John ford's stagecoach is a film shot in

The man who shot liberty valance is a film that is highly revered today by critics and audiences alike, although when it was released in 1962 it wasnt met with the same enthusiasm. Stagecoach 1939 is a classic western from film auteur john ford. John fords stagecoach 1939 starring john wayne and claire. Stagecoach is not only responsible for creating the heroic, rugged, selfreliant wayne persona, it also is arguably the. These include anthony manns elemental odysseys, budd boettichers prairie chamber pieces, sergio leones luxuriating arias, sam peckinpahs squib fiestas, and clint eastwoods sagebrush. Fords direction is economical and highly evocative. Stagecoach 1939 is considered by many the best western ever made. The 75th anniversary committees clint eastwood on the impact of john fords stagecoach was an informative and engaging evening that analyzed the careers of dga lifetime achievement award recipients ford and eastwood two filmmakers serving as cornerstones of a definitively american film genre, the western. Comparing john fords 1939 stagecoach to the 1966 and. Ford was the film making counterpart to zane grey, the exdentist turned writer who singlehandedly. Serious westerns werent in fashion in 1938 when john ford and company went to monument valley to shoot stagecoach. It is also the film that made the iconic actor john wayne a star. Stagecoach monument valley in the movies pictures cbs.

May 25, 2010 a s is often the case with early genre foundations, to see john fords epochal western stagecoach today means looking back past the countless subsequent films that would go on to build on it. The man who shot liberty valance 1962 directed by john. This film his first sound western was a return to his mostacclaimed film genre after a thirteen year absence following fox s three bad men 1926 and the iron horse 1924. It was the director s first attempt into the genre since 1926 and his first to be shot against the impressive scenery of monument valley. Stagecoach is truly one of the titans of cinema, and upon a viewing, it becomes resoundingly clear why the film commands such notability in the annals of film history. My own style had nothing to do with his, but stagecoach was my movie textbook. The fourtime oscarwinning director made over 140 films in his long career, spanning the silent era through the 1960s. It marked the first film of many in which director john ford used monument valley as a backdrop for his narrative.

A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of geronimo and learn something. He got what he wanted on film, then left it to the cutter to put it together. John fords movie stagecoach 1939 has a fair claim to be the most influential western ever made. Like the characters in last stage to lordsburg, the characters in the film stagecoach are stereotypes, but, except for gatewood, they acquire a depth and humanity that haycoxs characters dont. A s is often the case with early genre foundations, to see john fords epochal western stagecoach today means looking back past the countless subsequent films that would go on to build on it. Director john ford combined action, drama, humor, and a set of welldrawn characters. The film follows a group of strangers riding on a stagecoach through dangerous apache territory.

The 3 most iconic film locations in utah locationshub. It was a major success and one of the top 20 moneymaking films of the year. How john fords 1939 western classic transformed the dying genre into the. May 07, 1999 john ford s great western stagecoach revolutionized the genre in 1939 while making a major star of john wayne and establishing monument valley, utah a vast navajo tribal area of huge, sandy. Born in maine, ford entered the filmmaking industry shortly after graduating from high school with the help of his older brother, francis ford, who had established himself as a leading man and director for universal studios. It is an emotionally affecting filmperhaps fords most affecting. Ford s evocative use of the territory for his westerns has defined the images of the american west so powerfully that orson welles once said that other film makers refused to shoot in the region out of fears of plagiarism. Stagecoach was john fords first western in over a decade and despite the studios initial unwillingness for the director to make a western this movie became a defining work in film history reinvigorating the genre and introducing us to the pairing of ford and wayne as.

Bucks guard leaves him and he has to see marshall curley wilcox for help. A great picture from arguably the cinemas finest single year of films. In 1971, ford and his cast and crew reminisced in the dgas action magazine about making a film that truly changed the genre. Stagecoach is a 1939 american western film directed by john ford and starring claire trevor and john wayne in his breakthrough role. Robert horvat on june 24, 2019 john ford bought the rights to stagecoach from colliers magazine in 1937 an adaptation of a short story called the stage to lordsburg and made a pitch to almost every studio in hollywood to have it made. Directed by john ford, and starring john wayne and claire trevor, stagecoach will be presented on monday, june 1, at 7. The film was shot both at a movie ranch in california and on location in monument valley. Unfortunately, it was not a success at the box office. Through the stagecoach lens, this is the beginning of john fords rise to auteurship. Scenes from stagecoach, including a sequence introducing john waynes character the ringo kid, blended shots of monument valley with shots filmed on the iverson movie ranch in chatsworth, california, rko encino movie ranch, and other locations. It is one of the greatest examples of architecture as character in photography and filmthese characters are swallowed up by the rugged uncivilized world. Stagecoach was john ford s first western in over a decade and despite the studio s initial unwillingness for the director to make a western this movie became a defining work in film history reinvigorating the genre and introducing us to the pairing of ford and wayne as well as the beautiful location of monument valley. On the stagecoach to cheyenne, a mixed group of passengers must work together to survive the arduous journey and the indian attacks.

Over the course of a halfcentury, he appeared in nearly 250 movies, but the film that made john wayne a star was stagecoach 1939, directed by john ford. Ironically today it is one of john fords most popular films along with the searchers and stagecoach. The real villain of john fords stagecoach 1939 bright. For ford, it was a return after some years to a genre about which his ideas had grownthe genre in which he would. Notes for viewing john fords stagecoach the movie is set in 1885. Stagecoach is a film in which two great careers were renewed.

Before i discuss how each film complied and diverged from the classical western film genre, i will discuss the formula, the characters, icons, conventions and the social function of. John ford s movie stagecoach 1939 has a fair claim to be the most influential western ever made. Ford used the breathtaking landscapes of monument valley, and even in blackandwhite, theyre still used to vivid effect. Many observers consider it the last great ford film. Stagecoach was the first of many westerns that ford shot using monument valley, in the american southwest on the arizona utah border, as a location, many of which also starred john wayne. Jun 08, 2006 and wayne himself, from his starmaking entrance as the ringo kid in stagecoach 1939 to his valedictory performance in the man who shot liberty valance 1962, his last western with ford, is. Film legend john wayne, one of the most popular actors of the 20th century, died 37 years ago today. This film his first sound western was a return to his mostacclaimed film genre after a thirteen year absence following foxs three bad men 1926 and the iron horse 1924. Not long after, stagecoach would have a great impact on the cinematography of hollywood films.

Scene from director john fords stagecoach 1939, shot in arizona and utahs monument valley. With annmargret, alex cord, red buttons, mike connors. Ford typically shot only the footage he needed and often filmed in sequence, minimizing the job of his film editors. Others find it second only to fords own the searchers 1956. The utah film commission recently announced in a press release that they have awarded film incentives to six more productions to shoot in the state this summer. John wayne starred in she wore a yellow ribbon 1949 john fords first time shooting in color at monument valley. Stagecoach, american western film, released in 1939, that is a classic of the genre, widely considered to be the first adult western.

Comparing john fords 1939 stagecoach to the 1966 and 1986. John ford wouldve celebrated his 126th birthday on february 1, 2020. Its an update of melvillejohn wayne is ahab here, obsessionmonomaniacal. Screenshot of a scene from forrest gump, filmed at monument valley. Film locations for john fords stagecoach 1939, in arizona and california. The three featurelength films i have chosen for this analysis were fords stagecoach 1939, the searchers 1956 and the man who shot liberty valance 1962. These include anthony manns elemental odysseys, budd boettichers prairie chamber pieces, sergio leones luxuriating arias, sam peckinpahs. The film opens as a stagecoach is set to make the perilous journey from. John wayne became a hollywood star following his role in stagecoach, which was also john fords first ever nonsilent western and his first shot in monument valley, the red, mesafilled landscape that quickly became a western staple. A group of people with conflicting personalities are shoved together on a. Like the characters in last stage to lordsburg, the characters in the film stagecoach are stereotypes, but, except for gatewood, they acquire a depth and. Although he had appeared before in many films, as an extra, a stuntman and then an actor in b films, this was john wayne s first starring role in a film by john ford. Cheyenne autumn, the final john ford western, appeared in 1964. The tagline of the film, a powerful story of 9 strange people, is deceptively simple.

Fords storytelling, casting, direction and use of iconic locations, such as monument valley, coalesced into a cinematic classic that brought the awestern. Sep 04, 2016 the television movie starts exactly as john fords 1939 stagecoach. Ford skillfully blended iverson and monument valley to create the movies iconic images of the american west. John ford personality and directing style general style. Fords evocative use of the territory for his westerns has defined the images of the american west so powerfully that orson welles once said that other filmmakers refused to shoot in the region out of fears of plagiarism. John fords smash hit and enduring masterpiece stagecoach revolutionized the western, elevating it from b movie to the alist and establishing the genre. John ford bought the rights to stagecoach from colliers magazine in 1937 an adaptation of a short story called the stage to lordsburg and made a pitch to almost every studio in hollywood to have it made. Walter wanger productions stagecoach was ford s first western in more than a decade, and it helped elevate the genre from bfilm status to serious fare.

When orson welles, who repeatedly screened ford s stagecoach 1939 as a crash course in filmmaking before helming his first film, citizen kane 1941, was asked who his three favorite directors were, he answered, john ford, john ford, and john ford. John fords enduring milestone his first sound western was the film that orson welles studied over and over before embarking on citizen kane. John fords decision to film parts of stagecoach on location in monument valley, utah and arizona, launched a legacy that included nine moviesfive with leading man john wayneand the creation of the most iconic film location in western cinema history. He is renowned both for westerns such as stagecoach 1939, the searchers 1956, and the man who shot liberty valance 1962, as well as adaptations of classic 20thcentury american novels such as the grapes of wrath 1940. Besides the location shooting in arizona, ford made a scene in the stagecoach with plates that lovey had shot on second unit. The television movie starts exactly as john fords 1939 stagecoach. Stagecoach 1939 directed by john ford from a screenplay by dudley nichols is generally considered to be the first adult western adult in the sense that it took a set of archetypes who were familiar to audiences from westerns of the past the dancehall girlprostitute, the southern gentleman gambler, the drunken doctor, the young outlaw, the girl from the east, placed them in a.

John ford is, arguably, the great american director. The searchers is the easy choice here as good as stagecoach is. John ford s second western shot in monument valley was my darling. He is renowned both for westerns such as stagecoach 1939, the searchers 1956, and.

Scene from director john ford s stagecoach 1939, shot in arizona and utah s monument valley. It was the directors first attempt into the genre since 1926 and his first to be shot against the impressive scenery of monument valley. Unfortunately, no one was interested in doing another forgettable western, especially with a b movie actor by the name of john wayne, as the films main protagonist. In the meantime, he had produced the superb, oscarwinning drama about irish republicanism, rkos the informer 1935. John ford returned eight times to film there, and other directors followed suit. Lieutenant blanchard arrives in tonto and informs buck and his guard that geronimo is raiding and has cut the telegraph lines.

With john wayne, claire trevor, andy devine, john carradine. John fords second western shot in monument valley was my darling. John ford february 1, 1894 august 31, 1973 was an american film director. John fords stagecoach 1939 starring john wayne and claire trevor july 31, 2012 by cliff aliperti 10 comments stagecoach was the first john wayne movie i saw when i was a kid and it remains my favorite of any of his films. John fords stagecoach, 2003 online research library. His action shots of an apache attack and war raid are also stunning, even by todays standards. Screenshot from once upon a time in the west 1968, filmed at monument valley.

Stagecoach is the next 1939 best picture oscar nominee to be screened as part of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences series hollywoods greatest year. Walter wanger productions world war ii was a watershed for ford. Over the course of a halfcentury, he appeared in nearly 250 movies, but the film that made john wayne a star was stagecoach 1939, directed by john ford stagecoach is not only responsible for creating the heroic, rugged, selfreliant wayne persona, it also is arguably the first exemplar of. Lucy mallory right to support bmovie cowboy john wayne as the ringo kid center in stagecoach. A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of geronimo and learn something about each other in the process. John ford 18941973 was an american film director whose career spanned from 19 to 1971. One of director john fords defining movies, it also elevated john wayne to stardom. He is renowned both for westerns such as stagecoach, the searchers, and the man who shot liberty valance, as well as. For ford, it was a return after some years to a genre about which his ideas had grownthe genre in which he would make many of his greatest films. Monogram movie riders of the dawn, which was filmed at the same location. Ford was the filmmaking counterpart to zane grey, the exdentist turned writer who singlehandedly. In 1971, ford and his cast and crew reminisced in the dgas action magazine about making a film that truly changed the genre adapted from the dgas action magazine septoct 1971. In 1938, john ford assembled a veteran ensemble cast, including george bancroft as marshal curley wilcox left and louise platt as mrs. Clint eastwood on the impact of john fords stagecoach a.

Similar geographic incongruencies are evident throughout the. Although he had appeared before in many films, as an extra, a stuntman and then an actor in b films, this was john waynes first starring role in a film by john ford. Although there were westerns before it, stagecoach quickly. This is the first of john fords westerns to be shot in monument valley, which. The quintessential tale of a group of strangers thrown together into extraordinary circumstances, stagecoach features outstanding performances from hollywood stalwarts claire trevor, john. When orson welles, who repeatedly screened fords stagecoach 1939 as a crash course in filmmaking before helming his first film, citizen kane 1941, was asked who his three favorite directors were, he. Jul 17, 2019 in 1962, john ford released the man who shot liberty valance starring james stewart and john wayne. The screenplay by dudley nichols is an adaptation of the stage to lordsburg, a 1937 short story by ernest haycox. The first image of an apache indian in john fords stagecoach 1939 follows a reaction shot and shout from the whiskey salesman peacock, as he spots yakima, the stationkeeper chriss wife. Robert horvat on june 24, 2019 john ford bought the rights to stagecoach from colliers magazine in 1937 an adaptation of a short story called the stage to lordsburg and made a. John fords stagecoach 1939 starring john wayne and. Jul 31, 2012 john fords stagecoach 1939 starring john wayne and claire trevor july 31, 2012 by cliff aliperti 10 comments stagecoach was the first john wayne movie i saw when i was a kid and it remains my favorite of any of his films. Stagecoach is a film in which two great careers were. John fords great western stagecoach revolutionized the genre in 1939 while making a major star of john wayne and establishing monument valley, utah a.

In the meantime, he had produced the superb, oscar. Jul 03, 2012 the three featurelength films i have chosen for this analysis were fords stagecoach 1939, the searchers 1956 and the man who shot liberty valance 1962. And wayne himself, from his starmaking entrance as the ringo kid in stagecoach 1939 to his valedictory performance in the man who shot liberty valance 1962, his. Jul 01, 20 john ford s enduring milestone his first sound western was the film that orson welles studied over and over before embarking on citizen kane.