There is no shortage of action in "Rio Conchos" director Gordon Douglas' remake of John Ford's venerable western classic "Stagecoach." Comparatively, the original ran 96 minutes, while the Douglas remake clocks in at 115 minutes. The impressive cast won't make you forget John Wayne, Claire Trevor, and Thomas Mitchell, but they make you believe them. This revenge-driven Twentieth Century Fox release qualifies as an above-average remake. Douglas and "Rio Conchos" scenarist Joseph Landon shun a scene-by-scene remake, but they preserve a lot of Dudley Nichols's dialogue from the 1939 masterpiece. Like the Oscar winning original, this "Stagecoach" remake assembles a number of diverse characters and cramps them within the claustrophobic confines of a stagecoach. The passenger list constitutes a microcosm of nineteenth century society. A pregnant cavalry officer's wife, an amoral Southern gambler, a whiskey drummer, a soused doctor, an ostracized saloon girl, a crooked banker, and a lawman make up this gallery of oddballs. Veteran lenser William Clothier, who shot his share of John Wayne westerns, makes producer Martin Rackin's sumptuous production look larger-than-life. Although it doesn't unfold in scenic Monument Valley like the Ford original, the Twentieth Century Fox remake features its own stunning scenery in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Mind you, Douglas isn't the cinematic poet that Ford was. Nevertheless, he is no slouch, and this version of "Stagecoach," the second of three, . Alex Cord appropriates the role that made John Wayne a star. Sexy Ann-Margaret steps into Claire Trevor's role. Bing Cosby steps into Best Supporting Oscar winner Thomas Mitchell's shoes as a drunken doctor. Red Buttons is splendidly cast as the whiskey drummer that Cosby takes advantage of during the trip. Some scenes, particularly the battle with the Native Americans, stand out. "Stagecoach" shows Douglas in fine form.

It takes courage to make a new movie based on a story so well developed in 1939 by John Ford and starring John Wayne so magnificent, but Gordon Douglas decided to take the project forward and the result was not bad. The cast except Mike Connors and Bob Cummings (bad bad bad) is very good, especially Bing Crosby and Ann-Margret. Alex Cord is not up to John Wayne did not disappoint. It has good stage presence and fulfills its role. The final scenes, so different from its predecessor are explicit, while in 1939, John Ford chose to hide details of the final confrontation. Finally a movie is interesting and should be considered. It has more positives than negatives.

This remake is a treasure due to the fabulous cast. Very interesting performances by Bing Crosby as the drunken doctor, Oscar winner Red Buttons as the Whiskey drummer, Slim Pickens as the stagecoach driver, Bob Cummings as the bank clerk with a secret and Keenan Wynn is frighteningly evil. The lovely Ann-Margret in an early role as the beautiful dance hall girl Dallas. Alex Cord is sexy and mysterious as Ringo. This is my favorite Stagecoach. Norman Rockwell does the paintings and appears in a cameo. Theme song by Wayne Newton. This film is also gorgeous with excellent scenery. I found these characters stayed in my memory for many years. Enjoy.

I saw this movie in 1966 when it was released, and It was one of the few movies that left an impression on me all these years for several reasons. I feel the aesthetics of this movie make it worth watching. The artwork of Norman Rockwell alone is unforgettable. The music is very appropriate for the movie, not overwhelming but rustic and timed well. The scenes that were shot on location are truly breathtaking. You wont find many mattes or computer digitized images in this movie, Forget about the plot, just enjoy the artwork. But I still feel There are a few good lines in the movie. Some are even worth including in ones vocabulary.