The Undefeated (1969)

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

James Lee Barrett (screenplay)
Stanley Hough (story)

Release Date:

27 November 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

After the Civil War, ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon are...

Plot Keywords:

American Civil War | Bandit | Horse | Mexican Revolution | Mexico

US TV Schedule:

Wed. May 21

10:45 PM

AMC

Cast

John Wayne	...	Col. John Henry Thomas
Rock Hudson	...	Col. James Langdon
Antonio Aguilar	...	Juarista Gen. Rojas (as Tony Aguilar)
Roman Gabriel	...	Blue Boy (John Henry's Cherokee Indian adopted son)
Marian McCargo	...	Ann Langdon
Lee Meriwether	...	Margaret Langdon
Merlin Olsen	...	Cpl. Little George, CSA
Melissa Newman	...	Charlotte Langdon
Bruce Cabot	...	Sgt. Jeff Newby CSA
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Lt. Bubba Wilkes CSA (as Michael Vincent)
Ben Johnson	...	Short Grub
Edward Faulkner	...	Capt. Anderson, CSA (Col. Langdon's aide)
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Soloman Webster (Thomas rider)
Paul Fix	...	Gen. Joe Masters
Royal Dano	...	Maj. Sanders, CSA (one-armed major)

Also Known As:

Unbesiegten, Die (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Aittitoi, Oi (Greece) [el]
Batinin devleri (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Dúo invencible, El (Venezuela) [es]
Due invincibili, I (Italy) [it]
Géants de l'Ouest, Les (France) [fr]
Indestructibles, Los (Spain) [es]
Invencibles, Los (Mexico) [es]
Niezwyciezeni (Poland) [pl]
Nunca Foram Vencidos (Portugal) [pt]
Obesegrade, De (Sweden) [sv]
Ubesejrede, De (Denmark) [da]
Voittamattomat (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | New Zealand:PG | Australia:G | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rated) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-12 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

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.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the opening scene, Union soldiers are marching past the screen carrying a flag with 48 stars on it. During the Civil War the Union flag only had either 34 or 35 stars.

Quotes:

Station-keeper: See'd your dust all day. What you drivin'? Buffalo?
Station-keeper: Stage arrived yet?
Station-keeper: It's overdue. I ain't askin' cause I don't care, but if your name's Thomas there's a couple of poppinjays waitin' inside ta see ya. They been here for two days now. I give 'em water the first day and they've took'n root.
Col. John Henry Thomas: Government agents?
Station-keeper: I ain't asked. They ain't said.

Movie Connections:

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

Good enough to be likeable, likeable enough to be good

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. *** / *****