They Came to Cordura (1959)

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writers:

Ivan Moffat (screenplay) &
Robert Rossen (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

June 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History | War | Western

Tagline:

Slashing Story of a Desert Warrior Who Fought His Way From HELL TO GLORY !

Plot:

An army major, himself guilty of cowardice, is asked to recommended soldiers for the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Mexican Border Incursion of 1916.

Plot Keywords:

Medal Of Honor | Cowardice | Cavalry | Cavalry Charge | Old West

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Major Thomas Thorn
Rita Hayworth	...	Adelaide Geary
Van Heflin	...	Sgt. John Chawk
Tab Hunter	...	Lt. William Fowler
Richard Conte	...	Cpl. Milo Trubee
Michael Callan	...	Pvt. Andrew Hetherington
Dick York	...	Pvt. Renziehausen
Robert Keith	...	Colonel Rogers
Carlos Romero	...	Arreaga
Jim Bannon	...	Capt. Paltz (as James Bannon)
Edward Platt	...	Colonel DeRose
Maurice Jara	...	Mexican Federale
Sam Buffington	...	1st Correspondent
Arthur Hanson	...	2nd Correspondent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clem Fuller	...	(uncredited)
Wendell Hoyt	...	Cavalry Trooper (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Rossen

Writing credits
Ivan Moffat		(screenplay) &
Robert Rossen		(screenplay)
Glendon Swarthout		(novel)

Produced by
William Goetz	....	producer

Original Music by
Elie Siegmeister

Cinematography by
Burnett Guffey		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William A. Lyon

Production Design by
Cary Odell		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
Frank Tuttle		(as Frank A. Tuttle)

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist
Armiene	....	hairdresser (uncredited)
Benny Lane	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carter De Haven Jr.	....	assistant director: second unit (as Carter DeHaven Jr.)
Milton Feldman	....	assistant director
James Curtis Havens	....	second unit director (as James Havens)
R. Robert Rosenbaum	....	assistant director (uncredited)
David Salven	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Roger Slager	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ray Bassell	....	lead man (uncredited)
Irving Goldfarb	....	props (uncredited)
Ed Goldstein	....	props (uncredited)
Harry Hopkins	....	props (uncredited)
David Horowitz	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
John P. Livadary	....	recording supervisor (as John Livadary)
George Cooper	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Sol Jaffe	....	mikeman (uncredited)
Harold Lee	....	recordist (uncredited)
Ernest Reichert	....	sound editor (uncredited)
George Ronconi	....	cableman (uncredited)

Stunts
Jack Conner	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Clem Fuller	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walt La Rue	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank G. Carson	....	photographer: second unit
Morris Bauchman	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Albert Bettcher	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jack Botthof	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Robert Coburn	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Willard Klug	....	grip (uncredited)
Eugene Lenoir	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Andrew J. McIntyre	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Walter Meins	....	grip (uncredited)
Don Murphy	....	grip (uncredited)
Val O'Malley	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Emil Oster	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Clyde Prior	....	grip (uncredited)
James Saper	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Charles Stapleton	....	best boy (uncredited)
Homer Van Pelt	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Seldon White	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thomas S. Dawson	....	costume supervisor: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Henri Jaffa	....	color consultant

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Morris Stoloff	....	conductor
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Paul R. Davison	....	technical consultant (as Col. Paul Davison U.S.A.{Rtd.})
Ivan Connors	....	ramrod (uncredited)
Doris Grau	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Rolly Harper	....	caterer (uncredited)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	head wrangler (uncredited)
A.W. Kennard	....	parrot trainer (uncredited)
Mary Lou Tobler	....	stand-in: Rita Hayworth (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Baroda Productions
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1959) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Panavision  photographic lenses

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19173) | West Germany:16 (f) | Germany:16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company:

Baroda Productions

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = 10 seconds. Median Shot Length = 10.4 seconds.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Major Thorn improperly salutes Colonel DeRose in the opening scene when he dismissed. He should have saluted and held his salute until it was acknowledged. Instead, he lowers his arm even before Colonel Rose acknowledges it.

Quotes:

Major Thomas Thorn:I became two men. One can't stand living in the same skin with the other.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What's My Line?: Episode dated 18 October 1959" (1959)

faux flaws?

This is in response to comments on 'They Came to Cordura' regarding its dramatic weakness and flawed camera work and editing.

The flaws may be real, but they might not be the fault of the filmmaker (writer-director Robert Rossen).

Reportly, the film was taken out of Rossen's hands by the studio and drastically cut and re-cut. The director's original version, about 1/2 hour longer, was apparently much better, making much more dramatic sense.

Further, the movie was shot in CinemaScope, and comments on its poor cinematography and editing are likely based on viewing a crude pan & scan video copy. Such artificial flaws are common with panned & scanned widescreen movies.

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