By Erin Free
In this regular column, we drag forgotten made-for-TV movies out of the vault and into the light. This week: the star-studded 1986 western remake Stagecoach, starring Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and John Schneider.
When it comes to musical super-groups, it’s near impossible to top The Highwaymen. A veritable Mount Rushmore of American country music, the fearsome, folk-hero quartet of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson crafted sterling albums, delivered powerful concert performances, and carved a distinct niche in the pop cultural firmament.
Less substantially but no less enjoyably, The Highwaymen also made a movie together in the highly entertaining form of a 1986 telemovie remake of the classic Western movie Stagecoach, first directed by John Ford in 1939 with John Wayne, and then remade by Gordon Douglas in 1966 with Bing Crosby, Van Heflin, Ann-Margret and Alex Cord.
This multi-character ensemble piece is the perfect vehicle for The Highwaymen, giving each larger-than-life member fairly equitable screen time, and allowing them to play into their strengths and personal mythos. The Highwaymen, however, aren’t the whole show here, with a number of fine actors in impressive support roles, including The Dukes Of Hazzard’s John Schneider; noted 1970s and 1980s husky-voiced scene-stealer Elizabeth Ashley; British singer/actor Anthony Newley; and character actor Anthony Franciosa. June Carter Cash (singer and wife of Johnny) and Jessi Colter (singer and wife of Waylon Jennings) also show up for cameos.
There’s considerable western-frequent talent behind the camera too, with Unsung Auteur Ted Post (1968’s Hang ‘Em High, 1970’s Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, 1973’s Magnum Force, 1973’s The Baby) in the director’s chair, and a strong, pithy script by prolific author and screenwriter James Lee Barrett, whose top-tier credits include 1977’s Smokey And The Bandit, 1968’s Bandolero!, 1965’s Shenandoah, 1970’s The Cheyanne Social Club and many more, including a whole host of superior telemovies and series episodes.
Like its two predecessors, 1986’s Stagecoach (which first aired on major US network CBS on May 18, 1986) is more character-based drama than rollicking Western action, though there is certainly some of that on offer too. The plot is simple, merely taking in the back stories and varied interactions of the passengers and staff on board a stagecoach headed from Arizona to New Mexico, which also means a near certainly hazardous trip through dangerous Apache territory. As threats ebb and flow, the stagecoach passengers have to work together and learn to trust each other despite their better instincts.
And a disparate group they are too, led by stage driver Buck (nicely played by a heavily bearded John Schneider), with Marshal Curly Wilcox (Johnny Cash brings all of his considerable gravitas to bear on his upstanding good-guy role) riding shotgun and maintaining a much-needed sense of calm. Also on board are notorious outlaw The Ringo Kid (a characteristically charismatic and magnetic Kris Kristofferson), who might not be quite as bad as his reputation suggests; gentleman gambler Hatfield (a rare acting role for too-cool Waylon Jennings, who acquits himself very well indeed); infamous real-life gunfighter and dentist Doc Holliday (Willie Nelson is excellent in the film’s best role, and one not featured in the previous iterations); “good time girl” Dallas (the wonderful Elizabeth Ashley brings a nice touch of sadness and regret to the role); whiskey salesman Trevor Peacock (Anthony Newley is slyly funny); dodgy banker Henry Gatewood (Anthony Franciosa is enjoyably shifty); and pregnant soldier’s wife Lucy Mallory (Dallas star Mary Crosby).
Though talky, director Ted Post keeps things moving briskly, with the threat of violence from the Apaches never far from the various conversations that drive the film. Unlike the previous two iterations, however, 1986’s Stagecoach takes a far more liberal and contemporary approach to its Native American “villains”, with Nelson’s Doc Holliday frequently coming to their defence, and considerable time given to the reasons for their war raids. There are a few solidly constructed action sequences, and moments of high tension, but much of the joy in Stagecoach comes from its smaller moments.
There’s a lot to savour: the almost father-son relationship that develops between Cash and Schneider; the tentative romance that blossoms between Kristofferson and Ashley; the kindly, protector stance that Jennings takes with Crosby; and the sardonic manner in which Nelson’s keenly intelligent and provocative Doc Holliday gleefully needles everyone around him. Willie Nelson executive produced the film and sings the theme song, indicating his greater involvement in the project, and perhaps a clue as to how he got the showiest and most memorable role.
Though it certainly lacks the import of their towering musical collaborations, 1986’s telemovie Stagecoach is an undeniably essential footnote in the long, fascinating histories of the four country music icons who made up The Highwaymen.
Availability: Stagecoach is available to stream on Prime Video in a clean, crystal-clear presentation.
If you enjoyed this review, check out our other vintage telemovies Terror On The Beach, Strange Homecoming, The Possessed, Memorial Day, That Certain Summer, Elvis And The Beauty Queen, Scandal In A Small Town, Victims For Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story, The Seduction Of Gina, Blue Murder, The Brotherhood Of Justice, The Wave, The California Kid, The Cracker Factory, Night Terror, Inmates: A Love Story, The Shadow Riders, CHiPs: Roller Disco, Dawn: Portrait Of A Teenage Runaway, Young Love, First Love, Escape From Bogen County, The Death Squad, Hit Lady, Brian’s Song, The Defiant Ones, A Cry For Help, Trilogy Of Terror, Policewoman Centerfold, Smash-Up On Interstate 5, Something Evil, Savage, A Step Out Of Line, The Boy In The Plastic Bubble, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission, A Very Brady Christmas, The Gladiator, Elvis, The Rat Pack, Silent Victory: The Kitty O’Neil Story, Terror Among Us, The Hanged Man, Hardcase, Charlie’s Angels: Angels In Vegas, Vanishing Point, To Heal A Nation, Fugitive Among Us, To Kill A Cop, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Police Story: A Chance To Live, Murder On Flight 502, Moon Of The Wolf, The Secret Night Caller, Cotton Candy, And The Band Played On, Gargoyles, Death Car On The Freeway, Short Walk To Daylight, Trapped, Hotline, Killdozer, The Jericho Mile, Mongo’s Back In Town and Tribes.
