The Undefeated

Set in the period just after the Civil War, "The Undefeated" pits ex-Union officer John Wayne against ex-Confederate officer Rock Hudson in an amiable, if uneven, big-budget western. Hudson, as Colonel James Langdon, leaves his ancestral home after the defeat of the Confederacy and leads his family and friends southwards on a trek to find a new home in Emperor Maximilian's Mexico. Meanwhile, Colonel John Henry Thomas, played by Wayne, gathers his ex-army buddies and endeavors to round up and sell horses to the U.S. Army. The two men and their followers meet up in Northern Mexico and find themselves embroiled in the struggle between French-backed supporters of Maximilian and Mexican nationalists who back Benito Juarez. The resulting film, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, is a predictable western with enough action and friendly verbal sparring between the former battlefield enemies to entertain for the two-hour running time.

Besides Wayne and Hudson, the cast benefits from such veteran western stalwarts as Bruce Cabot, Ben Johnson, Paul Fix, Harry Carey Jr., John Agar, and Dub Taylor. However, the film's most outstanding assets are a fine musical score by Hugo Montenegro and exceptional cinematography by William H. Clothier; Clothier captures sweeping vistas of northern Mexico, a herd of galloping horses, mounted cavalry advancing across battlefields, and horse-drawn wagons fording a river that enhance the visual spectacle of "The Undefeated."

Unfortunately, the film falters during a silly mass fist fight between the Northerners and Southerners, and the anachronistic romance between a Native American scout and Langdon's daughter creates a time warp; the pairing of a Southern white woman with a Native American in the days after the fall of the Confederacy is pure fantasy. Well coiffed and made-up ladies in formal French gowns dining on make-shift tables outside their covered wagons is also a stretch of credibility; no dust or grime intrudes on their frontier life. The friendly bonding between the former adversaries Langdon and Thomas and their followers is equally unlikely, and, although Wayne and Hudson make strange bedfellows, they work well together. While not among the landmark westerns of Wayne's career, "The Undefeated," elevated by Clothier's outstanding cinematography, Montenegro's score, and a supporting cast of familiar western faces, is solid entertainment and well worth discovering or re-discovering.

The Undefeated is directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and adapted for the screen by James Lee Barrett from a story by Stanley L. Hough. It stars John Wayne & Rock Hudson, features a musical score by Hugo Montenegro and William H. Clothier provides the South Western cinematography.

Much yee-hawing and lots of patriotic fervour, The Undefeated is a fun and undemanding way for the Western fan to spend a couple of hours. Plot basically revolves around some post Civil War rivalries between Union and Confederate leaders played by Wayne and Hudson respectively. Both men and the groups they have under their control, get mixed up in the Maximillian/Juarez revolution in Mexico. Cue moral quandaries, big decisions and life affirming human interests; as McLaglen (aided by Wayne apparently) directs unfussy without pushing the envelope of Western directing. True enough at times the tone is uneven, it's hard to tell if it's meant to be light hearted or serious during some passages (kind of why John Ford was a genre master since he could achieve it comfortably), and some casting decisions are rather baffling (hello Roman Gabriel); but it's all very spirited, especially Hudson, to round it out as a solid genre offering from the late 1960s. 6.5/10

The Undefeated is a pretty good Western flick. It's light-hearted (for the most part), solid entertainment. John Wayne plays a Yankee soldier who forms an unlikely friendship with a Confederate, played by Rock Hudson, very shortly after the end of the Civil War. The two are both leading men south of the border for various reasons, and as the film progresses, the two help each other, rescue each other, and share a few drinks a number of times.

That's why it's light-hearted, there's a lot of smiles from both lead actors, all the supporting cast and, I dare say, the majority of the audience. There are very few unlikeable parts to this movie. That's not to say it's outrageously good; some of the supporting cast look amateurish at times, and the music occasionally stifles the action on screen, but aside from that, it's fine. John Wayne and Rock Hudson were two of those rare actor types who can't put in a bad performance if they try, but I don't think I need to tell you that.

It's a good package. Perfect for evening viewing, I'd recommend, as I just spent a very profitable evening in front of it. Some short but sweet action scenes, some just plain sweet romance subplots and a good and happy ending makes for one satisfied viewer. Far from perfect but great all the same. *** / *****

The Civil War is over but certain Confederate units refuse to call it quits. Colonel John Henry Thomas (played by The Duke)and his gang encounters one such band of rebels at the start of this film. Then there is the unit led by Colonel James Langdon played by Rock Hudson. They accept the fact the war is over but decide rather than live under the stars and stripes head out lock stock and barrel for Mexico women and children included. Wayne and his men bid farewell to the Army and set out to make a buck or two rounding up and selling wild horses. Wayne and his men cross paths along the way with Hudson and his refugees which make up the bulk of the story.

It's a little easy to understand Thomas and his men but not so easy to understand the Langdon group. When they encounter trouble it's almost hard as a viewer to have any pity for them.

Wayne gets support from a number of actors who co-starred with him in several of his films. Veteran character actor Dub Taylor is along as a nasty Chuck Wagon driver. Former Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Roman Gabriel is cast as a native American who served for Wayne during the war and is now his main man when it comes to tracking, scouting etc. Gabriels Ram teammate Merlin Olsen is also featured as a Confederate soldier who hates to fist fight but is called upon to do so. Decent western John Wayne film all in all. The Confederates may have lost the war but in this film they certainly ate better than the Yankees do.

The Civil War is over and it's been pretty costly to both sides. John Wayne has lost nearly every man who volunteered to serve with him and is broke. Rock Hudson who was also a Colonel on the other side went broke financing a regiment of his own and the Yankee carpetbaggers are ready to take over his plantation.

Wayne leads the remainder of his men to capture and tame wild horses to sell. Hudson gets an offer from Emperor Maximilian of Mexico to bring his people and resettle there. He needs all the help he can get to prop up his unpopular government. Hudson is certainly bringing a better quality of Anglo than Burt Lancaster did in Vera Cruz.

When Wayne feels a rip off coming from some middlemen horsetraders, he settles it in the usual Duke fashion and heads to Mexico himself. There the parties of Wayne and Hudson meet and their stories are entwined from then on.

With Wayne and Hudson co-starring, The Undefeated was led by two men who between them were number one at the box office for about a dozen years combined. Wayne was coming off his Oscar winning performance in True Grit. This film was definitely guaranteed an audience.

The story is both men are decent fellows and born leaders. Each is trying to pick up the pieces of civilian life and each is the leader of a party looking to them for leadership. A healthy and mutual respect develops between them despite previous political differences.

Wayne gets a whole load of players who worked with him before for this part. As he grew older he liked to have familiar faces around him. He had the star clout to insure it as well. Ben Johnson, Bruce Cabot, Edward Faulkner, Harry Carey, Jr., are some of the Wayne film veterans here.

Dub Taylor in his only film with the Duke does a very entertaining job as McCartney the cook. Dub did so many westerns when he wasn't doing hillbillies it's amazing that his and Wayne's path crossed only once.

This was also an early film for Jan Michael Vincent who went on to a star career of his own. Two members of the Los Angeles Rams, Roman Gabriel and Merlin Olsen were in this as well. Gabriel played a surrogate son to Wayne and rival for the hand of Melissa Newman to Vincent. Merlin Olsen is also here as a Confederate aide to Hudson. Gabriel decided movies wasn't his thing, but Olsen certainly had a substantial career after football.

The Undefeated has a nice, easy and charming flow to it, just like The Comancheros. Wayne and Hudson work well together in their only joint outing. Less action than you normally have in a Wayne film, but it's mixed in well with some good comic moments.

As Duke said parodying one of his one lines from a previous hit film of his, "Let's Take 'Em to Mexico." You'll like the ride.