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The Horse Soldiers [DVD] [1960]
 
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The Horse Soldiers [DVD] [1960]

DVD ~ John Wayne
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
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The Horse Soldiers [DVD] [1960]
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The Horse Soldiers [DVD] [1960] 4.0 out of 5 stars (8)
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Product details

  • Actors: John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers, Judson Pratt, Hoot Gibson
  • Directors: John Ford
  • Writers: John Lee Mahin, Martin Rackin, Harold Sinclair
  • Producers: John Lee Mahin, Martin Rackin
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: MGM Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: 1 Mar 2004
  • Run Time: 115 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00015N588
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 14,235 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

A crisp retelling of a true-life episode from the Civil War, The Horse Soldiers is a latter-day sorta-Western from John Ford, falling midway between The Searchers (1956) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). 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 railway track 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 young 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 (1917), appears as Sergeant Brown. --Richard T. Jameson, Amazon.com



Synopsis

THE HORSE SOLDIERS, John Ford's only attempt at tackling the subject of the Civil War, is based on Grierson's Raid, part of the Union's assault on Vicksburg in April 1863. After a number of failed efforts at taking the Southern stronghold, Union leaders assign Col. John Marlowe (John Wayne), a railroad designer in civilian life, to lead a cavalry detachment to destroy a vital railroad hub at Newton Station, far behind Confederate lines. Marlowe's unit includes Major Kendall (William Holden), a cynical physician disgusted by the notion that there's glory in the carnage, and the politically ambitious Colonel Secord (Willis Bouchey). Marlowe temporarily appropriates the plantation of Southerner Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers) while in transit and is forced to take her along, in lieu of killing her, after she overhears his plans for Newton Station. As their journey continues, Marlowe realises that he is much more interested in Hannah than in her political sympathies. Wayne and Holden give gritty, soulful performances, and William Clothier's photography is outstanding in a film that delves beneath simplistic notions of heroism to reveal something more complicated, grisly, and real.

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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 (3)
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 (4)
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars John Ford's (slightly) flawed Civil War effort, 15 Jan 2009
By Kentspur - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      

John Ford only made one film about the American Civil War; this 1959 offering which gives a fictionalised version of Colonel Benjamin Grierson's raid through the Western Confederacy during the Vicksburg Campaign of 1863.

John Wayne plays the Grierson character - called Marlowe in the film - while William Holden - in laconic good form - plays a doctor Marlowe (Grierson/Wayne) is forced to take with him down south.

Early on the raiders stop at the plantation of a Southern Belle - played by Constance Towers - who learns of their objectives and has to come along for the ride. Ms Towers - in a risque scene for the time - thrusts her impressive decolletage at Wayne and enquires whether he wants more breast or leg - chicken that is.

The three leads are fine and many of the famed 'John Ford Company' are working 'in the ranks,' but the film never achieves the granduer or urgency of the director's other three US Cavalry Westerns. Partly this is because the locations are not Monument Valley, but mostly, I feel, this is because this is NOT the US cavalry, but the Union cavalry. Hollywood Civil war films have an obvious problem; no bad guys. Sure the South were the baddies in historical reality - they're the ones with the slaves - but many of the audience watching this in 1960 were from Southern states, proud enough of their confederate heritage to have the Stars and Bars in the State flags. Hardly good for box office to paint them too badly.

With Indian westerns, however sympathetic you might be to native americans, the identification is going to be with cavalry for the overwhelmingly non-native american audience. This one isn't so clear cut.

As a result there are surprisingly few Civil War adventure films.

There are a number of excellent set pieces in this film; the attack by confederate troops jumping out of a train (which does kind of imply they are monumentally stupid - more concerned with the flag flying than shooting back) and the advance of military school kids against Wayne's veterans.

The plight of the black slaves is not really addressed, though Tennis star Althea Gibson got her acting run-out as the Southern Belle's ill-fated maid.

Holden, as stated, is pretty good. His tension with a doctor-hating Wayne is as ersatz as the coffee the Confederacy is left with, but he's laugh out loud funny on occassions. His little aside about 'southern people having their own help,' nodding at Ms Gibson is probably the best line in the film.

His quips are not as funny, however, as Wayne when he declares love for the Southern Belle - who has now seen the horror of war and is a better person (yawn) - right at the end. It's a real where-in-Hell-did-that-come-from moment.

This is not a Western classic, but it's well worth watching.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best ACW cavalry film ever shot... by miles..., 20 Dec 2003
By Alejo "ADB" (Andorra) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
As a democrat (whatever that means nowadays) I tend to respect other people's opinions... but how this film can be rated 1 star eludes me completely.

John Ford manipulates the true story of Grierson's raid (used as a diversion and to cut supplies bound for the besieged Vicksburg by Grant) to do a "fresco" of the American Civil War, every opportunity is used by the director (one of the best ever) to give you a fantastic series of perspectives of the war...

Cavalry (from both sides) a pet subject of Ford (see cavalry trilogy).
Southern belles... probably a condescension to Hollywood...
Medicine
Slavery
The North
The South
Why the largely agricultural south lost the war in the end to the industrial north.
Trains.
Telegraph.
Supplies.
Deserters.
Casualties.
Even the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Cadets (not specially mentioned) who played a prominent part in the battle of New Market, are praised, as a metaphor of the south shortage of manpower... but courage of the young...
Uniforms.
Militia.
Union Officers appointed by political influence. Excellent "secondaries" cast (as usual...or taken for granted in Ford's films).
An excellent and stirring soundtrack (why not released in CD I will never know).

Now, does this make a BORING FILM?... sorry I firmly believe IT IS NOT!
It has remained one of my favorite war films ever (even if with age one tends to see the futility of war).

So, FORD, WAYNE, HOLDEN, TOWERS and the rest of the habitual "Ford players" are there and do a magnificent job, helped by an excellent script which in a way is a precursor of much more modern "ROAD MOVIES".

THERE YOU HAVE IT IN A NUTSHELL A GREAT FILM!

ADB
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars not wayne and ford"s best but still excellent , 1 Feb 2008
By Graeme Scott "graemescott4" (edinburgh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The previous reviewer is being very unfair to this film.(sure it"s not as good as the searchers or the cavalry trilogy)but how many westerns are?. the film is based on a true event fom the spring of 1863 when a unit of union cavalry was sent behind confederate lines to destroy a vital rail depot.wayne and holden"s characters clash along the way while constance towers overhears the plan so has to be taken captive.the film is very enjoyable for western buffs,and how about ford"s cheyenne autumn starring richard widmark finally coming out on region 2 dvd?.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Horse Soldiers
one of John Waynes really good films. Plenty of action, with a mix of a bit of comedy, and a little romance. A good buy.
Published 3 months ago by R. Lake

5.0 out of 5 stars horse soldiers
one of john wayne's best westerns set during the civil war he leads a company of latter day commando's through enemy lines to disrupt their lines of supply he is accompened by... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Eric TONGUE

5.0 out of 5 stars Good story and plenty of action
Yet again the Ford/Wayne team deliver the goods. Loosely based on a factual action during the U.S. civil war, Wayne leads his union troops deep into the conferacy, the supply... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mark Kibble

4.0 out of 5 stars John Wayne and William Holden saddle up for this fact-based All-Action Horse Ride!
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... Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2007 by Robert J. Evered

1.0 out of 5 stars One of the Dukes WORST films
It may sound hard to believe but this film starring the superb John Wayne and William Holden, directed by the legendary John Ford is SO boring and despite my being a big fan of... Read more
Published on 17 Jun 2007 by P. D. gray

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