Although he’s known as the most iconic western movie actor of all-time, John Wayne’s path to stardom wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Wayne spent many years working on low-budget, largely forgettable western films in the early 1930s, and didn’t even have a say in the stage name that was chosen for him. However, it only made sense that Wayne’s breakout role would come within the film that revitalized the western genre, inspiring a wave of imitators during the Golden Age of Hollywood. 1939’s Stagecoach isn’t just one of the greatest western movies ever made, but the film that established Wayne as the star of a generation.
Wayne certainly couldn’t be accused of not trying to break into the western genre, but early films like The Big Trail simply didn’t give him the opportunity to prove his merits as a leading man. However, Stagecoach was an elevated production, as it hailed from the Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Ford. The pair then began a partnership that spanned decades, resulting in classics like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Searchers, The Long Voyage Home, 3 Godfathers, and Donovan’s Reef among others. However, Wayne’s introduction in Stagecoach remains one of the coolest introductions in cinematic history.
What Is ‘Stagecoach’ About?
Western cinema certainly did not begin in the 1930s, as even the silent film era included narrative features about gunslingers, outlaws, and the American Wild West. However, Stagecoach was groundbreaking because it opted to depict a more realistic version of America’s past, taking note of the familiar archetypes that were common within the era. The film centers on the passengers of a coach that travels from Tonto, Arizona Territory, to Lordsburg, New Mexico. On the trip are the Hostess Dallas (Claire Trevor), the alcoholic Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell), the mother-to-be Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt), and the whiskey salesman Samuel Peacock (Donald Meek), as well as the driver Buck (Andy Devine). Tensions arise due to the group’s differing social views, but the stakes are heightened once the coach begins weathering attacks from Native American war parties that roam the territory.
Stagecoach does a great job at building up to Wayne’s reveal. Early on, his character, known only as “The Ringo Kid,” is only briefly mentioned, with an aura of mystique surrounding his backstory. It is rumored that the Kid is a hero of unimaginable proportions who has slain many enemies in combat. This created anticipation for Wayne’s appearance, and thankfully, he did not disappoint. The Kid emerges on screen in a glorious shot where Ford puts a close-up on Wayne’s face; this comes as a sharp contrast to the wider shots detailing the oppressive Western landscape. Considering that Stagecoach was filmed on location in the Arizona Valley, the boldness of Wayne’s features standout in comparison.
It is immediately identified that Wayne is playing a complex character. One of the reasons that Stagecoach was so revolutionary was that it avoided the clean-cut identification of “heroes” and “villains” that was common in western films at the time; all the passengers are of somewhat dubious ethical standing. However, it was still important for Ford to identify a central protagonist the audience could rally behind. The shot of Wayne emerging out from the distance gives him an almost superhuman quality. Though he is put under arrest almost immediately after we meet, his characterization is handled with nuanced care. This level of authenticity and intensity would come to define Wayne’s work in the next stage of his career.
‘Stagecoach’ Kicked off the Western Renaissance
The most important attribute of Stagecoach was its dynamic characters. With so many moving pieces, the movie still finds ways to craft distinct personalities throughout the entire adventure. It’s suggested that enemies are always present, which forces all the characters to open up to each other, and become more vulnerable. It’s very telling that even when confronted with danger, the Kid retains his chivalrous attitude. Wayne had indicated that the character was willing to risk life and limb for companions that he barely even knew; even when the other coach passengers look to him for advice, the Kid does not buckle under the weight of expectations. It’s remarkable that Wayne, who was still fairly young at the time of Stagecoach’s release, was able to convey such strong leadership skills.
Stagecoach also established the fundamental qualities that audiences wanted out of Westerns. Given that the backdrop of America’s frontier was seemingly beyond any form of law or civilization, it made sense that some of the characters would be intriguing and compelling. Still, Wayne’s first appearance remains the film’s most iconic shot. It would become an inspiration for the instruction of other great movie heroes, such as Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Sean Connery’s James Bond in Dr. No.
‘Stagecoach’ Established John Wayne as an Iconic Western Hero
Stagecoach was the first of many western roles for Wayne, who became a champion of the genre for over four decades. The Kid proved to be a character that was hard to replicate, leading Wayne to take on a few darker roles that changed up his image. One of the reasons that Howard Hawks’ epic western Red River landed with such an impact is that audiences were surprised to see Wayne in such a malevolent role; he had become so closely associated with the Kid that any deviation was seen as quite jarring.
Although the film’s depiction of Native American characters has justifiably sparked some backlash, Stagecoach holds up very well in comparison to other classic westerns. The momentum and dialogue feels very modern. While Ford’s direction is why the film is timeless, it was Wayne’s star power that ensured that Stagecoach would be well remembered.
‘Stagecoach’ Also Led to John Ford and John Wayne’s Legendary Partnership
Ford was already an established filmmaker at the time of Stagecoach’s release, as he had won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on the brilliant noir thriller The Informer. However, the sustained partnership with Wayne allowed Ford to make more ambitious projects. The duo would go on to create the 1956 masterpiece The Searchers, a haunting examination of the cyclical violence on the American frontier that continues to inspire fan theories to this day. The pair also ventured into different genres with the adventure film Hatari, the Ireland-set romantic drama The Quiet Man, and the World War II epic They Were Expendable .
While his best work was arguably done with Ford, Wayne would go on to become an established director in his own right. After years of working with acclaimed directors like Howard Hawks and William Wellman, Wayne nearly went bankrupt self-funding the historical epic The Alamo, in which he starred as the folklore hero Davy Crockett. The Alamo may not have been an entirely accurate depiction of the Texas Revolution against Mexico, but it did earn Wayne an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. He would later win his only acting trophy for his performance in True Grit.