Movie Cosmos - The Undefeated

Description:

After the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are leading two disparate groups of people through strife-torn Mexico. John Henry and company are bringing horses to the unpopular Mexican government for $35 a head while Langdon is leading a contingent of displaced southerners, who are looking for a new life in Mexico after losing their property to carpetbaggers. The two men are eventually forced to mend their differences in order to fight off both bandits and revolutionaries, as they try to lead their friends and kin to safety.

Top Cast >

John Wayne

As Colonel John Henry Thomas

Rock Hudson

As Colonel James Langdon

Antonio Aguilar

As General Rojas

Roman Gabriel

As Blue Boy

Marian McCargo

As Ann

Lee Meriwether

As Margaret

Merlin Olsen

As Little George

Melissa Newman

As Charlotte

Bruce Cabot

As Jeff Newby

Jan-Michael Vincent

As Bubba Wilkes

Ben Johnson

As Short Grub

Edward Faulkner

As Anderson

Harry Carey, Jr.

As Webster

Paul Fix

As General Joe Masters

Royal Dano

As Major Sanders

Richard Mulligan

As Dan Morse

Carlos Rivas

As Diaz

John Agar

As Christian

Guy Raymond

As Giles

Don Collier

As Goodyear

Big John Hamilton

As Mudlow

Dub Taylor

As McCartney

Henry Beckman

As Thad Benedict

Víctor Junco

As Major Tapia

Robert Donner

As Judd Mailer

Pedro Armendáriz Jr.

As Escalante

James Dobson

As Jamison

Rudy Diaz

As Sanchez

Richard Angarola

As Petain

James McEachin

As Jimmy Collins

Gregg Palmer

As Parker

Juan García

As Colonel Gomez

Kiel Martin

As Union Runner

Bob Gravage

As Joe Hicks

Hal Needham

As Yankee Corporal at River Crossing (uncredited)

Chuck Roberson

As Yankee Sergeant at River (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Andrew V. McLaglen

Director

James Lee Barrett

Screenplay

Carl Anderson

Art Direction

Robert L. Jacks

Producer

Lewis B. Patten

Novel

Stanley Hough

Story

Hugo Montenegro

Original Music Composer

Robert L. Simpson

Editor

Dick Ziker

Stunts

Hal Needham

Stunt Coordinator

Glenn R. Wilder

Stunts

William H. Clothier

Director of Photography

Chuck Roberson

Stunt Double

Roydon Clark

Stunts

Bob Orrison

Stunts

George Robotham

Stunt Double

Mickey Gilbert

Stunts

William H. Burton Sr.

Stunts

Tap Canutt

Stunts

Gary McLarty

Stunts

John Hudkins

Stunts

Denny Arnold

Stunts

Reviews:

CinemaSerf (6/10)

Obviously contrived with the box office in mind, this is an OK western that sees John Wayne (the rough and ready Yankee colonel) and Rock Hudson (the suave, debonaire, but broke, plantation owning Confederate colonel) and their respective ex-soldiers form an uneasy partnership after the US Civil war, to drive some horses to their new owner, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico. En route, they have the usual sequence of "Red River" (1948) style escapades before encountering treachery on a fairly grand scale that puts the lives of themselves and their horses at risk. There is a bit of chemistry between the two men, their opposing characters creating the odd spark - and some humour - as their journey progresses. Ben Johnson, Bruce Cabot and a very green looking "Airwolf" (Jan-Michael Vincent) chip into the story too, keeping it moving along steadily, if not exactly excitingly. Two hours felt too long - until the last fifteen minutes, not enough happens to keep the interest from dwindling, but it shows why both men were the stars they were, and is still just about worth watching.

2022-12-26