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"The Undefeated" (Nov. 1969) was completely overshadowed by "True Grit" (June 1969). There is no way Col. John Henry Thomas can compete with Rooster Cogburn. Some people fault this film and even Rock Hudson spoke ill of it. However, I enjoyed watching more than I have enjoyed a great many modern movies. Sure, the plot is kind of screwy. I mean, how many Confederate military units moved their wives and kids to Mexico? But people do crazy things after losing a war. It may be hard to believe, but there were many in the South who regard that War Between the States as inconclusive and that the wrong side claimed victory. You do not have to look very hard to find whole groups of these people on the Internet today. So, the movie is kind of topical in that way. So, the movie has one band of Confederates led by Rock Hudson (Col. James Langdon) headed towards Mexico under the protection of Emperor Maximilian. The other party is led by John Wayne (Col. John Henry Thomas) who has just retired from the military and wants to sell 3,000 wild horses to the U.S. Army to get money for his men to split as a final payday before they all head home. Of course, the groups become aware of each other and the plot twists involve how the groups of Yanks and Rebs interact.There are many familiar faces in the film that make it a lot more fun: Harry Carey, Jr., Ben Johnson, Paul Fix, and others such as Dub Taylor. The movie also reflects its time by cast two famous football players. The L.A. Rams quarterback plays Wayne's adopted Indian son, Blue Boy and the great L.A. Rams defensive lineman (and later spokesman for FTD florists) plays Cpl Little George in the Confederate band. The female leads are all Confderate women. The Lanford daughter, Charlotte, is played by Melissa Newman, and the older sisters (one is a widow and a semi love interest for Wayne), are played by Lee Meriwether and Marian McCargo. There are a variety of twists and turns and questions about the ideas about good guys and bad guys rotates around Wayne and his band throughout the movie. Not great, but certainly enjoyable.Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI |
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