This is one of the 10 Westerns you must see in your lifetime: Released 86 years ago, it stars John Wayne and John Ford, so what more could you ask for?

Some movies deserve to go down in history, and the proof that they do: they went down in history. A few years ago, the AlloCiné editorial team, after heated discussions, listed 10 films they saw by genre. Western was no exception and it is one of those movies that you should see at least once in your life.

John Wayne first made the icon

If you’re a fan of the genre, you’re already familiar with The Fantastic Ride, directed by John Ford and released in May 1939. The story is about a scenic drive that connects Arizona with New Mexico. A trip to the Wild West will put travelers to the test.

John Ford takes the time to introduce his character, who only appears 18 minutes into the film, but what a look! Zoom from American shot to facial close-up showing Ringo Kidd (John Wayne) asking the stagecoach to stop at his Winchester Windmill. Without the noise of music, with this single camera effect, an icon was born.

The Fantastic Ride created an archetype: a stage movie with its passengers becoming clichés as they are repeated over and over again in other feature films of the genre: the alcoholic doctor, the pregnant military wife, the whiskey salesman, the banker. A crook and recently escaped prisoner. Explosive cocktail!

A “small” film that became a classic

This Western also features a lack of action (for the time) but what action we have! You have to see the scene where the Indian slides under the skid wheel, which is still amazingly realistic today, or the scene where the stuntman jumps from horse to horse to stop the car.

Interestingly, John Ford would make three more films that year, all about parts of American history. On the trail of the Mohawk explores the war of independence and colonization, its fate to the fate of Abraham Lincoln, and the grapes of anger of the Great Depression. Although lighter, The Fantastic Ride is also part of the mythological story of the country’s history, offering a fantasy version of the West and its heroes, purely cinematic.

From the original title Stagecoach, The Fantastic Ride won two Oscars upon release, despite a disappointing box office performance (explained by the aforementioned lack of action): Best Score and Best Supporting Actor for Thomas Mitchell (who plays the Doctor).

The Fantastic Ride would have two remakes: The Stagecoach to the West (1966), directed by Gordon Douglas with Anne-Margret, Alex Cord and Bing Crosby, followed by Stagecoach (1986), a TV movie by Ted Post (Hang Them High and Short) and Worn by country stars Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash.