Set just days after the end of the American Civil War, John Wayne is ex-Union Colonel John Henry Thomas, Rock Hudson ex-Confederate Colonel James Langdon, forced to join forces against bandits, Emperor Maximillian’s agents and a troop of French cavalry across 2000 miles of adventure to the wilds of Mexico.
Thomas and his men initially set out to make some money by rounding up wild horses to sell to the Army.
Langdon, meanwhile, has chosen to burn his plantation and take his family and friends to Mexico rather than live in defeat.
Their paths continue to cross, and the two groups exchange some heated words and heavy stares – but Thomas’s knowledge of survival among border bandits, Mexican revolutionaries and French mercenaries gives him the upper hand.
North and South dissolve their animosity in one of the film’s most entertaining scenes, a Fourth of July celebration, which ends in a free-for-all with all the fun of a pure slapstick film.
Now that they’re all friends, they are sort of committed to help each other stay alive.
Supporting Wayne and Hudson are Tony Aguilar, Roman Gabriel, Marian McCargo, Lee Meriwether, Merlin Olsen, Melissa Newman and Bruce Cabot. Gabriel and Olsen, star members of the Los Angeles Rams football team, both make their motion picture debuts in The Undefeated.
It’s a large-scale action spectacle of the kind director Andrew V. McLaglen (son of actor Victor) was especially noted. And you’ll marvel at how they found so many horses!
Col. John Henry Thomas
John Wayne
Col. James Langdon
Rock Hudson
Gen. Rojas
Antonio Aguilar
Blue Boy
Roman Gabriel
Ann
Marian McCargo
Margaret
Lee Meriwether
Little George
Merlin Olsen
Charlotte
Melissa Newman
Sgt. Jeff Newby
Bruce Cabot
Bubba Wilkes
Jan-Michael Vincent
Short Grub
Ben Johnson
Anderson
Edward Faulkner
Webster
Harry Carey Jr.
Gen. Joe Masters
Paul Fix
Maj. Sanders
Royal Dano
Dan Morse
Richard Mulligan
Diaz
Carlos Rivas
Christian
John Agar
Giles
Guy Raymond
Goodyear
Don Collier
Mudlow
Big John Hamilton
McCartney
Dub Taylor
Thad Benedict
Henry Beckman
Maj. Tapia
Víctor Junco
Judd Mailer
Robert Donner
Escalante
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
Jamison
James Dobson
Sanchez
Rudy Diaz
Pierre Petain
Richard Angarola
Jimmy Collins
James McEachin
Parker
Gregg Palmer
Col. Gomez
Juan García
Joe Hicks
Bob Gravage
Director
Andrew V. McLaglen