The Horse Soldiers
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Movie Reviews of The Horse Soldiers
Movie Review: One of the Greats!
Summary: 5 Stars
This John Wayne movie is truly one of his best! John Wayne is truly fantastic! He should have won an Academy Award for this performance! This movie is a must see for any Wayne fan!Movie Review: Horse Soldiers
Summary: 5 Stars
This has always been a favorite western movie of mine and this dvd transfer is excellent. No extras except for the trailer but again an excellent movie and well worth your time.Movie Review: John Wayne and William Holden saddle up for this fact-based All-Action Horse Ride!
Summary: 4 Stars
THE HORSE SOLDIERS (1959) directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne this is their penultimate Western together, sandwiched neatly between the vastly superior THE SEARCHERS (1956) and THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962). Nevertheless this is a fine film, which returns once again to Ford's beloved US Cavalry that was depicted so wonderfully in the so-called Cavalry Trilogy some ten or so years earlier.
This American Civil War story is based on a true successful incident in 1863 known as Grierson's Raid. General Ulysses S. Grant sent a brigade of Union Cavalry under Colonel Benjamin Grierson though enemy-held territory from southern Tennessee through Mississippi to Louisiana to the union-held city of Baton Rouge. The purpose was to destroy enemy rail infrastructure so creating a diversion from the Union's main attack on Vicksburg. Ford has taken some poetic licence with the story but is pretty even-handed in his story telling of a period in American history that set North against South and brother against brother, that resulted in the loss of over 620,000 men.
Ford's version is taken from a novel "The Horse Soldiers" by Harold Sinclair and has a former railroad builder Colonel John Marlowe (John Wayne) leading his mini-brigade through enemy territory to attack the Confederate held Newton Station, along the way at Greenbriar he picks up "southern belle" Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers) who has overheard details of the forthcoming raid also frustrating his efforts is his new Regimental Surgeon Major Henry Kendall (William Holden). Other contentions are his second in command Colonel Philip Secord (Willis Bouchey) is more interested in securing an election victory than a military one. The rest of the cast is made up of many of Ford's regulars including Ken Curtis, Hank Worden and former cowboy star Hoot Gibson.
This may not be John Ford at his very best, but the film does contain some excellent sequences in the directors' best manner including: The horse soldiers on the skyline, The aftermath at Newton Station, The young cadets advancing on the Union troops, The charge over the bridge at the end and last but not least the scene where Towers is serving supper to Wayne and his men at Greenbriers, she asked an embarrassed Wayne "What is your preference leg or breast?" during which time Ford gives us a daring (for the 1950's) view of Miss Towers cleavage!
The filming on location in Louisiana came to an unsatisfactory conclusion when one of Ford's regular stuntman Fred Kennedy was killed whilst falling from his horse during the final battle scenes at the bridge. Ford was very upset and lost interest in the film, so they packed up and went home. Later additional footage was shot back in The San Fernando Valley, California to complete the film!
Transfer to DVD is just about okay; included are the original theatrical release trailer with interactive menu screens and chapter selections. All Ford / Wayne Westerns are worthy of treatment to the highest standard available in Restoration and Presentation. Still pretty good value for money though!
Movie Review: The DUKE rides again!
Summary: 4 Stars
A wonderful picture of the war between the states, "Horse Soldiers" follows the story of Wayne leading his troopers in an attack deep into enemy territory. Loosely based on a factual event, the Union must cut off the supply lines to Vicksburg. DUKE leads the raid.This is a fantastic transfer, as others have mentioned. I spotted literally one damaged frame, with a "V" shaped crease in it. The colors blaze off the screeen, and although there are no booklets, inserts, or extras (other than the original trailer), the disc is a real keeper.
Although many see this picture as "Ford-lite," there are several classic Ford touches throughout the film. The opening shot of the calvary marching in a sundown silhouette is stirring. The charge of the child soldiers is a great moment (you see Wayne tip his hat to them as he rides off).
For me, I like the subtle, "hidden" Ford touches in all of his films, which reveal telling information about characters without the overbearing, in-your-face, and just plain heavy-handed direction in today's movies.
In "Horse Soldiers", the dyed-in-the-wool Southern patriot Hannah Hunter has spent several days as prisoner of the Union soldiers. At one point, in order to make her feel better, a soldier gives her a candle for light. Another offers her a fragment of a looking glass. The soldier holds up the broken mirror, and when she looks at her reflection she can see the soldier's Yankee cap over the top of it, as if she wore it herself. That's Ford telling us she's been converted, without slapping us in the face or dumbing it down for us.
You'll see familiar Ford faces pop up here and there, too. Jack Pennick is in just about all of John Ford's westerns. Hank Worden and Ken Curtis will be instantly familiar to fans of "The Searchers". Ken Curtis was also in "Rio Grande" and "The Quiet Man", and is probably best known as Festus on "Gunsmoke".
O.Z. Whitehead was in "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". Walter Reed was in "Sergeant Rutledge" and "Cheyenne Autumn".
Bing Russell, who plays Dunker, is the man gunned down in the saloon in another DUKE movie, "Rio Bravo".
Of couse, other familiar faces include Storther Martin and Denver Pyle as a pair of Confederate deserters.
This is a really solid cavalry film, with The DUKE in the thick of the action. William Holden is a good match as a foil for DUKE.
For those who say DUKE couldn't act, DUKE has a great scene in the Newton Station bar when he reveals why he doesn't like doctors.
"Horse Soldiers" is an overlooked gem from Ford, only because his more famous films shine that much more.
Movie Review: A good tale of the Civil War with horses, battles, and colorful supporting characters
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie by John Ford paired John Wayne (Col. John Marlowe) and William Holden (Maj Hank Kendall, regimental surgeon) as the male leads in the film while Constance Towers provided the female lead and love interest as the Southern Belle Hannah Hunter. The movie was expensive for its time and everyone involved expected it to be a blockbuster. Both Wayne and Holden received $775,000 and a promise of 20% of the profits. However, the film did not do all that well and there were no profits to distribute. Some say that the era of lead star megadeals began with this movie.
This movie is loosely based on Grierson's Raid in April and May 1863 as part of the Vicksburg Campaign in Mississippi. Wayne's Marlowe is a former railroad builder without much formal education, but he is smart and brave. Marlowe is leading a regiment of cavalry through Mississippi to reach Vicksburg and join Grant's campaign. We know it is dangerous because most of his officers are looking for excuses to turn back and head North to safety. During the film we learn he is a widower and how losing his wife caused him to dislike doctors. Holden's Kendall is a doctor who cares for people and is only part of the war because he was put there. Wherever he sees someone who needs his help, he offers it and this gets him on Marlowe's bad side.
Along the way, they stop at a plantation and requisition horses, supplies, and refresh themselves. They meet the mistress of the plantation, Hannah Hunter and when they leave they take her so she cannot warn the Confederates of their presence of plans. Her joining the regiment of hundreds of horse soldiers provides a tense love story with Marlowe with some competition with the more sophisticated Kendall. The final resolution of the love story is one of the less satisfying aspects of the story, but in war who gets to wrap up personal stories in a neat package anyway?
The movie has some spectacular vistas, lots of great work with the horses (it is cavalry, after all) a couple of fine battle sequences, the Duke fighting on the side of the Union for once, and lots of colorful supporting characters. While I don't think it is a great Wayne movie like "The Searchers" or "The Shootist", it is still a good one. Enjoy!
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI