1. In 1939 during the greatest periods when film was at its prime the movie Stage Coach by John Ford was indeed one to remember. Throughout the production of the film director John Ford was told that Stage Coach was a movie that would bring down his career, and that westerns were not in style. Little to be known that the film would not only revitalize the classic western but it would bring the genre up to big picture status. Ford showed that westerns could be intelligent, great entertainment, and profitable at the same time. The film is set in 1880 with nine people on the trip from Tonto to Lordsburg starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne. There are many different themes in stagecoach such as greed, revenge, sexual and social prejudice. The doctor in the film is an alcoholic who throughout the film develops a sense of pride within himself and later snaps out of his deep depression. The film was also responsible for the launch of many careers like John Wayne’s, even though producers objected to him being in the picture. It won an Academy Award for best picture, director, editing, interior decoration, B & W cinematography, and best supporting actor.
John Ford was born Sean Aloysius o’ Fearna in Maine, USA Feb.1 1893, and was known as one of the best filmmaker’sr’s in History. Ford was introduced to the film business by his brother Francis Ford, and in 1915 worked as cowboy Klan’s men in D.W Griffith’s birth of a nation. It was after a couple of films later when he changed his name to John Ford (probably after the model car). Even though he was making films as early as 24 it was in the 1930s where ford took his leap into startum with greats like Young Mr. Lincoln, Drums along the Mohawk, and Stagecoach all in a twelve month period in 1940 he received an Oscar for his film Rebecca and the following year received another for best picture for the film How green was my valley. Little do people know that Ford is responsible for some combat footage of Pearl Harbor, and also attempted to get shots of the Normandy Invasion. Ford used something called “the invisible technique”, where he could take the viewer out of their normal comfort zone, and place them into the world of his films, this was his genius.
4. I’m not a really huge fan of western movie but Fords Stage Coach was overall pretty good. Its good to see the classic films during the 1930s, and then look at what were blessed with to watch today on the big screen. The most intriguing part about this film is that it wasn’t supposed to be made because so many felt it was a bad idea. Ford never listened when people told him not to do something, he did what was in his heart and what he felt was right.
