The Undefeated ** (1969, John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Marian McCargo, Lee Meriwether, Ben Johnson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Antonio Aguilar, Bruce Cabot) – Classic Movie Review 6732

Even an enormous cast of renowned outdoor movie character players, a costly $7 million plus production and the big name star pairing of John Wayne and Rock Hudson cannot quite save director Andrew V McLaglen’s listless 1969 Western The Undefeated.

The story sets up the two stars as ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas (Wayne) and ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon (Hudson), opposite numbers in the rival post-Civil War armies who are forced into a deal to save a group of women and children from ruthless revolutionaries.

A lack of tension, a weak climax and Hudson’s hilarious Southern accent add to the film’s failings.

Thanks mainly to the stars and the stalwart character players, and also McLagen’s expert efforts, The Undefeated is watchable in its rambling, unfocused and undistinguished way. Yet it is still clearly a major waste of talent and money, which are not fully up there on screen.

Jan-Michael Vincent has an early role as Bubba Wilkes.

Also in the cast are Marian McCargo, Lee Meriwether, Ben Johnson, Jan-Michael Vincent in an early role as Bubba Wilkes (billed as Michael Vincent), Antonio Aguilar [Tony Aguilar], Bruce Cabot, Roman Gabriel, Melissa Newman, Paul Fix, Harry Carey Jr, Edward Faulkner, Royal Dano, John Agar, Guy Raymond, Dub Taylor, Pedro Armenariz Jr, Richard Mulligan, Merlin Olsen, James McEachin, Gregg Palmer and Kiel Martin.

The Undefeated is directed by Andrew V McLaglen, runs 118 minutes, is a 20th Century Fox release, is written by James Lee Barrett, from a story by Stanley L Hough, is shot by William H Clothier, is produced by Robert L Jacks and scored by Hugo Montenegro.

It scraped by at the box office with a $8 million gross in the US.

James Arness was to have played Colonel James Langdon but backed out just before shooting began and Hudson was brought in as a last-minute replacement.

Just wondering how the two very different stars may have got on together, there is a story that Hudson recalled Wayne wore lipstick in the movie, which he applied himself, telling him his lips did not show on screen without lipstick.

It is said that they became good friends during the shoot and Wayne even joked that he’d like to have been born with Hudson’s movie star face rather than his own. Wayne had shed most of the weight he put on to play Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969).

Rock Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer Jr and John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6732

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