The Undefeated (1969)

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

James Lee Barrett (screenplay)
Stanley Hough (story)

Release Date:

27 November 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

After the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are...

Plot Keywords:

American Civil War | Bandit | Horse | Mexican Revolution | Mexico

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Aug. 7

7:45 AM

AMC

Cast

John Wayne	...	Col. John Henry Thomas
Rock Hudson	...	Col. James Langdon
Antonio Aguilar	...	Juarista Gen. Rojas (as Tony Aguilar)
Roman Gabriel	...	Blue Boy (John Henry's Cherokee Indian adopted son)
Marian McCargo	...	Ann Langdon
Lee Meriwether	...	Margaret Langdon
Merlin Olsen	...	Cpl. Little George, CSA
Melissa Newman	...	Charlotte Langdon
Bruce Cabot	...	Sgt. Jeff Newby CSA
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Lt. Bubba Wilkes CSA (as Michael Vincent)
Ben Johnson	...	Short Grub
Edward Faulkner	...	Capt. Anderson, CSA (Col. Langdon's aide)
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Soloman Webster (Thomas rider)
Paul Fix	...	Gen. Joe Masters
Royal Dano	...	Maj. Sanders, CSA (one-armed major)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rated) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | New Zealand:PG | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Finland:K-12 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Rock Hudson admitted in a 1980 interview that he thought the movie was "crap", and attributed its box office success only to the fact that it immediately followed True Grit (1969). However, he had fond memories of the filming because he became a close friend of John Wayne and Roman Gabriel.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Looking closely, you can see the rifle of the tenth member of the firing squad. Also you can plainly see his shadow on the ground at a 10 o' clock position. There are several other shots that confirm the number.

Quotes:

Col. John Henry Thomas: [Thomas has just learned that the war ended several days before] Major, we just received word that General Lee surrendered three days ago.
Maj. Sanders, CSA: Yes, sir.
Col. John Henry Thomas: You knew?
Maj. Sanders, CSA: We received the news yesterday.
Col. John Henry Thomas: Major, I don't think you realize that the war is over.
Maj. Sanders, CSA: NO, sir.
Col. John Henry Thomas: Are you saying that you still intend to keep fighting?
Maj. Sanders, CSA: Haven't we just proven that?
Col. John Henry Thomas: But why?
Maj. Sanders, CSA: Because this is our land, and you're on it.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in W.R. - Misterije organizma (1971)

Duke and his Yankees bail out Hudson and his rebels.

The Civil War is over but certain Confederate units refuse to call it quits. Colonel John Henry Thomas (played by The Duke)and his gang encounters one such band of rebels at the start of this film. Then there is the unit led by Colonel James Langdon played by Rock Hudson. They accept the fact the war is over but decide rather than live under the stars and stripes head out lock stock and barrel for Mexico women and children included. Wayne and his men bid farewell to the Army and set out to make a buck or two rounding up and selling wild horses. Wayne and his men cross paths along the way with Hudson and his refugees which make up the bulk of the story.

It's a little easy to understand Thomas and his men but not so easy to understand the Langdon group. When they encounter trouble it's almost hard as a viewer to have any pity for them.

Wayne gets support from a number of actors who co-starred with him in several of his films. Veteran character actor Dub Taylor is along as a nasty Chuck Wagon driver. Former Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Roman Gabriel is cast as a native American who served for Wayne during the war and is now his main man when it comes to tracking, scouting etc. Gabriels Ram teammate Merlin Olsen is also featured as a Confederate soldier who hates to fist fight but is called upon to do so. Decent western John Wayne film all in all. The Confederates may have lost the war but in this film they certainly ate better than the Yankees do.