Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

cowering behind the window frames. Ford is clearly marking them as inside civilization, physically and
intentionally separated from Ringo. This shot created the iconic myth of Wayne as representative of
America.
People such as bankers and doctors are commonly believed to be respectable and the upper
echelons of civilization. Inside the stagecoach, however, these people are clearly corrupt products of the
twisted hypocritical society from which they come. Dallas, a prostitute, is a genuine, good natured person,
literally, a “hooker with a heart of gold”. Yet she is scorned for her profession. Meanwhile Mrs. Mallory is
treated with a respect she doesn’t deserve. She is catty and perceives herself to be better than Dallas. The
“whore” is normally a threat to the family, tempting the man, but here is virtuous. The mother is normally
the center of virtue, but Mrs. Mallory is cruel. These two characters do not fit into normal social
definitions. Dallas represents of the goodness of those living outside constraints while Mallory is the
personification of the evils of the town. Similarly, Hatfield, (John Carradine) views himself above the felon
Ringo, while he himself is an unlawful gambler who takes advantage of others. As Wills notes, when getting
out at the Apache Wells stop, Ringo offers to help the gambler climb down from the stagecoach, but
Hatfield haughtily brushes him aside, then helps Mrs. Mallory out of the coach. Hatfield consciously ignores
helping Dallas however, whom he views as beneath him. People who perceive themselves to be civilized
actually lack all manner of social graces.
These social rules that were put in place in civilization seem to fade slightly the longer the
characters are out in the open. Ironically, the longer the characters are away from standard civilization the
more civil they become. As time passes their internal defenses break down, and they come together and for
the most part communicate more freely. Ford portrays the wilderness as breaking the “civilized” characters
down, prompting regeneration in their personalities if they have the strength and fortitude to persevere.
Mrs. Mallory’s baby is the catalyst for seeing the change in the characters. Doc Boone puts aside his bottle
and sobers himself to practice sound medicine again, literally vomiting up his past. (Engel 178) All the
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