The Horse Soldiers backdrop
The Horse Soldiers logo
1959·Western·1h 55m
7.0
A Union Cavalry outfit is sent behind confederate lines in strength to destroy a rail supply center. Along with them is sent a doctor who causes instant antipathy between him and the commander. The secret plan for the mission is overheard by a southern belle who must be taken along to assure her silence.
Directed by John Ford
war hero
cavalry
standoff
confederate
union soldiers

Cast

John Wayne
John Wayne
Col John Marlowe
William Holden
William Holden
Major 'Hank' Kendall
Constance Towers
Constance Towers
Miss Hannah Hunter
Judson Pratt
Judson Pratt
Sgt Major Kirby
Hoot Gibson
Hoot Gibson
Sgt. Brown
Ken Curtis
Ken Curtis
Cpl. Wilkie
Willis Bouchey
Willis Bouchey
Col. Phil Secord
Bing Russell
Bing Russell
Dunker, Yankee Soldier Amputee
O.Z. Whitehead
O.Z. Whitehead
Otis 'Hoppy' Hopkins
Hank Worden
Hank Worden
Deacon Clump
Chuck Hayward
Chuck Hayward
Union Captain
Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle
Jackie Jo

Crew

John Ford
John Ford
Director
Martin Rackin
Martin Rackin
Screenplay
John Lee Mahin
John Lee Mahin
Screenplay
John Lee Mahin
John Lee Mahin
Producer
Martin Rackin
Martin Rackin
Producer
Walter Mirisch
Walter Mirisch
Executive Producer
Chuck Hayward
Chuck Hayward
Stunts
John Hudkins
John Hudkins
Stunts
Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons
Stunts
Ted White
Ted White
Stunts

Popular Reviews

20 reviews
Markus
Markus
The Horse Soldiers
GERMAN VERSION (english below)

Ziemlich guter Streifen. John Ford ist einer der ganz großen Regisseure und sogar seine eher mittelmäßigen Filme, sind besser, als man denken könnte. In diesem Film fühlt es sich so an, als ob man in die Seele Amerikas hinein geraten wäre. Mit dem amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg als Schauplatz und Schauspiel-Legenden, wie John Wayne und William Holden, geraten wir in den Konflikt zweier Parteien, die sich eigentlich viel ähnlicher sind, als man denke könnte, die beiderseits amerikanischer nicht sein könnten. The Horse Soldiers stellt hierzu einerseits das Leiden des Krieges dar, mit allen möglichen Verwundungen, die man davon trägt, doch andererseits romantisiert er den Krieg auch, oder zumindest idealisiert er ihn. Wir sehen in ihm Ehre und Stolz, wir sehen Verständigung und Aufrichtigkeit zwischen den Kriegsparteien. Es ist inspirierend und romantisch, doch nicht nur der Bürgerkrieg selbst, mehr auch die Zeit, in der dieser Film entstand, da man die Gedanken, mit denen er geschaffen wurde, förmlich spüren kann.

ENGLISH VERSION

Quite a good picture. John Ford is one of the all-time great directors, and even his more mediocre films are better than you might think. In this film, it feels as If you have entered the very soul of America. Set during the American Civil War and featuring acting legends like John Wayne and William Holden, we find ourselves in the midst of a conflict between two sides that are actually much more alike than one might think—both could not be more American. On the one hand, The Horse Soldiers depicts the suffering of war, with all the wounds it inflicts; on the other hand, it also romanticizes the war—or at least idealizes it. We see honor and pride in it; we see understanding and truthfulness between the opposing sides. It is inspiring and romantic—not just the Civil War itself, but also the era in which this film was made, as you can literally feel the mindset with which it was created.
GERMAN VERSION (english below)

Ziemlich guter Streifen. John Ford ist einer der ganz großen Regisseure und sogar seine eher mittelmäßigen Filme, sind besser, als man denken könnte. In diesem Film fühlt es sich so an, als ob man in die Seele Amerikas hinein geraten wäre. Mit dem amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg als Schauplatz und Schauspiel-Legenden, wie John Wayne und William Holden, geraten wir in den Konflikt zweier Parteien, die sich eigentlich viel ähnlicher sind, als man denke könnte, die beiderseits amerikanischer nicht sein könnten. The Horse Soldiers stellt hierzu einerseits das Leiden des Krieges dar, mit allen möglichen Verwundungen, die man davon trägt, doch andererseits romantisiert er den Krieg auch, oder zumindest idealisiert er ihn. Wir sehen in ihm Ehre und Stolz, wir sehen Verständigung und Aufrichtigkeit zwischen den Kriegsparteien. Es ist inspirierend und romantisch, doch nicht nur der Bürgerkrieg selbst, mehr auch die Zeit, in der dieser Film entstand, da man die Gedanken, mit denen er geschaffen wurde, förmlich spüren kann.

ENGLISH VERSION

Quite a good picture. John Ford is one of the all-time great directors, and even his more mediocre films are better than you might think. In this film, it feels as If you have entered the very soul of America. Set during the American Civil War and featuring acting legends like John Wayne and William Holden, we find ourselves in the midst of a conflict between two sides that are actually much more alike than one might think—both could not be more American. On the one hand, The Horse Soldiers depicts the suffering of war, with all the wounds it inflicts; on the other hand, it also romanticizes the war—or at least idealizes it. We see honor and pride in it; we see understanding and truthfulness between the opposing sides. It is inspiring and romantic—not just the Civil War itself, but also the era in which this film was made, as you can literally feel the mindset with which it was created.
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Gavin Torrez
Gavin Torrez
The Horse Soldiers
ehhh
ehhh
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ImanoldeF
ImanoldeF
The Horse Soldiers
Teniendo en cuenta que el western clásico se me suele hacer bola, ha sido una peli bélica bastante decente. Muy a destacar algunas secuencias de acción que impresionan porque están rodadas a pelo.
Teniendo en cuenta que el western clásico se me suele hacer bola, ha sido una peli bélica bastante decente. Muy a destacar algunas secuencias de acción que impresionan porque están rodadas a pelo.
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Lucas
Lucas
The Horse Soldiers
Good if not a little too long Wayne/Ford Western. There's some great action sequences and for the most part it does a solid job at telling what becomes a quite grand story
Good if not a little too long Wayne/Ford Western. There's some great action sequences and for the most part it does a solid job at telling what becomes a quite grand story
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va24mar
va24mar
The Horse Soldiers
1959
Western

For me, "The Horse Soldiers" is one of those films that I can't really say much about. The film isn't bad and has its moments and both acting and cinematography are good, but I just didn't find the film interesting or engaging. The film goes on without much excitement and drags a little now and then. The end is more than abrupt and you can tell that the film is not complete and should actually have a completely different ending. Although the film explores various philosophies of life and moral standpoints through the characters of John Wayne and William Holden, I never found the story behind them to be more than mediocre. So the second western by John Ford is only mediocre and a bit of a disappointment.
1959
Western

For me, "The Horse Soldiers" is one of those films that I can't really say much about. The film isn't bad and has its moments and both acting and cinematography are good, but I just didn't find the film interesting or engaging. The film goes on without much excitement and drags a little now and then. The end is more than abrupt and you can tell that the film is not complete and should actually have a completely different ending. Although the film explores various philosophies of life and moral standpoints through the characters of John Wayne and William Holden, I never found the story behind them to be more than mediocre. So the second western by John Ford is only mediocre and a bit of a disappointment.
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