The opening Civil War battle scene in "The Undefeated" takes place three days after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, the opposing Colonels receiving word of the news via a courier on the battlefield. Union Colonel John Henry Thomas (John Wayne) is only too glad to get on with civilian life. He takes the remains of his once seventy five member regiment, now reduced to ten, on a drive to deliver wild horses to Mexico's Emperor Maximillian. His opponent, Confederate Colonel James Langdon (Rock Hudson), disaffected with the War, intends to lead his men and their families to a new life via Durango and on to Mexico City.
Along the way, the two Colonels renew acquaintances, in a virtual bygones be bygones ritual cemented by trading barbs and slugs of whiskey. But it won't be long before trouble begins, as Mexican banditos lay in ambush for the Confederate wagon train, seeking horses, gold and women, not necessarily in that order. Colonel Thomas had the foresight to send his adopted Cherokee son Blue Boy (L.A. Rams Quarterback Roman Gabriel) away from the Confederate party, to round up his redskin brothers to help save the day.
From there on, the story meanders it's way along with some side stories involving a talented supporting cast that includes Bruce Cabot, Jan-Michael Vincent, Ben Johnson, and another football notable, Merlin Olsen. However you can't convince me that the women on the Confederate wagon train exhibit any degree of authenticity, as Lee Meriwether, Melissa Newman and Marian McCargo are all just too darn pretty, not a hair out of place and dressed to the nines in every scene, even when they pick up rifles to fight the bandits.
Having just watched John Wayne in the 1948 film "Fort Apache", I was conscious of a possible reference to the Shirley Temple character in that film when Colonel Thomas and Colonel Langdon have a conversation. Thomas responds to his Southern counterpart "Not like Philadelphia", which was the name of Temple's character. When Langdon seeks clarification, Thomas says never mind. Any insight into that exchange would be appreciated.
Following the film's progress for two hours, the ending comes as a bit of a letdown, as one expects the alliance between the Union and Confederate Colonels to lead a final charge against the Juarista General Rojas (Antonio Aguilar), who holds the members of Langdon's wagon train hostage in exchange for Colonel Thomas' horses. Instead, Thomas agrees to the terms, presumably to insure a fight for another day and another movie.
Along the way, the two Colonels renew acquaintances, in a virtual bygones be bygones ritual cemented by trading barbs and slugs of whiskey. But it won't be long before trouble begins, as Mexican banditos lay in ambush for the Confederate wagon train, seeking horses, gold and women, not necessarily in that order. Colonel Thomas had the foresight to send his adopted Cherokee son Blue Boy (L.A. Rams Quarterback Roman Gabriel) away from the Confederate party, to round up his redskin brothers to help save the day.
From there on, the story meanders it's way along with some side stories involving a talented supporting cast that includes Bruce Cabot, Jan-Michael Vincent, Ben Johnson, and another football notable, Merlin Olsen. However you can't convince me that the women on the Confederate wagon train exhibit any degree of authenticity, as Lee Meriwether, Melissa Newman and Marian McCargo are all just too darn pretty, not a hair out of place and dressed to the nines in every scene, even when they pick up rifles to fight the bandits.
Having just watched John Wayne in the 1948 film "Fort Apache", I was conscious of a possible reference to the Shirley Temple character in that film when Colonel Thomas and Colonel Langdon have a conversation. Thomas responds to his Southern counterpart "Not like Philadelphia", which was the name of Temple's character. When Langdon seeks clarification, Thomas says never mind. Any insight into that exchange would be appreciated.
Following the film's progress for two hours, the ending comes as a bit of a letdown, as one expects the alliance between the Union and Confederate Colonels to lead a final charge against the Juarista General Rojas (Antonio Aguilar), who holds the members of Langdon's wagon train hostage in exchange for Colonel Thomas' horses. Instead, Thomas agrees to the terms, presumably to insure a fight for another day and another movie.