John Ford’s iconic western film Stagecoach draws much of its power from the character studies that center the screenplay. It is this sophistication in story-telling that, according to Tim Dirks’ “Greatest Films” analysis of Stagecoach, “elevated westerns from cheaply-made, low-grade, Saturday matinee “B” films to a serious adult genre – one with greater sophistication, richer Western archetypes and themes, in-depth and complete characterization, and greater profitability and popularity as well” (p.1).
Common Frontier Citizens
Most critical attention to character in Stagecoach is to the leads, Dallas (Claire Trevor) and the Ringo Kid (John Wayne); the seemingly respectable Lucy Mallory and Gatewood (Louise Platt, Benton Churchill), or the seemingly disreputable Doc Boone and Hatfield (Thomas Mitchell, John Carradine).
But, if one ignores the “common folk,” the frontier citizens who are the bedrock of society, the drama loses a key grounding element. These are the truly respectable folk in Ford’s eyes, even if they don’t have social status. And even these characters—Curley, Buck, and Peacock —offer surprises that add depth and richness to Stagecoach.
Marshal Curley Tempers Law with Justice
Marshal Curley Wilcox (George Bancroft) sets out to capture the Ringo Kid, riding shotgun with the stage from Tonto to Lordsburg. It turns out that Curley, who is a family friend , is pursing Ringo not because he has to as the marshal, but because he believes the way to protect Ringo from being killed by the Plummer brothers is to get him back in jail.
Curley is a father figure in a cast of people who are orphaned (through murder or massacre) and the model of a law and order tempered by practicality and compassion. He is willing to put Ringo back in jail for his own protection even though he knows Ringo is innocent. It is Curley to whom Buck talks about his in-law troubles and Curley to whom Ringo turns, trusting him to take Dallas to Ringo’s ranch south of the border. In the end, Curley’s compassion lets him allow Ringo an opportunity to enact his own justice in a shoot-out with the Plummer boys. His surprise send-off of Ringo and Dallas at the end shows a mercy that transcends abstract law.
Buck as Comic Foil, Source of Simple Wisdom
The foil for Curley throughout the movie is Buck Rickabaugh, the stagecoach driver on the Tonto – Lordsburg route. Buck, played delightfully by the raspy voiced Andy Devine, introduces a lighter note to Stagecoach. He nicknames Lucy's baby Little Coyote because of its cry and keeps a running commentary going of life with his Mexican wife Julieta. Also, he offers the only completely loyal support of Ringo, even trying to convince Curley to just let Ringo shoot Luke Plummer (“filling him so full of lead that he can’t hold his liquor!”). Buck models a nature tuned to the spirit of Western democracy, accepting people on their own merits, including Dallas, Ringo, and his many in-laws.
True to Stagecoach’s morality play roots, Buck’s contributions—as simple folk wisdom—are seldom respected . He is regularly interrupted by others and often simply ignored. It is Buck's knowledge of Luke Plummer’s whereabouts though that sends Curley to Lordsburg, his choice in taking the high trail that keeps them safe until Lee’s Ferry (“them breech clout Indians don’t like snow”), and his judgment of Ringo’s abilities against the Plummers that rings most true.
Peacock as Model of Gentle Respect
Another common frontier character is Samuel Peacock. It would be easy to see this shy, nervy whisky drummer, whose very name contradicts his character, as a milquetoast. Indeed, if Buck gets interrupted regularly, Peacock almost doesn’t exist as an individual. People constantly forget his name; if they remember a name, it’s the wrong one (typically, Haycock or Haycox, in subtle homage to writer Ernest Haycox). Others often assume he is a clergyman, despite his repeated corrections.
Donald Meek plays Peacock as the meekest of men, timid about facing the threat of attack and easily taken advantage of (especially by Doc who drinks up Peacock’s whiskey samples). Most critics associate his timidity with ineffectiveness (for example, critic David Welky‘s review of Stagecoach in the St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture). With Peacock’s meekness, though, comes an admirable gentleness and sensitivity . He is the only passenger who accepts others just as they are. Perhaps this is why he is missing from the dinner table scene; otherwise his character would have had to take sides, making it hard to serve later as intermediary.
A stronger side of Peacock surfaces after Lucy’s baby is born. He firmly insists on quiet when the men want to raucously cheer Doc’s midwifery and make silly noises to tease the newborn. One now sees that his repeated references to his family come from a sincere commitment and an understanding of more delicate needs. Peacock also takes a stand as they leave Dry Fork, halting the arguing in the stagecoach by stating gently but firmly: “Gentlemen, please. Let’s not forget the ladies. Bless them. Let’s have a little Christian charity one for the other.” His being shot signals the Apache attack, shocking the audience with the ironic possibility that this gentle soul may die. Peacock’s final scene reinforces his thoughtfulness – his invitation to “Miss Dallas” to visit his family in Kansas City is as sincere as it is accepting of her worth as a person.
Thus Curley, Buck, and Peacock together offer a picture of normal frontier folk, giving an underlying stability to a storyline dominated by the more flamboyant prostitutes, drunks, thieves, and gamblers. They provide a dimension of reality to the morality play of the old West that is Stagecoach – and a point of identification for the common folk in the audience.
- Stagecoach (1939)
- Starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Donald Meek, Berton Churchill, Tim Holt, Tom Tyler
- Written by Dudley Nichols, based on short story by Ernest Haycox
- Directed by John Ford
- Running time: 92 minutes
Susan Z. Swan - After 30 years as a university professor, Susan Z. Swan turned to freelance writing and editing full time, following a dream decades old ...
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