Setting the Stage for Stagecoach

The first ten minutes of Stagecoach establish an enormous amount of information without boring the viewer to tears with back story. These introductory scenes establish the identity of the entire party who will be traveling with us for the duration of the movie, and also sets up the situation with the Indians. Director John Ford and the script writers manage to fit enough information into the exposition to set the stage for the rest of the film.

The opening shot shows two men racing through an open landscape on their horses from a distance. This creates a sense of excitement and intrigue. The men are too far away to see who they are and we cannot determine why they are in such a rush. It is soon established that they are heading back to a military base, where men are meeting with an Indian man warning them about the presence of the Apaches. It is clear that there is hesitancy to trust an Indian, but is then pointed out that this man is a Cheyenne Indian, and they hate the Apaches as much as the white man. As word spreads, the name Geronimo strikes fear into everyone who hears it.

The remainder of the opening ten minutes introduces the traveling party. Doctor Boone and Dallas are the first two we meet, and the scene with them also introduces us to the idea of social values. The doctor is being thrown out for not paying his rent, but it is obvious that he is also an alcoholic. When he is thrown out, he quotes Christopher Marlowe, showing that he still has his education and has some wits about him. Dallas comes onto the scene and is being thrown out of town by the rest of the women who reside there. Looking at the difference in the way she dresses, and the fact that upon boarding the coach, she exposes her shin, it can be pieced together that she is being forced to leave because she has a reputation for being a whore.

Mrs. Mallory is seen as a nice, upstanding lady. The fact that she is “not well enough to travel” may be an indication that she is pregnant, but this could not simply be said during this time period. The man who strikes a mutual intrigue with her, Hatfield, is described as not being a gentleman, but rather a “notorious gambler” despite his appearances of being a gentleman. His decision to follow Mrs. Mallory onto the coach is not surprising given the way he has been watching her.

Gatewood, the banker, is established immediately as untrustworthy. He takes the $50,000 that was just deposited to the bank, lies to his wife about being there for dinner, and then sneaks off to board the coach and get out of town with his newfound wealth.

Peacock is there, but is the most harmless of the bunch. All we know is that he is a whiskey drummer with a wife and five children who is from Kansas. Though Ringo has not joined the party yet, even he is mentioned in the first ten minutes. It has already been established that he is an outlaw, but that he is not in jail and they will be trying to find and capture him.

A thorough introduction to the characters that establishes relationships between them, sets up some of the social standards, and explains that there is a violent conflict between the Apaches and white men is a tall order for ten minutes worth of film. The script writers and director had to work very hard to make this exposition informative without being boring, and they did a fine job of it. This introduction to the characters pulls the viewer in and makes us want to keep watching to see what will happen: will they escape the Apaches, will they find Ringo, will Hatfield put the moves on Mrs. Mallory, will Dallas be welcome in any town? The expository scene makes us wonder all of this and more. Fortunately, all of the viewers questions are answered in just as thorough and interesting manner as the movie begins.