The Horse Soldiers (1959)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (written for the screen by) and
Martin Rackin (written for the screen by) ...

Release Date:

12 June 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | War | Western

Tagline:

John Ford's Thundering Spectacle

Plot:

A Union Cavalry outfit is sent behind confederate lines in strength to destroy a rail/supply centre...

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Sabotage | Train | Spanking | American Civil War

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Wayne	...	Col. John Marlowe
William Holden	...	Maj. Henry 'Hank' Kendall (regimental surgeon)
Constance Towers	...	Miss Hannah Hunter of Greenbriar
Judson Pratt	...	Sgt. Maj. Kirby
Hoot Gibson	...	Sgt. Brown
Ken Curtis	...	Cpl. Wilkie
Willis Bouchey	...	Col. Phil Secord
Bing Russell	...	Dunker, Yankee Soldier Amputee
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Otis 'Hoppy' Hopkins (medical assistant)
Hank Worden	...	Deacon Clump
Chuck Hayward	...	Union captain
Denver Pyle	...	Jackie Jo (rebel deserter)
Strother Martin	...	Virgil (rebel deserter)
Basil Ruysdael	...	The Reverend (Jefferson Military Academy)
Carleton Young	...	Col. Jonathan Miles, CSA

Runtime:

115 min | USA:119 min (DVD version) | UK:119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:PG | Norway:16 | New Zealand:G | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alexandria, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

The story is based on Grierson's Raid of April-May 1863.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the house at Greenbrier after Major Kendall, Miss Hunter, and Lukey come down the stairs, shadows are visible on the landing above and behind them. The shadows are not in line with any visible light source, suggesting the presence of a spotlight hidden behind the chair at the right of the scene.

Quotes:

Major Kendall: Now come off it Colonel, even you were born.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sesión continua (1984)

Soundtrack:

I LEFT MY LOVE

...and I won't be put upon.

The "...and I didn't kill either one of them..." speech is one of my favorite Wayne moments. Plainly past his conventionality, the Marlowe character gives breathtaking short shrift to the unending pettiness and fallibility he encounters; Kirby, Kendall, congressional wannabes, reb deserters et.al. It's an exemplar of the 'Duke' personna: dubious provenance, grand stature, indomitable purpose and a trace of sentiment. I'l put it with Searchers, Liberty', and Shootist (Wallace Beery impersonation in True Grit aside) as one of his best efforts.

Ford's battle scenes are as usual patriotically free of blood and require no reflection but the imagery is great (you want to join the cavalry) and the detail outstanding. We hear the clanking of canteens and cookpots, an argument over the placement of latrines and see the only filmic presentation of the making of Sherman Neckties (warped rails). The Ford family is well represented though we miss Harry Carey Jr (and Paul Fixx must have been tied up with the Rifleman).

If we had to have a love interest, Maureen Ohara could have at least tied this to "Rio Grande" and furthered the Ford library.

Normally wonderful Bill Holden has only brief bright moments and is mostly going through the motions and hung-over here. Neither Wayne nor Ford were slouches when it came to curling whiskey but by his own admission Holden aggravated all and threatened production with reckless, drunken extracurriculae, breaking an arm falling from a bridge.

This film was an inspiration in grade school and a guilty pleasure since.