John Wayne became a superstar after starring in the 1939 movie Stagecoach, but the film’s director John Ford was a ‘despicable tyrant’ who ‘brutally bullied’ the actor on set
John Wayne and John Ford teamed up for numerous iconic Westerns, but it was the 1939 film Stagecoach that catapulted Duke to stardom.
Set in 1880, the plot revolves around a group of strangers navigating perilous Apache territory. The film was so well-crafted that Orson Welles reportedly watched it over 40 times as he prepared to create what is often hailed as “the greatest movie of all time,” Citizen Kane.
Stagecoach also marked the debut of Wayne’s signature hat, which he wore in many subsequent Westerns until it began to disintegrate during the filming of Rio Bravo two decades later.
The 1939 film represented a significant turning point in Duke’s career, as it was the first time director Ford cast him in one of his films, giving him the role of Ringo Kid. Upon receiving the offer, Wayne felt as if he’d been “hit in the belly with a baseball bat” and feared that Ford might change his mind and opt for Lloyd Nolan instead.
Despite producer Walter Wanger’s initial resistance to casting Wayne, due to his reputation as a B-movie actor (Wanger preferred Gary Cooper), Ford stood his ground and insisted on Wayne or no film at all.
However, this didn’t prevent Ford from treating Duke and his fellow actors poorly on the set of what would be his first sound-era Western, reports the Express.
The filmmaker had a reputation for being brutal with his actors, believing it would push them to deliver better performances. During the filming of Stagecoach, he lashed out at Andy Devine, who played Buck, saying: “You big tub of lard! I don’t know why the hell I’m using you in this picture!” However, Devine shot back: “Because Ward Bond can’t drive six horses.”
Thomas Mitchell, who played Doc Boone, also received a tongue-lashing from Ford, but he retorted with a scathing comment about one of Ford’s recent flops: “Just remember: I saw Mary of Scotland!” John Wayne, however, bore the brunt of Ford’s abuse, with the director frequently criticizing his line delivery, gait, and even his on-screen face-washing technique.
Ford reportedly grabbed Wayne’s chin and shook him, saying: “Why are you moving your mouth so much? Don’t you know you don’t act with your mouth in pictures? You act with your eyes.”
Ford’s harsh treatment of actors continued throughout his career, with some stars walking off set in frustration. Wayne, however, endured it, largely because he knew Ford had launched his career with Stagecoach.