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The Undefeated (1969) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   1,515 votes
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Up 60% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Andrew V. McLaglen
Writers:
James Lee Barrett (screenplay)
Stanley Hough (story)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Undefeated on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 November 1969 (USA) more
Genre:
Western more
Plot:
After the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Movie Alert! The Three Stooges In "The Outlaws Is Coming!" Tomorrow On TCM; Western Film Festival On Fox Movie Channel
 (From CinemaRetro. 18 September 2009, 10:29 AM, PDT)
Shall we gather at the river?
 (From Roger Ebert's Blog. 11 June 2009, 1:11 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Lightweight, but Overlooked Western more (30 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

John Wayne ... Col. John Henry Thomas

Rock Hudson ... Col. James Langdon
Antonio Aguilar ... Juarista Gen. Rojas (as Tony Aguilar)
Roman Gabriel ... Blue Boy

Marian McCargo ... Ann Langdon

Lee Meriwether ... Margaret Langdon
Merlin Olsen ... Cpl. Little George
Melissa Newman ... Charlotte Langdon
Bruce Cabot ... Sgt. Jeff Newby

Jan-Michael Vincent ... Lt. Bubba Wilkes (as Michael Vincent)

Ben Johnson ... Short Grub
Edward Faulkner ... Capt. Anderson
Harry Carey Jr. ... Soloman Webster (Thomas rider)
Paul Fix ... Gen. Joe Masters
Royal Dano ... Maj. Sanders (one-armed major)
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
119 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Spanish | French
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Australia:G | Australia:PG (TV rating) | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rated) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | New Zealand:PG | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA more
Company:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Although Rock Hudson would later claim to have become "firm friends" with John Wayne, this was only partly true. Hudson was told by director Andrew V. McLaglen not to bring his boyfriend Jack Coates to Mexico, since Wayne would not be able to accept that. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: After the Civil War (1861-65) when the cowboys are around the campfire, Webster talks of sending a letter and that it could go Pony Express. The Pony Express dissolved in October of 1861. It also did not go into South Texas where the cowboys apparently where traveling. more
Quotes:
Ann Langdon: You went out there to talk! Why did you kill that man?
John Henry Thomas: Conversation just kinda dried up.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Jan-Michael Vincent Is My Muse (2002) more

FAQ

What was the name of the cat in The Undefeated?
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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
18 out of 21 people found the following comment useful.
Lightweight, but Overlooked Western, 11 March 2004
Author: kellyadmirer from New York City/Colorado Springs

"The Undefeated" got lost in the shuffle when it was released during a terrific year for Westerns. Competing against "Butch Cassidy," "The Wild Bunch" and John Wayne's other little Western that year, "True Grit," who was going to remember "The Undefeated"?

Well, not too many moviegoers. However, this is a nice production of a clever script that features several acting legends. With all of the (justifiable) attention on the Civil War in film, concurrent events in Mexico that were just as far-reaching for that country (and, in some ways, for the US) have largely been forgotten, or at least overlooked. Sure, people remember the Alamo from twenty years before the Civil War, and many recall Pancho Villa from 50 years after, but how much recognition has there been of France's blatant violation of the Monroe doctrine with its bid for dominance south of the US border while Grant and Lee were going at it? Clearly, not a lot.

So, this film serves as a nice history lesson. France tried to install its own emperor, Maximilian, on the throne of Mexico while the US was preoccupied with its Civil War. Unfortunately for the French, many Mexicans were not too thrilled with this idea. "Undefeated" takes Maximilian's struggle for survival and combines it with a tale of disaffected US and Confederate soldiers. What results is a very involving story set shortly after the Civil War in which former US soldiers on a cattle (horse) drive encounter former Confederate soldiers, along with their families, who aren't quite ready yet to give up their military trade and are on their way to serve as mercenaries for Emperor Maximilian.

So, with that as the backdrop, the film essentially becomes a character study. Wayne plays Wayne at his most iconic. Perhaps you can tell from time to time that he is not taking the whole thing very seriously, but he lends the film whatever air of gravity it possesses. Football legend Merlin Olsen surprisingly turns in a fine performance, Melissa Newman is very attractive as Hudson's flirty daughter, and quarterback Roman Gabriel of all people provides the romantic conflict. You aren't going to see most of these folks elsewhere, and they give it their all here in unique performances. Ben Johnson and some others of Wayne's traveling troupe of movie cowboys are along to give some down-home flavor, though they aren't called on to do much.

There are lots of chances for Wayne and his buddies to act tough and weathered. The main flaw to me is that the Rock Hudson character, leader of the Confederate force, comes across as too exuberant, a touch too "I'm so happy to be here in a Wayne film." For a man who has lost everything including his fancy mansion and property, his character comes across as a bit too happy-go-lucky. His character also is undercut several times as being naive, such as when Wayne's character has to come and warn him that his party is being tracked by bandits. Wouldn't a formed military body of battle-hardened soldiers know enough to maintain scouts in hostile territory? I thought Hudson rocked in "Ice Station Zebra" from the year before, but coming in to this role at the last minute to replace another actor probably didn't give him enough time to think the role through and maybe make a few script suggestions.

A confrontation between Wayne's small force and formed Mexican troops also is disappointing in how it is staged, making it seem perfunctory. Since this is the main "suspense" at the film's conclusion, the ending is kind of a let-down. Also, the fact that most of the film takes place in the middle of nowhere, with no contact with the world at large, gives the film an artificial feel, as if this were a laboratory experiment about post-war relations. At times like this, the story seems to go through the motions and almost plays like a made-for-TV film.

However, these are not fatal flaws. The heart of the film lies in the interaction of the characters and how they come to terms with how the world has changed since Appomattox. Hudson and his boys appear to learn that it is one thing to fight for your home and hearth against invaders, but war on foreign soil for ephemeral benefits is Hell indeed. There are echoes of modern times with the observation of the Wayne character that "It seems we've gotten ourselves involved in someone else's war." Note the year the film was released.

Recommended for fans of Westerns or the stars. Not a top Wayne film, but an interesting plot with fine performances by an eclectic cast.

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