I don't always enjoy remakes of the classics, especially those who are considered the all-time greats. "Stagecoach" (1939) was perfection, giving John Wayne the switch from B western actor to superstar. Claire Trevor and Thomas Mitchell were shear perfection, and the direction by John Ford was superb. So the question is, how do you top that, especially for a TV movie nearly 50 years later? The answer is you don't. You gather the best cast you possibly can, and pray. As far as the casting is concerned, they succeeded admirably.
Country and Western singer superstars headline the cast, and prove that they are indeed good actors. There's Johnny Cash as a marshal guiding wagonmaster John Schneider through Apache territory, Willie Nelson as Doc Holliday, Kris Kristopherson as "the Ringo Kid", an alleged crook out to clear himself, and Waylon Jennings as a gambler who wins at cards no matter what it takes. Then there's Anthony Newley as a booze salesman, Anthony Franciosa as a mysterious cold gentleman, Elizabeth Ashley as a big hearted woman trying to get over the many mistakes in her life and Mary Crosby as a woman joining her officer husband and about to give birth.
Of course, the goal is to survive, but there are plenty of conflicts between the passengers and crew. A lone Apache soldier, staring on at the road which will be traveled by the strangers, and it is explained that the theft of their land is the motive of their revenge. Of course, the argument over this between one passenger being honest about the reasons the Apaches are on the warpath and the other passengers make the one man look to be in their mind an "Injun lover" when all he's doing is revealing the truth. This TV version doesn't wrap up all the stories and is not flawless, but for a remake, isn't bad at all and proves that not all remakes are unnecessary.
Country and Western singer superstars headline the cast, and prove that they are indeed good actors. There's Johnny Cash as a marshal guiding wagonmaster John Schneider through Apache territory, Willie Nelson as Doc Holliday, Kris Kristopherson as "the Ringo Kid", an alleged crook out to clear himself, and Waylon Jennings as a gambler who wins at cards no matter what it takes. Then there's Anthony Newley as a booze salesman, Anthony Franciosa as a mysterious cold gentleman, Elizabeth Ashley as a big hearted woman trying to get over the many mistakes in her life and Mary Crosby as a woman joining her officer husband and about to give birth.
Of course, the goal is to survive, but there are plenty of conflicts between the passengers and crew. A lone Apache soldier, staring on at the road which will be traveled by the strangers, and it is explained that the theft of their land is the motive of their revenge. Of course, the argument over this between one passenger being honest about the reasons the Apaches are on the warpath and the other passengers make the one man look to be in their mind an "Injun lover" when all he's doing is revealing the truth. This TV version doesn't wrap up all the stories and is not flawless, but for a remake, isn't bad at all and proves that not all remakes are unnecessary.