User Reviews

20th Century Fox's STAGECOACH (1966) is of course a remake of the classic 1939 John Ford production of the same name. But this later version, and because of its over cherished antecedents, has at times been rather unfairly pilloried by both critics and public alike. I have to admit myself to being never too fond of Ford's much vaunted western. While admittedly there are some great things in it I always found it quite dull in parts and a number of the supporting players not wholly conducive to their respective roles. Also the Ringo Kid's shootout with the Plummers towards the end is little more than alluded to and merely consists of John Wayne hitting the dirt and letting go with a Winchester. It is a cop-out really and is the movie's most disappointing aspect. On the other hand the later remake has none of these failings. All ablaze in awesome Cinemascope and DeLux color it is a sturdier more strident version of Ernest Haycox's story with a well chosen cast. And here Ringo's showdown gets the full treatment in a brilliantly staged and exciting confrontation which has about 15 minutes screen time. The picture is also graced with a terrific score by the great Jerry Goldsmith. Streets ahead of the creaky Acadamy Award winning music by Richard Hageman from the earlier film. Written for the screen by Joseph Landon from Dudley Nichol's original screenplay it was stylishly and excitingly photographed by William Clothier. His opening aerial shot panning across the lovely Colorado locations is breathtaking as it swoops down to track the speeding Stagecoach on its way to Dry Fork. A wonderful spine tingling few moments! Produced by Martin Rackin for Fox STAGECOACH'66 was perfectly directed by the estimable Gordan Douglas.

Of course we all know the story which concerns a mixed bag of passengers who are thrown together on an arduous Stagecoach journey to Cheyeanne and fearing, among other things, an Indian attack along the way. There is the banished dance hall girl Dallas (Ann Margret giving the performance of her career), Gatewood the wily and mean spirited embezzler (an excellent Robert Cummings), a surprisingly good Bing Crosby as the whiskey sodden MD, a terrific Van Heflin as Curly the Marshal and shotgun guard, the wonderful Slim Pickins as Buck the stage driver (Pickins - an ex wrangler - was the only actor capable of handling a six team of horses) and Alex Cord making an impressive Ringo. The picture does however get a little bogged down in the middle but there is splendid character development in these scenes and once the Indians begin their pursuit of the stagecoach the action never lets up. Unlike the earlier film and the famous chase across the salt flats - here there is much more vegetation as the Stagecoach is pursued over mountains and through wooded areas and streams before a wheel collapses and the hapless travellers must now make a stand against the Indian horde who they eventually manage to beat off. (This whole chase sequence is quite riveting as the brilliant camera shoots from the air one minute and then from under the speeding coach). The stagecoach finally struggles into Cheyeanne and Ringo must now take on Luke Plummer (Keenan Wynn) and his two murderous sons in a blistering action packed shootout in the best tradition of the revenge western. The picture ends, just like the original, with Ringo and Dallas riding off side by side to begin a new life together.

One of the great aspects of STAGECOACH'66 is Jerry Goldsmith's stunning score. The instrumentation is extraordinary! The main title is heard over that amazing aerial shot at the opening and distinctly discerned are jew's-harp, banjo, guitar, a lovely jazzy button accordion, solo trumpet, harmonica and pizzicato strings all lending an authentic and inspired western feel to the picture. Then there is an attractive love theme "I Will Follow" heard in the film's softer moments with Ringo and Dallas which gives their scenes together a tender and persuasive charm. STAGECOACH'66 is one of Jerry Goldsmith's finest scores for a western.

STAGECOACH'66 is a good and exciting western and should not be judged as simply a remake of a classic. It should be enjoyed for its own intrinsic value plus the added quality that was brought to an old story with some fresh innovations and new techniques. And, who knows, perhaps in that way this STAGECOACH could itself become a classic too?

This fIlm is definitely not nearly as good as the 1939 classic. All the anachronisms and continuity goofs don't help.

Ann-Margret tries a Southern accent for the first ten minutes of the film, then abandons it; she slips in and out of her accent for the rest of the film. Sydney Guilaroff gets a separate credit for her hairstyles, which look more like complicated 1960's hairdos than 1870's. Crosby is relaxed and underplays his role. He comes off best among the cast. As a thief, Cummings overacts so irritatingly I wanted to see him eliminated first; no such luck. Van Heflin is reassuringly sturdy and in there working to keep the movie watchable.

Nobody is as irritating in this thing as Slim Pickens. His howling and yowling about Indians getting them before the stagecoach reaches its destination was like listening to fingernails on a chalkboard. When an Indian bullet hit him, he finally shuts up.

There are two continuity goofs/anachronisms. First, one annoying character takes an arrow through the heart, then recovers in five minutes to join in shooting at the Indians. His bandage disappears through the rest of the film, only to reappear at the end with a red spot on it. The second is that In one of their overnight stops, a wok is used for cooking.

Norman Rockwell did the portraits of the cast in the end credits. Jerry Goldsmith contributed a good musical score, although the song over the closing credits is unfortunate.

Stagecoach (1966) is a pale remake of the original, and mediocre on its own. Actually, I would describe it as a pathetic remake.

What most sets the films apart is that there was moral commitment, whether for good or evil, in almost all the characters in the original. There is hardly any from anyone in this remake, whereas this provided the center of the original. There is here little but stereotyped buffoonery with no felt underlying moral stance. The moral setup is also lacking in that Dallas is now simply a dance hall girl unfairly victimized, instead of the prostitute of the original.

It would be impossible to reprise John Wayne's role, but, most importantly, he serves as the moral center of the earlier film. Alex Cord, however, is hardly anything but a cardboard, almost after thought presence, in setting the tone in the newer production.

Ann-Margaret and Bing Crosby are interesting to see and a cut above the rest of the cast. Van Heflin has presence at the sheriff, and Slim Pickens fulfills his role nicely.

Visually and otherwise, Gordon Douglas, the director, is no John Ford. This by itself, however, doesn't account for the great disparity between this remake and the original.

It's no accident, imo, that no DVD or VHS of this film is available.

**** minor spoilers ****

The best sequence in the new film is the chase of the stagecoach. The original's classic rescue by the calvary, however, is replaced with the stagecoach passengers now amazingly holding off the Indians themselves, shooting enough of them to constitute whole tribes.

The gunfight at the end is slightly above the standard where one overcomes many. It was, however, a virtue of the original that John Wayne's defeating his three vicious antagonists is off-screen. Better to keep unreality invisible where it can't be plausibly depicted. An understated, and therefore of more consequence, than the stereotyped victory of the good guy while maintaining the requirements, back then, of good triumphing

Westerns come in several types: classic, John Wayne, John Ford, spaghetti, and ensemble. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. If a viewer is a big Clint Eastwood fan or loves John Wayne, then any film starring those men is golden. However, there is nothing wrong with this film as an ensemble western. It is incorrect to consider it a flat-out remake of its predecessor; the original was both a John Ford and John Wayne project and carried the indelible marks of both men. It was a sweeping vista of a western that focused heavily on Wayne's character, the Ringo Kid. This 1966 version doesn't sprawl across the screen. It has instead a warmer, more intimate feeling that draws the viewer into caring about the characters that inhabit it.

The characters are archetypical for a western movie. There's the fallen woman who'd love a chance at redemption (Dallas), the alcoholic doctor (Josiah Boone), tough gambler with a heart of gold (Hatfield), nervous reverend (Peacock), pregnant young lady (Mrs. Mallory), slimy guy with a secret (Henry Gatewood), tough-as-nails marshal (Curly Wilcox) and young misunderstood outlaw (the Ringo Kid). Add a shaky stagecoach driver with no nerve named Buck (how'd he get this job?) and trail perils that include washouts and hostile Indians, some very nasty outlaws called the Plummer Brothers that Ringo wants to kill, and the result could come across as a cliché of a classic western. Somehow, it doesn't. Instead, what was a big-screen extravaganza starring a larger-than-life Duke is melted down into a more balanced and less histrionic movie that is easy to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon.

The cast is well-chosen and, despite the temptation to compare them unfavorably to the original set of actors (As though this bunch is second-rate), each plays his part very well. Bing Crosby is perfect as the boozing, amiable doctor who nevertheless comes through in time of need. Young Ann-Margret sizzles on screen as the sultry-yet-sweet Dallas, who loses her heart to the outlaw who treats her like a lady when nobody else does. An also young Stephanie Powers is more than a pretty face in her portrayal of the woman who gives birth. Red Buttons is funny as Peacock and Mike Connors plays the southern gentleman gambler as well as Carradine did; he just appears less creepy. Van Heflin is great as the rugged marshal and Slim Pickens pulls off the shaky driver who keeps bawling that he wants to turn back, etc. Keenan Wynn makes a great and vile killer as the oldest Plummer. And finally, no offense to the Duke or his fans, but Alex Cord was a pleasant surprise as the Ringo Kid. His strange facial features, which are both masculine and sensitive, help him pull off the part of the oddly gentle outlaw who can kill efficiently when he has to. John Wayne's Kid was also good, but on a different level; Cord makes the man he plays incredibly sympathetic, so much so that when we watched the movie for the first time, we kept hoping he wouldn't get killed off. Wayne is great for the older version of Stagecoach and its more epic feel, but Cord fits more seamlessly into this ensemble drama. His on screen presence isn't as big but it's more natural and believable.

The movie is slightly shorter than the older one, too, coming across as more economically filmed, yet fleshes out the characters nicely into real people.

Some have different levels of good and evil within them: the amiable passenger turns out to be a mean-spirited creep; the disreputable gambler is a true gentleman at heart; the outlaw may or may not have committed the crime that has earned him his unsavory reputation; the saloon girl is surprisingly good with the baby. The characters evoke emotion, whether it be pity, dislike, disgust, or affection. In that sense, this movie succeeds.

We liked it better than the older one; it seemed fresher and faster-paced. However, if one's preference is for the more Wayne-centric western, then the 1939 version would be more to taste. However, don't be too quick to put this one down. As a John Ford saga, it didn't work, but as an ensemble drama that focused on all of its characters, the 1966 version came out fine.

We hesitated to watch it based on negative reviews and enjoyed it well enough to add it to our video collection.

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).