The Horse Soldiers
by John Ford
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Constance Towers, Hoot Gibson, John Wayne, Judson Pratt, William HoldenDirector: John Ford
Brand: WAYNE,JOHN
Cinematographer: William H. Clothier
Editor: Jack Murray
Producer: John Lee Mahin
Writer: John Lee Mahin
Producer: Martin Rackin
Writer: Martin Rackin
Writer: Harold Sinclair
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.66:1
Running Time: 115 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-05-08
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of The Horse Soldiers
Movie Review: Possibly my favorite John Wayne flick
Summary: 5 Stars
John Wayne's a bit before my time so I was late getting on The Duke wagon. At first, I admit, that I didn't really like him (I lean more to the likes of Eastwood, Heston, Rambo and Thomas Jane) but I slowly came to appreciate his unique presence & vibe.
Of the approximately 25 Wayne films I've seen some of my favorites include: "The Cowboys" ('72), "El Dorado" ('66), "North to Alaska" ('60), "The Shootist" ('76), "The Conqueror" ('56) and "The Horse Soldiers" ('59). Okay, I'm just jokin' about "The Conqueror" (LOL) but John Ford's "The Horse Soldiers" is definitely one of my favorites.
THE STORY: Loosely based on Col. Grierson's 1863 Cavalry raid behind Confederate lines, The Duke leads a cavalry force deep into rebel territory to cut off supply lines to Vicksburg, Mississippi, which was being attacked by Gen. Grant. Along for the ride is a medical officer (William Holden) who is at odds with Wayne. As their journey progresses they are forced to acquire a troublesome Southern belle (Constance Towers).
Although the film has some expected dated aspects, like the dreadful opening song (almost on a par with "North to Alaska"), "The Horse Soldiers" holds up well, highlighted by authentic Southern locations -- filmed in Mississippi, Louisianna and Texas.
What works best is the story and characters. The conflict between Wayne and Holden adds tension and is entertaining, but you just know they'll likely come out of this venture highly respecting one another. Needless to say, Wayne and Holden have great chemistry. Some complain about the Southern belle but she's a good touch and, really, there are no romantic dallyings to speak of (until the very end, that is).
"The Horse Soldiers" is one of those film you enjoy seeing no matter how many times you've seen it. It plainly shows the horrors of war but, somehow, it ultimately manages to be enjoyable and even uplifting.
This ranks with the best Civil War pictures, along with "Gods & Generals" (2003), "Glory" (1989), "Ride with the Devil" (1999) and "Pharaoh's Army" (1995).
Summary of The Horse Soldiers
John Wayne teams with William Holden and eminent western director John Ford for this frontier actioner "packed with laughter, romance and thrills" (The Hollywood Reporter)! Written by John LeeMahin and Martin Rackin, this faithful representation of one of the most daring cavalry exploits inhistory is both a moving tribute to the men who fought and died in that bloody war and a powerful, action-packed drama.Based on an actual Civil War incident, The Horse Soldiers tells the rousing tale of a troop of Union soldiers who force their way deep into Southern territory to destroy a rebel stronghold at Newton Station. In command is hardbitten Colonel Marlowe (Wayne), a man who is strikingly contrasted by the company's gentle surgeon (Holden) and the beautiful but crafty Southern belle (Constance Towers) who's forced to accompany the Union raiders on perhaps the most harrowing mission in the war.This latter-day sort-of Western from John Ford--falling midway between The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance--is a crisp retelling of a true-life episode from the Civil War. In 1863 a Union colonel named Grierson (Marlowe in the film, and John Wayne by any name) led his cavalry several hundred miles behind Confederate lines to cut the railroad between Newton Station and soon-to-be-embattled Vicksburg. Grierson's Raid was as successful as it was daring, and remarkably bloodless. Never fear that the screenplay makes up for that un-Hollywood lapse--as well as supplying amatory distraction for the colonel in the form of a feisty Southern belle (Constance Towers) who has to be dragged along to protect secrecy.
There's a certain amount of bombast in the running arguments about wartime ethics between Marlowe and the new regimental surgeon (William Holden), who don't take to each other at all. But Ford more than makes up for it with such tasty scenes as an encounter with a couple of redneck Rebel deserters (Denver Pyle and Strother Martin), an ethereal swamp crossing led by a cornpone deacon (Hank Worden), and above all the famous skirmish with a hillside full of grade-school cadets from a venerable military academy. The film ends rather abruptly because Ford abandoned a climactic battle scene--the veteran stunt man and bit player Fred Kennedy having been killed in a horse fall. Golden-age cowboy star Hoot Gibson, who acted in Ford's directorial debut, Straight Shooting, appears as Sergeant Brown. --Richard T. Jameson
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