1500 – 2000 word research paper on John Ford’s portrayal of characters and his expansion of Westerns in his 1939 film, Stagecoach. Due Wednesday 12/4 9:00am ET.

You are to write a 1500 – 2000 word research paper on John Ford’s portrayal of characters and his expansion of Western films in his 1939 film, Stagecoach.. Keeping in mind that it is to be a scholarly paper, follow the following guidelines: The paper should follow a controlling thesis based on and expanding upon on the following information: “This essay aims to explore John Ford’s portrayal of characters and his expansion of a genre- specifically in his 1939 film, Stagecoach. Ford takes advantage of several unique travellers seeking asylum in Lordsburg the stagecoach. The plot of strangers coming together, building an unlikely bond, and working together to overcome a large threat is brought into popular culture through Stagecoach. The familiar Western plot line is expanded in the film. STAGECOACH was released at a time when westerns were out of favor in the industry -- largely relegated to B-picture status in the form of Saturday matinee shoot-em-ups aimed at kids. You could make a case that Ford made the genre viable again as something for adult audiences by way of a more subtle approach to characterization. Western and Drama genres meet in this movie. Concepts that are so familiar in contemporary film highlights John Ford’s development of character in ways that had not been done before. John Ford's directing surpasses his time in the way that he defies social stereotypes that were deeply embedded into American culture at the time, through the character development of several passengers of the stagecoach.” Assertions of fact should be footnoted. Assertions of opinion should be defended. Standard MLA style should be observed. Where specific films are relevant to the discussion, those films should be viewed, where possible, rather than relying on descriptions in books or on the web. Web sources are permitted, but should be used with caution. Evaluate the source’s credibility and credentials before relying on them. Try to balance online sources with books and periodicals from the library. Any paper based entirely on web sources will be regarded as inadequately researched. A bibliography of sources cited should be appended to the paper, using standard MLA style. Don’t forget to cite the films themselves – they are your primary sources. **Paper is to be written in general American English. Average university level scholarly word choice but not over the top. **