Stagecoach (1966)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Copyright 18 May 1966 by Martin Rackin Productions. Released through 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at local theaters: 15 June 1966. U.S. release: May 1966. U.K. release: 16 May 1966. Australian release: May 1966. Sydney opening at the Regent (ran two weeks). 10,249 feet. 114 minutes.SYNOPSIS: As a stagecoach bound for Cheyenne, Wyoming, is about to leave the small town of Dryfork, a troop of cavalry rides up. Their leader tells the driver (Slim Pickens) that they will accompany the stagecoach part of the way to protect the passengers from Indian war parties. NOTES: Based on the short story, "Stage to Lordsburg", by Ernest Haycox (originally published in Collier's Magazine on 10 April 1937), Stagecoach was filmed by John Ford in 1939.Locations filmed in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Thanks for co- operation to the Caribou Country Club Ranch (Nederland, Colorado) and the Colorado Game, Fish and Parks Department. Bing Crosby's final credited theatrical motion picture role. And America's famed illustrator Norman Rockwell has his first and only film role as one of the townsmen gambling with Michael Connors in the movie's second sequence.COMMENT: It seems foolhardy to re-make a classic. No matter how skilfully or indeed brilliantly the new film may be re-interpreted script-wise, acting-wise, directing-wise and production-wise, the critics are all going to hate it. And they're all going to make comparisons. Why let yourself in for this grief? (Actually Variety and The New York Times went out of their way to try to be nice to the new movie, but everyone else really gave it the thumbs down. And I'm with them. I mean the plot as you see from the Synopsis is basically exactly the same. So what's the point of seeing the same story enacted by an inferior cast, and directed by a Hollywood hack instead of a master? Especially when the original movie is so easily accessible).

So-so remake to the considered to be first adult Western , ¨Stagecoach¨ by John Ford that changed the course of the modern Western turning into adult Western and dealing with a motley crew of roles in a cross-country coach beset by Indians and thieves . A voyage throughout Arizona with varied group of characters with nothing in common are stuck together inside a coach , they form a strange assortment of individuals , such as : a prostitute with a broken heart (Anne Margret who received top-billing , in classic rendition interpreted by Claire Trevor) , a coward swank (Red Buttons , anterior acted by Donald Meek), a crooked card-player (Mike Connors , previously by John Carradine) turned into protector to pregnant young wife (Stephanie Powers), a philosopher alcoholic doctor (Bing Crosby-Thomas Mitchell) , a swindler banker (Robert Cummings-Barton Churchill) , a sheriff (Van Johnson , formerly performed by George Bancroft) taking in his prisoner , a sympathetic coach driver (Slim Pickens who bears a remarkable resemblance physical as well as acting to Andy Devine) and Ringo Kid (Alex Cord , priorly by Wayne) , an outlaw looking to revenge killings . The motley crew pull off a journey through Indian territory passing Apache Wells and towards Lordsburg . All of them riding to greatness Across 2,000 miles of flaming frontier . At the beginning they're protected by a military detachment commanded by a brave lieutenant . The stagecoach is besieged by Apaches and several dangers.....The plot is plain and simple , as the story follows a stagecoach ride through Old West Apache territory , portraying in depth characters and brooding events with allegorical issues running beneath surface . Slick edition , nice cinematography and rousing musical score make it an acceptable film , but far from original . Based on the story 'Stage to Lordsburg' by Ernest Haycox and this one based on Guy de Mauspassant's novel . Decent main cast and extraordinary support cast , even the artist Norman Rockwell, famous for his Saturday Evening Post covers, appears as a "townsman" in a brief scene . Outstanding cinematography capturing the nebulous skies by William Clothier and thrilling soundtrack by maestro Jerry Goldsmith . The motion picture was professionally directed by Gordon Douglas , though with no originality . He's an expert on adventures genre , such as ¨Black arrow¨ , ¨Fortunes of Captain Blood¨ , ¨Maru Maru¨ , ¨The Sins of Rachel Cade¨ ; Noir Films and Thrillers as : ¨Tony Rome¨, ¨They call Mr Tibbs¨, ¨Lady in Cement¨, ¨The Detective¨, ¨In like Flint¨, ¨The Falcon in Hollywood¨, ¨Dick Tracy vs Cueball¨ and made a classic Sci-Fi : ¨Them¨ . And , of course , realized lots of Westerns with good actors , as he proved in the films starred by Clint Walker such as ¨Fort Dobbs¨, ¨Yellowstone Kelly¨ , ¨Gold of seven Saints¨ , Gregory Peck as ¨Only the valiant¨ , Richard Boone as ¨Rio Conchos¨ considered the best , ¨Chuka¨ with Rod Taylor , ¨The Nevadan¨ with Randolph Scott , ¨The Charge at Feather River¨, ¨Doolins of Oklahoma¨ , ¨The Great Missouri Raid¨ , among others .The original is a very superior remake in 1939 by John Ford being perfectly played by excellently assembled actors : George Bancroft , Louise Platt , Tom Tyler , Tim Holt and Thomas Mitchell who deservedly won Academy Award for secondary actor , and of course , John Wayne , who arose his career languishing in Poverty Row and being first pairing of Ford and Wayne . And stunningly shot by John Ford in the mythical Monumental Valley , capturing its particular air , a place that Ford was often to revisit and he befriended Indians tribes . Besides , a forgettable adaptation for TV in 1986 by Ted Post with Willie Nelson , Kris Kristopherson , Johnny Cash , Elizabeth Ashley , Mary Crosby , Tony Franciosa , John Schneider and Kris Kristopherson.

You see Bing, Red, Ann, and so forth, and you might skip this, but if you ignore the "fading star" thing and just enjoy it as a little play put on by some true pros, you'll enjoy this. It has one of the best chase scenes ever, with Indians and Helicopter shots of the racing horses and stage, it has a great performance by Bob Cummings and Kennan Wynn, and I actually felt the hair coming up on the back of my neck during the storm on the cliff, even though I knew it was just a process shot against a painting. It's not Shakespeare, but hey, it's a fun 1960's good ole American film just as TV production values and over lit sound stages were taking over film making and as the last reviewer said, just before the Anti Hero revolution.

I saw this version (1966) a few years ago and cannot find it available. I saw it on television. They continue to show the John Wayne version, which is good, but people want variety. Just because some people are so enthused with the Wayne , others should not be deprived of the 1966 movie. besides this version was in color. I owned a DVD of the Wayne version and at this point tired of it. The acting in my opinion is done very well and the characters they portray are very believable. I especially like Ann-Margret's character. and Slim pickens adds a bit of humor. The color and the western scenes are just beautiful. Let those of us who like the 1966 version have it, please. I cannot find it at Best Buy, Tower Records, or anywhere else. What's going on here? THAT'S ABOUT ALL that I have to say.