has every element you can have. It has a bank robber, a pregnant lady, a man falsely accused, some bad guys that accused him, a prostitute with a heart of gold, gunfire, Indians, the cavalry coming in at the last minute, John Wayne who, of course, never did anything wrong. These people are all travelling on a stagecoach so it becomes ensemble acting as they try to keep alive and get where they're going. Ford was a master director with a great eye for the camera. In addition to some really good plot elements and characterization, we see camera angles, close-ups, a wide shots that give the uninitiated an excellent interpretation of the Old West. This is worth seeing if only because it is a benchmark film, not merely a Western.

Stagecoach is one of the first western that drew the attention of the audience. John Ford directed his first sound western, which is also a very modern movie. The film, which is definitely the foundations genre. Set design could be a bit better. The story is one of the best in the history of cinema. The acting is top notch.This film is a milestone in the careers of director and lead actor. The story may not be original but it is great. I appreciate movies where each character in the story gets space. I would not go so far as to say that every character becomes a segment involved in the story. On peculiarities of the characters the story is based. This is perfection.John Wayne as Henry "The Ringo Kid" is a young rancher, a fugitive from prison in search of revenge and a sense of his future life. Wayne was an amazing authority, at times with his statements and act as if the whole world is his. I am glad that Ford was not overly forced his character, because it would have the opposite effect. Claire Trevor as Dallasis very attractive lady of pleasure, although a better description was "on the verge of prostitutes" because the contempt related to her. Extremely strong female character. A brave woman with a big heart, capable to love and nurture. Thomas Mitchell as Doc Boone is a doctor and an alcoholic. It's hard to determine what's on better. Alcohol humiliates his profession, but at the same time raises his humanity. Other characters are also excellent. Southern gentleman and elegant gambler Hatfield (J. Carradine), haughty heroine and pregnant wife cavalry officer Lucy Mallory (L. Platt), feminine whiskey merchant Samuel Peacock (D. Meek), evil and treacherous banker Henry Gatewood (B. Churchill) stagecoach operated temperamental and screeching Buck (A. Devine). All of them watchful eye observes and analyzes Sheriff Curly Wilcox (G. Bancroft).Ford in this film dramaturgical structure whose end also brings a denouement developed to perfection, impressive character profiling a group of very diverse people face significant risks, gradually revealing the true nature of all of them and in the center puts romance hearted girl formal dubious morals and boys also formally outside Act. Ford and subtle moralist who never condemned, indeed, an impressive realist, and a great director of action sequences, and innovator and respects the genre.Stagecoach is a film that exudes freshness and stays long in the memory.