A classic Western, and I can thank my father for introducing me to it as a child.

Watched this recently for the first time - Duke’s ‘all right pilgrim’ lines on fleek!

"Stage Coach"

My brother and I went to see it when it first was released. I was about 9. We enjoyed the action and a lot of the scenes, but of course the real story was way over my head. I thought JW came off as a bully and even thought he just made up the story about killing Valence 😀. I've watched it many times over the years and now I think it's a great movie, although it may have been by accident. Ford was getting old and starting to have health problems and it does appear to have been done on the cheap. The entire cast was super, though. Too many to name, but minor characters like (all of these are favorites of mine) John Qualen, Strother Martin, Woody Strode, Lee Van Cleef and John Carradine were all great - and Wayne actually showed some acting skills, too, especially the scenes after he shot Valence, knowing he had given up all his dreams.

Before anyone points it out, John Wayne was maybe at his highest point of acting in True Grit. That movie has extreme highs but a few lows, which is maybe why it didn't occur to me during writing.

I wonder how long Wayne hid in that alley to shoot Liberty Valance in the back. What a coward!

The Dark Knight copied this movie ending