Stagecoach (1966)

Alex Cord plays the Ringo Kid in this remake of the John Ford classic; Ann-Margret is Dallas, the saloon girl he falls for on the stage trip to Cheyenne, where he hopes to get revenge against Luke Plummer and his sons.

Of course, with the Sioux on the warpath, there’s no guarantee Ringo or any of the other stage passengers will survive this ride to town.

Van Heflin plays the sheriff in this version. He was friends with Ringo’s dad, so he has mixed feelings about taking the Kid in. But he sure needs the reward money. Slim Pickens plays the stagecoach driver.

The group of passengers also includes Bing Crosby as the doctor, Stefanie Powers as the officer’s wife, Robert Cummings as the thieving banker, Red Buttons as the whiskey salesman and Michael Connors as the southern gentleman.

Connors was a year away from his breakthrough role in the TV series “Mannix.”

Alex Cord as the Ringo Kid, wondering about Dallas after boarding the stage in Stagecoach (1966)

Ann-Margret as saloon girl Dallas, kicked out of town and bound for Cheyenne in Stagecoach (1966)

Review:

Remaking the John Ford classic is a brave undertaking. Especially when your lead actor, Alex Cord, can’t hold a candle to John Wayne.

But Gordon Douglas makes it work for the most part, with the help of a solid catch of supporting characters — Bing Crosby is particularly good. Having the lovely Ann-Margret in the Claire Trevor role doesn’t hurt.

And while the basic story remains the same, the script varies enough to keep things interesting. And that includes the final showdown.

Add some well-filmed action scenes, including an opening massacre and an Indian attack on the stage with no cavalry riding to the rescue, and you have the makings of an entertaining film.

This marked Crosby’s last big-screen appearance. And, as a note of trivia, Norman Rockwell makes a cameo appearance as a townsman and also painted portraits of the main characters that are shown as the closing credits role.

Van Heflin as Curley WIlcox, looking forward to the reward for Ringo Kid in Stagecoach (1966)

Slim Pickens as Buck, shotgun guard on the stagecoach to Cheyenne in Stagecoach (1966)

Directed by:
Gordan Douglas

Cast:
Alex Cord … Ringo Kid
Ann-Margret … Dallas
Van Heflin … Curley Wilcox
Slim Pickens … Buck
Bing Crosby … Doc Josiah Boone
Red Buttons … Peacock
Michael Connors … Hatfield
Robert Cummings … Henry Gatewood
Stefanie Powers .. Mrs. Lucy Malliory
Keenan Wynn … Luke Plummer
Brad Weston … Matt Plummer
Ned Wynn … Ike Plmmer
Joseph Hoover … Lt. Blanchard
John Gabriel … Capt. Jim Mallory

Runtime: 114 min.

Songs
Title tune: “Stagecoach to Cheyenne”
by the Bill Brown Singers
Also: “Wherever You Go, I Will Follow”

Bing Crosby as Doc Josiah Boone, forced to sober up for a while in Stagecoach (1966)

Stefanie Powers as Mrs. Lucy Malliory, about to become a mother for the first time in Stagecoach (1966)

Memorable lines:

Curley: “Nobody’s seen any Indians.”
Buck: “But you heard what the lieutenant said.”
Curley: “That shavetail said rumors. Ain’t nobody ever gotten scalped by no rumor.”

Ringo Kid: “What about you?”
Dallas: “You’re going to clear the slate if you shoot three men. A girl like me, you know how many men I’d have to shoot?”

Mike Connors as Hatfield, pulling a gun on a fellow traveler while Doc Josiah Boone (Bing Crosby) and Peabody (Red Buttons) look on in Stagecoach (1966)

Bing Crosby as Doc Josiah Boone and Red Buttons as whiskey salesman Peabody during an unexpected stop in Stagecoach (1966)

Robert Cummings as Henry Gatewood, a traveler with a secret in Stagecoach (1966)

Keenan Wynn as Luke Plummer, about to cause more trouble in Stagecoach (1966)

Ann-Margret as Dallas, during a tense encounter with the Ringo Kid in Stagecoach (1966)

Alex Cord as Ringo Kid, determined to settle the score with the Plummers in Stagecoach (1966)