John Wayne’s introduction inStagecoachmade him a movie star, but one of his final movies has a scene that rivals it.John Wayne fronted 80 Westernsthroughout his career, including the groundbreaking likes ofThe SearchersorRio Bravo; even Wayne’s final filmThe Shootistwas a Western. Despite becoming a screen icon, the early years of Wayne’s career were a struggle. His first real lead inThe Great Trailstalled Wayne’s career for a decade,where he spent much of his time fronting so-called “Poverty Row” Westerns.
It was director John Ford who saw the star potential in Wayne, with Ford becoming the star’s friend and mentor. TheJohn Ford and John Wayne Western movierun is legendary in itself, and in many ways shaped what the genre would evolve into.Wayne’s breakthrough was playing the Ringo Kid in 1939’sStagecoach, with his introduction scene - where he halts the titular stagecoach while cocking a rifle one-handed as the camera zooms in on his face - practically made him a movie star by itself.
The Movie That Established John Wayne As A Western Hero Has One Of The Coolest Character Introductions Ever
A 1939 Western classic turned John Wayne into a movie star, with his character getting one of the all-time best introductions in film history.
Big Jake’s Character Introduction Rivals John Wayne’s First Appearance In Stagecoach
Stagecoach’s introduction is given some serious competition by “Big Jake” McCandles
John Wayne with a bloody bullet hole on his arm and Wayne pointing a rifle as Big Jake.
John Wayne’s most violent Western isBig Jake,where his titular gunfighter reunites with his estranged family when his grandson is kidnapped. Wayne had a noted distaste for the overt violence featured in movies likeThe Wild Bunch, withBig Jakebeing one of the few films he appeared in with blood squibs. To balance out the carnage, Wayne insisted the 1971 Western needed plenty of comedy, which was viewed by some critics as a distraction from its harder edge.
Still,Big Jakehas one of Wayne’s best introductions, where Jake spots a man about to be hung by a lynch mob. Wayne’s protagonist decides it’s not his business to intervene - until he spots the gang being needlessly rough with the man’s young son. Despite being outnumbered, Jake not only manages to save the man’s life by hiring him, but the mere mention of his name causes the lynch mob to shrink back in fear.
What’s notable is that Wayne doesn’t appear until nearly the 20-minute mark, withBig Jakebuilding up to his inevitable appearance.In addition to being a great intro, this sequence reveals so much about Wayne’s Jacob McCandlesas a character. He’d rather avoid a fight but will intervene if honor demands it, and he clearly has an outsized reputation since his name alone is enough to defuse the situation.
StagecoachbeatsBig Jakein just about every other area, but there is some interesting symmetry between Wayne’s introduction in both. In Ford’s Western, the camera zooms in on Ringo Kid as he cocks his Winchester, while inBig Jake, the first shot of McCandles sees the camera zoomoutas he points his Winchester at something offscreen.
Wayne understood the importance of making a good first impression
Wayne always creditedStagecoachwith making his career and clearly felt Ringo Kid’s introduction was a big part of that.Many of Wayne’s subsequent projects gave his characters memorable intros, withThe Searchersbeing the best exampleof this. Ford’s 1956 adventure gave Wayne the perfect introandexit, where his character Ethan emerges from the desert to reunite with his family after being away for years. InThe Searchers' mystic ending, Ethan is then seen turning back from his family, realizing he can never go back to normal life.
Wayne’s title character inHondohas a similar first appearance toThe Searchers, where he suddenly emerges from the desert and into the lives of a homesteader and her son. Another great Wayne introduction is Howard Hawks’Rio Bravo, whose dialogue-free opening follows Dean Martin’s drunken deputy as he looks to bar patrons to buy him a drink. As he’s about to degrade him by fishing money out of a spitoon, Wayne’s sheriff Chance kicks it over, shaking his head at how far Martin’s Dude has fallen.
Big Jake’s intro is the kind of scene only a movie star of John Wayne’s statue could pull off, and it sets up the tone for the rest of the movie perfectly.
There are dozens of other examples, butdespite the above movies all being considered superior toBig Jake, it still arguably offered the star his best intro. It’s the kind of scene only a movie star of Wayne’s statue could pull off, and it sets up the tone for the rest of the movie perfectly.
Big Jake Is One Of John Wayne’s Best Final Movies
This 1971 Western is an underrated John Wayne gem
Big Jakewas broadly well-received upon release and sits at 75% onRotten Tomatoes(albeit, based on less than 10 reviews). The film is neither an exploration of the Old West nor a serious thriller and is intended to be a fun, pulpy ride. The film is notable for pairing Wayne with his son Patrick for the tenth and final time, whileBig Jakeis also the only time John and Patrick Wayne actually played father and son onscreen.
Big Jakedirector George Sherman was in poor health during production, with John Wayne himself taking filming of the action or exterior scenes; he refused a co-director credit for his contributions.
Wayne’s son Ethan also plays McCandles' kidnapped grandson, while Robert Mitchim’s son Christopher plays another of Jacob’s sons, Michael. In short, the film was a family affair for its leading man, which might account for why it’s one of the most purely enjoyable of his final batch of roles. WhileThe ShootistorThe Cowboysare solid effects,Wayne’sDirty HarryripoffsMcQandBranniganare duds, while his penultimate filmRooster Cogburnis very skippable.
Big Jake, on the other hand, is just a good ride. The cast has great chemistry, the action is well-staged and it doesn’t outstay its welcome. The popularity of the genre was waning in a big way by the early 1970s, with younger viewers seeing Westerns as too old-fashioned and dull.Big Jakeis a nice mix of a classic “Oater” but with a quicker pace and snappier dialogue.
Big Jake Also Marked The End Of An Iconic Big Screen Pairing
Big Jake reunited Wayne with one of his favorite co-stars
Big Jakewas the end of an era for a famous screen duo too, with the Western being the lastJohn Wayne and Maureen O’Hara movie. Their most famous effort is John Ford classicThe Quiet Man, while they also worked together onMcLintock!andRio Grande. The pair formed a genuine friendship offscreen too, withthe semi-retired O’Hara claiming to have only appeared inBig Jaketo work with Wayne one final time.
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Big Jake
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Unfortunately, Wayne and O’Hara don’t share much screentime in their final project. Even so, the chemistry between them is still correct and present, even if their characters are supposed to be estranged. O’Hara actually did retire from the business followingBig Jake, though she returned 20 years later for the John Candy comedyOnly the Lonely. She would later appear in several TV movies, before retiring for good following 2000’sThe Last Dance.
Stagecoach
Cast
Stagecoach, directed by John Ford, follows a diverse group of travelers on a stagecoach journey through dangerous Apache territory. As they face the threat of Geronimo, the passengers confront personal challenges and gain insight into each other’s lives amidst the perilous landscape.
A ruthless gang kidnaps the grandson of Jacob McCandles, leading the estranged patriarch to reunite with his family to deliver the ransom. Accompanied by his sons, Jacob tracks down the outlaws, confronting both violent criminals and his own strained family relationships along the way.
