Stagecoach and John Wayne

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Stagecoach and John Wayne
In the chronicle of American movie, a small number of films stand out as having more influence than Stagecoach. The film set the design for an completely novel genre, the Western drama. But perhaps just as significant, the film established the expansive careers of three of Hollywood's most notable professionals: John Ford, John Wayne and Ned Scott, Director, actor, photographer respectively.

Stagecoach was made in 1939, and so was born the first great Hollywood Western. The movie has as director John Ford, & starred Claire Trevor in addition to John Wayne in his breakthrough role.

Stagecoach became the first of Fordís numerous Westerns that were filmed with the magnificent Monument Valley, in the American south-west on the ArizonañUtah border, as a location. Many were also to star John Wayne.

During the 1930s Ford and Waye were good friends. In spite of this Ford refused to use Wayne in any of his movies, wanting Wayne to be persevering until he was "all set" as an actor. In 1938, Ford provided Wayne a copy of satagecoacheís script by Dudley Nichols and asked for advice for someone to play the part of Ringo Kid. Wayne read it and suggested Lloyd Nolan for the role, yet Ford was not sold on the idea. Actually the following day, Ford told Wayne that he wanted him to play Ringo Kid.

In following years since, Stagecoach became a movie classic, everyone associated with it including the cast has said they always recognized it would be recognized as one of the classic movies. Yet according to cast member Louise Platt, this was not true at the time. She recalled in 2002, at the time of an exhibition celebrating the creation of the film Stagecoach, put on by the Ned Scott Archive, in collaboration with the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum ìIt's success was a surprise to everyone but John Ford.î Of John Wayne Platt recalls Ford saying "Hell be the biggest star ever because he is the perfect everyman." Many would tell you Ford was right.