Greatest Film Scenes
and Moments



Stagecoach (1939)

 



Written by Tim Dirks

Title Screen
Movie Title/Year and Scene Descriptions
Screenshots

Stagecoach (1939)

In director John Ford's quintessential western:

  • charismatic Ringo Kid's (John Wayne) specially-highlighted entrance scene in which a tracking shot zoomed in as he was twirling and re-cocking his Winchester rifle in one hand
  • the great spectacular footage of Monument Valley
  • the character study of six passengers on a stagecoach and the seating of the group around a table at the Dry Fork way station - with prejudice shown toward fallen woman Dallas (Claire Trevor)
  • the delivery of Lucy's (Louise Platt) baby
  • the great shot of the stagecoach dwarfed by Monument Valley and the quick pan to the left to an awaiting group of Apache Indians
  • the lengthy ferocious Indian attack/salt flats chase on the stagecoach as Ringo jumped onto the horses to steer the out-of-control coach (with great, often-imitated stuntwork by Yakima Canutt)
  • the cavalry rescue
  • the climactic three-against-one shoot-out with the Plummers (Ringo Kid blasted his gun directly into the camera) on the dusty streets of a town





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