In the fight between the stagecoach's passengers and the Indians, one Indian, with a lance in his hand, is seen falling with his horse two times. One time he is shot by Marshal Curly, and another time he's shot by Hatfield.
The stagecoach and passengers didn't get too far on the first three legs of their journey. In each shot of their 'next' leg of the journey, they still hadn't left Monument Valley.
Director John Ford was particularly fond of Monument Valley after he saw it. This was the first of many films he filmed in Monument Valley, Arizona. Others were: My Darling Clementine (1946); Fort Apache (1948); She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949); Wagon Master (1950); Rio Grande (1950); The Searchers (1956); Sergeant Rutledge (1960); and his last western, Cheyenne Autumn (1964). From Trivia.
Director John Ford was particularly fond of Monument Valley after he saw it. This was the first of many films he filmed in Monument Valley, Arizona. Others were: My Darling Clementine (1946); Fort Apache (1948); She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949); Wagon Master (1950); Rio Grande (1950); The Searchers (1956); Sergeant Rutledge (1960); and his last western, Cheyenne Autumn (1964). From Trivia.
When the whiskey drummer Peacock is shot in the chest with an arrow, it must have been a magic arrow. In the position he was seated in the stagecoach, there is no possible trajectory for an arrow to enter a stagecoach side window and hit a man square in the chest as shown. Perhaps Peacock had been turned in his seat, facing the door/window.
When the coach is being chased by the Indians, two arrows stick in the side of the passenger area at a 90 degree angle. The wide shots show all the pursuers still well behind the coach, making those piercings premature.
In the beginning, when the stagecoach is going into Tonto street, its shadow is to one side. In the next shot, the shadow is on the other side.
Just before Ringo hands his rifle to Curley, he ejects the cartridge in the chamber, but, unless there was only one in the magazine, he chambers another cartridge as he closes the lever action, which also has also cocked the hammer.
Buck should have driven the stage into the river as Curly told him. Maneuvering those huge logs would have been much easier if they were floating.
The screenwriters and director felt the story was better as filmed. A viewer pointing out a "should have done" in a film is similar to Monday Morning Quarterbacking, but it is not a Goof.
The screenwriters and director felt the story was better as filmed. A viewer pointing out a "should have done" in a film is similar to Monday Morning Quarterbacking, but it is not a Goof.
Ringo tells Dallas to go and live on his ranch, but earlier he had told her that the cabin there is "half-built".
Dallas is a Western woman and is perfectly capable of being comfortable in a half-finished cabin.
Dallas is a Western woman and is perfectly capable of being comfortable in a half-finished cabin.
In the beginning sequence, when the stage is coming into town, it can be seen that the buildings are stage facades as the camera shot is at an angle, and it is clear there is no structure behind the false front.
Neither Doc Boone, Hatfield, nor Gatewood pay for a ticket when they board the stage last minute.
When a bullet strikes the inside of the coach next to Dallas, there is the sound of a ricochet, which only happens when a bullet bounces off a hard surface such as a rock.
In Henry Gatewood's rant he mentions taxes: "...we pay taxes to the government and what do we get? Not even protection from the army!" At the time of the story (1880), there was no income tax. The United States enacted the first income tax to support the Civil War effort in 1862, and this tax was eliminated in 1872. The income tax was not re-enacted until 1894, and was repealed the following year. But the federal government did collect tariffs on imports, and other excise taxes.
John Wayne's famous rifle is a Winchester Model 1892, not introduced until 12 years after the movie is set.
When Plummer's poker hand (aces and eights, the dead man's hand) is shown in close-up, the ace of spades shows that the deck is a Bee brand deck of cards, first produced in 1892 by the U.S. Playing Card Co. (Hence the "92" on the ace.) The movie takes place in approximately 1880, so these cards would not yet be available.
As Dallas announces "It's a little girl", her lips don't move.
It is perfectly possible to say "It's a little girl" without lip movement while hugely smiling, as Dallas was. Matter of fact - it is difficult to make obvious lip movement while saying "It's a little girl". Try it.
It is perfectly possible to say "It's a little girl" without lip movement while hugely smiling, as Dallas was. Matter of fact - it is difficult to make obvious lip movement while saying "It's a little girl". Try it.
As the stagecoach crosses the river at the burnt-out ferry, the shadow of a camera is clearly visible on the driver's back.
The stagecoach travels from Tonto, Arizona Territory (central Arizona), to Lordsburg, New Mexico. This is a distance of about 180 miles due southeast. But at one point they cross the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry (about nine miles south of the Utah-Arizona border). This crossing is about 200 miles north of their starting point. Tonto is already east of the Colorado River so there would be no need to cross it and certainly no need to travel 200 miles out of their way to do it.
After arriving at the second stop on the journey, the sheriff refers to the army, calling them "calvary" instead of "cavalry". This is not only a common mistake by uneducated actors, but may be the most often repeated mispronunciation in the history of movie westerns.
Before Ringo hands his Winchester rifle to Curley after finding him stranded outdoors on the stagecoach trail, he ejects a chambered round, which after flying behind his head, can be heard as a knock as if hitting the soundstage floor. Also, it would have been unrealistic to waste a live round of ammunition with hostile Indians in the area, especially after telling Curley that he (Curley) may need his Winchester.
Curley made Ringo sacrifice his suspenders to tie the leaders as they prepare to cross the river. Then Buck tosses Ringo's saddle off the top of the coach with the large coiled lasso attached.
Buck uses eight different names to call the six horses in his team: Bessie, Blackie, Brownie, Belle, Queenie, Sweetheart, Bridesmaid, and Honey Child.