The Undefeated (1969)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

James Lee Barrett (screenplay), Stanley Hough (story),

Stars:

John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Antonio Aguilar

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Col. John Henry Thomas
Rock Hudson	...	Col. James Langdon
Antonio Aguilar	...	Gen. Rojas (as Tony Aguilar)
Roman Gabriel	...	Blue Boy
Marian McCargo	...	Ann
Lee Meriwether	...	Margaret
Merlin Olsen	...	Little George
Melissa Newman	...	Charlotte
Bruce Cabot	...	Jeff Newby
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Bubba Wilkes (as Michael Vincent)
Ben Johnson	...	Short Grub
Edward Faulkner	...	Anderson
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Webster
Paul Fix	...	Gen. Joe Masters
Royal Dano	...	Maj. Sanders

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

colonel | mexico | confederate | civil war | cavalry | 

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

27 November 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Unbesiegten

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before filming began, John Wayne had to lose most of the weight he had put on in order to play Rooster Cogburn in True Grit.

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Goofs

A number of times in the early part of the movie reference is made to the surrender of Lee to Grant as the end of the war. Although the surrender of Lee is now seen as the effective end of the war, at the time it was not, and would not have been considered such by most people (the Confederate major in the opening battle being an example). Organized military operations continued for a number of months after Lee's surrender.

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Quotes

Col. James Langdon: [on finding his men still in uniform] General Robert E. Lee surrendered, am I right?
Capt. Anderson: Yes, sir.
Col. James Langdon: That means that officially we no longer exist as an armed body; yet everywhere I look here today I see armed men, wearing uniforms and flying the battle flag! Get it down!

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Connections

Featured in Jan-Michael Vincent Is My Muse (2002)

User Reviews

Two mighty stars, Wayne and Hudson, in a Mexican adventure during the Maximilian-Juarez war

This moving western has Yankee colonel(John Wayne) joining forces with Confederate official(Rock Hudson), during the post-Civil War and in Mexican territory. Wayne tries to sell wild horses to the French in Mexico and Hudson along with wagons road to Durango.Both colonels battling it out toe to toe and side by side across 2000 miles of thundering adventure. They feared no one, Juarista rebels, cut-throat bandits, the armies of Maximilian, as they challenged an angry land and each other.The two big men with reckless courage clash and nothing can match them,the big men ride and nothing can stop them.Through a thousand dangers and a thousand thrills they fight their glorious way to destiny , conquering desert,risks, savage outlaws, and enemies soldiers.

This agreeable Western packs adventures, silly romance, action, shootouts and historical events about American Civil War and Mexican war between Emperor Maxilimilian and Juaristas.Casting is frankly good, the legendary John Wayne, Rock Hudson and a magnificent plethora of secondaries. As usual John Ford's actors, Ben Johnson, Bruce Cabot, John Agar,Harry Carey, among others.Furthermore usual cameraman William H Clothier(Cheyemne Autumm, Man who shot Liberty Valance, Horse soldiers)who creates a luminous and colorful cinematography.Lively and evocative musical score by Hugo Montenegro. The motion picture is well directed by Andrew V. McLagen, a known Ford's disciple.He's a Western expert(McLintock,Shenandoah,Bandolero,Chisum,Cahill,Way west) and warlike genre craftsman(Return to Kai,Wild Geese,Sea Wolves). Rating: acceptable and passable. The movie will like to Wayne and Hudson die-hard fans.