Based on the true story of Colonel Benjamin H. Grierson, who, in the Spring of 1863, left bases in northern Mississippi, taking 1,700 troopers with him and drove through central Mississippi, tearing up railroads and disrupting Confederate General Pemberton’s troop deployments before reaching Union-held Baton Rouge.
John Wayne plays Union Colonel John Marlowe, a pragmatic civilian engineer turned soldier who leads a cavalry brigade deep into Mississippi to destroy a vital Confederate railway hub at Newton Station.
The film’s core tension lies between Marlowe and Major Henry “Hank” Kendall (William Holden), the unit’s regimental surgeon.
The two constantly clash over military necessity versus medical ethics and the human cost of war.
Southern plantation mistress Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers) overhears their secret plans. To ensure her silence, Marlowe forces her to accompany the brigade as a captive, sparking a tense dynamic that eventually softens into romance.
During filming of the climactic battle scene, veteran stuntman Fred Kennedy – doubling for William Holden – executed a fall from a horse improperly, broke his neck and died. Director John Ford halted filming and immediately moved the production back to Hollywood.
For their only on-screen pairing, John Wayne and William Holden received $775,000 each, plus 20% of the overall profits, an unheard-of sum for the time.
The film was a financial failure, however, with no profits to be shared in the end.
Colonel John Marlowe
John Wayne Major Henry “Hank” Kendall
William Holden Hannah Hunter
Constance Towers Sgt. Maj. Kirby
Judson Pratt Sgt. Brown
Hoot Gibson Cpl. Wilkie
Ken Curtis Col. Phil Secord
Willis Bouchey Dunker
Bing Russell Hoppy Hopkins
O.Z. Whitehead Deacon Clump
Hank Worden Union Captain
Chuck Hayward Jackie Jo
Denver Pyle Virgil
Strother Martin Commandant
Basil Ruysdael Col. Jonathan Miles
Carleton Young Maj. Richard Gray
William Leslie Captain
William Henry Mrs Buford
Anna Lee Gen. Steve Hurlburt
William Forrest Sheriff Goodbody
Russell Simpson Lukey
Althea Gibson
Director
John Ford
Video
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John Wayne plays Union Colonel John Marlowe, a pragmatic civilian engineer turned soldier who leads a cavalry brigade deep into Mississippi to destroy a vital Confederate railway hub at Newton Station.
During filming of the climactic battle scene, veteran stuntman Fred Kennedy – doubling for William Holden – executed a fall from a horse improperly, broke his neck and died. Director John Ford halted filming and immediately moved the production back to Hollywood.
