Stagecoach gallery
What parents need to know
Positive role models
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Stagecoach is a classic, landmark western from 1939, a masterpiece from director John Ford that featured John Wayne in his breakout role. This movie was designed for grown-ups, exploring complex psychological, moral and character issues through its simple story. Happily, it's also crackerjack entertainment, with plenty of tense conflict, humor, and action; it's also famous for one of the most dangerous stunts ever filmed. Younger kids may be bored, but for others that have never seen a western before, this is a grand place to start. It was nominated for seven Oscars and won two.
User reviews
Parents say
Kids say
What's the story?
Several characters from all walks of life board a stagecoach, bound for Lordsburg. We meet a Confederate gambler (John Carradine), a fine lady (Louise Platt), a pompous banker (Berton Churchill), a whisky salesman (Donald Meek), a drunken doctor (Thomas Mitchell), and a disgraced prostitute (Claire Trevor). There's a gabby driver (Andy Devine), and an armed marshal at his side (George Bancroft). Along the way, they pick up the escaped bandit the Ringo Kid (John Wayne). Word is out that Geronimo is on the warpath, and that the Apache may attack at any point. Worse, tension arises from within the coach as the different social classics begin to mix. Unfortunately, they must make an unexpected stop when one of the passengers falls ill...
Is it any good?
QUALITY
John Ford was already an Oscar winner for best director when he made this movie, and it was clear even at the time that he had advanced the western genre to a new level. It featured psychologically complex characters with an ironic twist on society's most and least accepted figures. Additionally, Ford ventured into Monument Valley for the first time, and instinctively used the Western landscape as an artistic, emotional, and physical enhancement for the onscreen drama, rather than just a backdrop.
But even aside from all these advances, STAGECOACH is still a supremely entertaining and engaging movie experience. It features some of the most dangerous stunts ever filmed, and they still dazzle. The archetypal characters are more than just archetypes; they still make an emotional connection. And nothing is more timely than the embezzling bank manager, who still manages to feel entitled, thanks to his high social standing. Stagecoach was a masterpiece in 1939, and it's a masterpiece now.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about the movie's violence. Is it thrilling, or disturbing? How do the deaths of these characters affect you? How does the movie achieve these different emotions?
Is it ironic that the lowest of the characters are the ones with the most integrity? What might cause these characters to have more empathy and tolerance than their more successful, more socially accepted passengers?
In 1939, there was a motion picture code that prevented the movie from showing or discussing anything about prostitution or pregnancy. What may have been the reasons for this?
What are the hallmarks of the Western genre? Why was it so popular, and why is it less popular today?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | March 2, 1939 |
| DVD release date: | October 29, 1997 |
| Cast: | Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell |
| Director: | John Ford |
| Studios: | Criterion Collection, United Artists |
| Genre: | Western |
| Run time: | 96 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
Great handpicked alternatives
For kids who love the classics
Browse more movies
Top advice and articles
What parents and kids say
Share your thoughts with other parents and kids Write a user review
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines
QUALITY
Classic John Wayne movie with some more intense parts
Good movie, although the plot is a little complicated and may be hard for younger kids to follow. The violence is a little heftier than the average old Western, but then, it's John Wayne, so that's to be expected. There is really no sexual content aside from oblique references to one of the main character's past life as a prostitute, but they're so subtle that younger kids won't understand. A married woman delivers a baby, but nothing at all is shown. There are plenty of intense, edge-of-your-seat gunfights and high-speed horse chases, but very little blood is shown. One of the main characters is a major alcoholic, and this is at times portrayed as being funny, at other times as being disgraceful. The movie has an overall positive message, although it does portray the Native American Indians in a negative light, showing them as "bad guys" who are always out to get the white settlers. ***Possible Spoiler Alert*** A main character contemplates killing another character so that she won't be captured by Indians, but is shot himself before he can do it.
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Was this review useful?
QUALITY
We were looking for a Western...
We watched this with my 11 & 9yo boys. The 9 yo repeatedly said he had trouble keeping the characters straight because they were in black and white! - Funny. This film took a little more explaining than I was expecting, but the quality of the story, and discussing prejudices was worth it.
What other families should know
Was this review useful?
Poll
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
Total votes: 760