Stagecoach

Marion Morrison had already changed his name by the time he stepped onto the set of Stagecoach, but this is the film where he truly became John Wayne. As the swaggering Ringo Kid, Wayne defined macho movie stardom for decades to come. After all, Ringo may be wanted by the law — and hell with a rifle — but he's also the only one who treats Claire Trevor's hooker (with a heart of gold, natch) with an ounce of chivalry as they travel through Apache country. Action-packed and jaw-droppingly epic (it was the first time director John Ford ever shot in Monument Valley), Stagecoach is the perfect Western to show to people who don't like Westerns. The two-disc Criterion set is jammed with juicy EXTRAS, including a 1968 interview with the crusty Ford and a chat with the always welcome Peter Bogdanovich.