The Undefeated (1969)

After the Civil War, ex-Confederate soldiers heading for a new life in Mexico run into ex-Union cavalrymen selling horses to the Mexican government but they must join forces to fight off Mexican bandits and revolutionaries.

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

James Lee Barrett (screenplay), Stanley Hough (story) (as Stanley L. Hough)

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:

ex soldier | french | army | band | cat | 

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Taglines:

Across 2000 miles of savage wasteland ... they lived a thundering adventure that rocked two nations !

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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:

Bavispe River, Sonora, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$7,115,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,000,000, 31 December 1969

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Wayne liked casting himself against tall actors, so when the 6'7" James Arness became unavailable, he helped cast Rock Hudson, who was at least as tall as he. He also wanted someone to play bridge with, and knew that Hudson was a good bridge player.

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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 more than a month after Lee's surrender.

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Quotes

[McCartney is dying]
Shortgrub: McCartney.
McCartney: Mr. McCartney. Shortgrub, I said a lot of mean things to the boys, didn't I?
Shortgrub: Yeah, you did.
McCartney: Tell them from me, I meant every damn word.

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Connections

Featured in Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992)

User Reviews

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

This moving western has Yankee colonel Henry Thomas (John Wayne) joining forces with Confederate official named Langdon (Rock Hudson), during the post-Civil War and in Mexican territory . Wayne tries to sell wild horses to the French military in Mexico and Hudson leading a wagon train 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 enemy 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 . 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 (1969). According to director Andrew V. McLaglen, his first choice for the role of Colonel James Langdon was James Arness, who was willing to do it but backed out just before shooting began ; Rock Hudson was brought in as his replacement . John Wayne became good friends during the shoot with Rock Hudson and even joked that he'd rather have been born with Hudson's movie star face than his own. Magnificent plethora of secondaries , as usual John Ford's actors , Ben Johnson, Bruce Cabot, John Agar, Harry Carey Jr , among others . Furthermore , ordinary 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 was 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 appeal to Wayne and Hudson die-hard fans.