I watched this for the first time last night on Turner Classic Movies; loved it!
My question is this: When the group is getting ready to cross at the ferry, the camera shows John Carradine's Hatfield character looking off into the distance, where he see the sparkling glint of the Indians (rifles, maybe?)
Why didn't he warn the others?
Did I miss something?
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Carradine was such a good choice for Hatfield. Carridine is one favorite of mine and made the PERFECT choice in playing Hezekiah Beckum, the undertaker in The Shootist as well.
The regular TCM reviewer had Kareem Abdul Jabar as a guest host recently and Jabar put on both Stagecoach and The Shootist, and Jabar commented that The Southern Gentleman archetype of Carridine in Stagecoach may have been who Val Kilmer used as a pattern to base Kilmer's own excelllent portrayal of "Doc" Holliday in "Tombstone". I have seen both, and I agree with Jabar.
I got the impression of the Hatfield character in Stagecoach that he would not have informed his fellow passengers for the reason mark-lucht stated, but also, he might have, even to his own detriment, refused to tell the others because his character was a read Sour Old Boy. An SOB!
He didn't like much of anyone except the Mrs. Mallory character, who they couldn't show her pregnant condition because of standards and practices at the time. If I recall correctly, Dallas, the prostitute character tries to help and give comfort to Mrs. Mallory. Hatfield and Mrs. Mallory were downright mean to the prostitute, even after the 'pro' gave help and was very kind during the birthing.
Hatfield's "Southern Gentleman" care for the unaccompanied lady was classic. And it was what a Southern Gentleman would have been expected to do in that era. Though his character was bit mean to the Dallas character, it was written that way, and probably to be a contrast to Ringo's giving Dallas all benefit of the doubt.
Stagecoach was one of the best films of that, or any other year, it was a shame it was up against Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz... It should have won.