Ann Langdon: “You went out there to talk, why did you have to shoot the man?”
John Henry Thomas: “Conversation kinda dried up, ma’am.”
I’ve said it here on Filmizon before, and I’ll say it here once again. . . 1969 is arguably the best year for westerns. On top of rather avant-garde boundary pushers like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 100 Rifles, Paint Your Wagon, and others, there were also a slew of more traditional style features from the genre, including the movie reviewed here today, The Undefeated (1969) – which has often been a bit overshadowed by another John Wayne starring western that was released the same year, True Grit.
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, the story is set in a rather interesting period – just as the American Civil War has come to an end. Swapping between two intersecting stories, Union Col. John Henry Thomas (Wayne – Arizona; The Quiet Man) has stepped away from his military role, taking his few remaining men west to gather some wild horses to sell before heading home. . . while Confederate James Langdon (Rock Hudson), embittered by their crushing defeat and feeling like they have no true home, he plans on leading his family, including his wife Margaret (Lee Meriwether), and fellow soldiers south to Mexico to regroup there and join Emperor Maximilian and his troops.
Almost as if fate intertwines the two long rivals, as Langdon and his gang head south, Thomas feels betrayed by the pitiful offer the Union has made on the horses they’ve collected – pushing them in the same direction after Maximilian’s men have made a much more lucrative bid compared to the Americans.
With the disgruntled Union men behind them, bandits all over the place, and a waging war ahead between the conservatives being aided by the French backed Maximilian against the republican government of President Benito Juárez, no place is safe for Thomas or Langdon. Forming a sort of unsteady peaceful truce between them, outside of the two leaders, most of the other men don’t see eye to eye. . . other than Thomas’s adopted native son, Blue Boy (NFLer Roman Gabriel), and Langdon’s daughter Charlotte (Melissa Newman), who have fallen madly in love with each other.
As the danger only grows as both groups enter Mexico, do they have any chance of surviving the ordeal separated? Might they come back together, and, if so, can their teetering union hold strong? Or, do the young lovers have a better chance of kindling their hidden passion?
Filmizon.com’s Nikolai Adams with Lee Meriwether – who stars as Margaret Langdon in The Undefeated, at Trekonderoga in 2017
Though it has a bit of an anticlimactic ending, the story works quite well, while the stunning locales, shot on site in Mexico, really pop. Plus, you can’t beat John Wayne on a western, while Rock Hudson was someone The Duke really wanted to work with – partially because he was a talented bridge player. I was fortunate enough to interview Lee Meriwether some eight years ago. I’ve attached the whole interview here, but if you prefer, jump forward to 7:37 to hear her thoughts on filming The Undefeated – where she discusses John Wayne, Rock Hudson, stories about food, the locations, horses, and dysentery – giving an intriguing inside perspective of the motion picture.
Though not the most prolific of westerns from 1969, The Undefeated still helps add to the aura of westerns during that glorious year. Featuring striking shots of thousands of horses running across the open land, stunning vistas of Mexico, and some glorious moments from its excellent cast (it is also worth noting that another NFLer, Merlin Olsen, featured in this picture), there are many things to like in this one. So, fall in love with this classic western, it’s a Yankee Doodle Dandy.