Director
John Ford
Leading Actors/Actresses
Claire Trevor, John Wayne
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Thomas Mitchell, Andy Devine, George Bancroft, Donald Meek, Louise Platt
Genre
Western, Drama
Language
English
Awards
Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Thomas Mitchell) and Best Music
Date of Release
March 3, 1939
Producer
Walter Wanger
Setting and Context
Monument Valley, between Tonto, Arizona to Lordsburg, New Mexico
Narrator and Point of View
No narrator or point of view
Tone and Mood
Dramatic, at times light-hearted, suspenseful, action-packed
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is Ringo the Kid, Antagonists are the Plummer Brothers, also Geronimo
Major Conflict
The major conflict for Ringo is avenging the murder of his brother and father. The broader conflict against the background of which Ringo's takes place is getting the stagecoach to its destination safely without being set upon by Apache warriors.
Climax
The climax occurs when Ringo successfully kills the Plummer brothers in the shootout and he and Dallas can go to his ranch to live in domestic bliss, with Curley's blessing.
Foreshadowing
Chris tells Ringo that the Plummer brothers are in Lordsburg, which foreshadows his shootout with them.
Understatement
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
John Ford was notable for his use of on-location shooting. The action sequence in which the stagecoach contends with the Apache warriors was a milestone in American filmmaking, for the complexity of the action sequences, the impressiveness of the stunts, and its beautifully-shot backdrop in Monument Valley.
Allusions
Paradox
Parallelism
Dallas and Lucy are parallels for one another, representing women of two very different classes. Dallas and Ringo are also parallels for one another, in that they are both good people who have been given a bad rap by society.
