The Horse Soldiers (1959)

There are 229 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 232,996 times. The latest Post () was by MichaelHarrison.

Participate now!

Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our community!

Enjoy our community Ad free with a membership.

Register Yourself Login

    Well goodness, the main thing was seeing Marlowe and DOC standing together and watching the last scout coming over fall off his horse, Chuck Hayward by the way. THAT is when Duke has that scared to death look.....Frame by frame! I tease you friendly also my big buddy!


    The other is a fall of Kennedy's or someone who really looks like him and that is over at the cannons when the whole brigade went over to fight them.


    Quote from Dooley

    It's called friendly teasing over here in the UK.:wink_smile:
    I've watched the bridge crossing bit but not sure I see what you have described in your latest post?

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

    I've watched it again and it's very difficult to make out. Not being an expert in stunt falls it's really hard to tell. Regarding the Duke's reaction in the earlier scene it does seem a little extreme for what was going on but my take on it is that that was the Duke doing his thing.
    Obviously this is all personal opinion and someone else may see it differently.

    "Pour yourself some backbone and shut up!"

    Yep, great movie, Wtrayah!. I DID watch it every day for about a month......finding extras, stunt guys, uncrediteds, etc. But, I would have to watch it just all the way through with no stops once in a while for the pure enjoyment of it.
    Wonder how it would have ended out?

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

    I just watched that look John Wayne gives, personally I think it is perfectly understandable in the context of witnessing a comrade falling off his horse under fire. The look is even all that dramatic and I don't think there is anything to read into here.

    Thanks for your comment Robbie. Did you watch it frame by frame? I never thought much of it until I did. And Duke just stood there a split second looking after Doc has already started moving.


    Thanks for posting it Jim. Can save my Netflix orders for other movies on that one! KP


    Quote from Robbie

    I just watched that look John Wayne gives, personally I think it is perfectly understandable in the context of witnessing a comrade falling off his horse under fire. The look is even all that dramatic and I don't think there is anything to read into here.

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

    Quote from Hawkswill

    Thanks for your comment Robbie. Did you watch it frame by frame? I never thought much of it until I did. And Duke just stood there a split second looking after Doc has already started moving.


    Thanks for posting it Jim. Can save my Netflix orders for other movies on that one! KP


    Could you advise the exact time on Chester's attachment above when this look is visible as I may have watched the wrong scene.

    Hi Robbie, Dooley and I had been doing PMs about this until I posted it here.
    "Well goodness, the main thing was seeing Marlowe and DOC standing together and watching the last scout coming over fall off his horse, Chuck Hayward by the way. THAT is when Duke has that scared to death look.....Frame by frame! I tease you friendly also my big buddy!" What I said to Dooley.


    After the brigade came to the bridge and cabin, scouts were sent across the bridge. Duke was talking to Constance when shooting broke out. He sent her off and ended up standing next to Doc who had just ridden up on horseback....this is all Just Before Duke got shot....firing broke out and the scouts were coming back across the bridge. Doc and Duke were standing together when they saw the scouts coming back into unfriendly fire. Doc says, "Looks like they got us in a trap". Duke yelled something I haven't figured out yet. Then, Hayward did his fall just after he got off the bridge. Doc immediately started running to get him while Duke just stood there with his mouth half opened. Then Duke's expression turned to one of terror. Colonels hate to see their men possibly hurt, but I don't believe they look like that.......maybe if a whole regiment was wiped out or something. Then Doc and Duke both went to get him and bring him to the cabin. Next Duke, on the porch steps says, "Cpt. Woodard, MOVE" and runs into the open space where he is shot in the lower leg.
    Well, Robbie, that should give you the exact place. It is very near the end of the movie. Have a super day, and let us know if it was the wrong place. Maybe I am just crazy.....well, we already KNEW that! KPKEITH

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

    Watched it again; I think it's superb acting from Duke you'll note he is full of passion leading up to the scouts getting to the bridge; he really gets into this scene and blows Holden out of the water.


    I think what you have done here is give another fine example of Duke's superb acting ability.

    I have to agree with Robbie.
    I don't read anymore into Duke's facial action,
    then one's I've seen previously.
    Just good acting at the most!


    I did notice however that even though
    David Buttolph is credited with the Original Music,
    many of the scenes particularly between Duke and Constance Towers,
    features the theme music from The Searchers
    written by Max Steiner


    This film has always been one of my top favourites,
    and after this latest viewing, it remains so

    OK, I bow to the Masters, LOL. Just never have seen him look like that in that type of situation, even when troopers were killed. To me, unless there was another reason, for Duke it was overacting.


    But, I shall cease and desist! KP Thanks for looking, Dooley, Ethan, and Robbie!

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE

    Yep Wtrayah, however there was quite a bit of the company in there. I didn't like Mclaglin at first, and am still probably spelling his name wrong, but that big guy just grows on ya. He wiggles his way into your heart. I LOVED him in Ft. Apache. He was so proud of Lt. Michael O'Rourke! And the looks he gave, as when he was coming out of the guard house and Ward was stripping his rank. I almost took it personally when all of those great guys died all because of Colonel Friday. Shoot, I almost stopped loving Henry Fonda, LOL. May I ask what is Wtrayah for and how do you pronounce it? I am sure it is something that I should readily know. As Duke would say,
    "Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid."
    Are you getting a bunch of pop up ads while you are posting? Just started with me a few days and has caused me to lose some posts. Hope I don't have a "bug" in my 'puter! KPKEITH

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE


    Story Behind Fred Kennedy's Death
    by Walter Reed


    Newspaper ad for "The Horse Soldiers" starring John Wayne.Walter Reed,
    who portrayed a Union officer in “Horse Soldiers”, told Western Clippings,
    he disagrees slightly with Hayward’s assessment and vehemently with Burt Kennedy’s account
    (in his book HOLLYWOOD TRAIL BOSS) that Fred Kennedy died in Ford’s arms.


    Ford liked 48 year old Kennedy and used him whenever he could, altho Kennedy
    was out of condition. On this particular day, Ford had pre-arranged a practical joke
    on Kennedy involving leading lady Constance Towers. Kennedy was doubling
    William Holden near Natchitoches, LA.


    There were several of us in a Cavalry charge. I was riding right behind Fred when he died on location.
    He starts to do this saddle fall, which he’d done many of in his day, and just as he started to go over,
    the horse shied away from this little tiny campfire.
    It changed his trajectory and Kennedy landed right on his head. I’m right behind him.
    A joke had been pre-planned where Connie Towers ran in to Fred and said,
    ‘Oh my darling….’ You see, Fred was very bashful and shy.
    Anyway, Connie went into her act and picked Fred up and all of a sudden she exclaimed
    , ‘There’s something wrong.’ Ford may have gone over then
    , but Connie was the one who picked Fred up and started the kidding joke; but he was out.
    They put him on the back of a pickup and we listened on the 2-way radio.
    When he got there, the hospital pronounced him DOA.
    The fall broke his neck, I guess. It upset Ford so much, he said right then,
    ‘Wrap it up, we’re going home.’ We had two more days but he did ‘em out at Iverson
    or somewhere in California.
    There’s a picture I have that shows Kennedy falling, with me right behind him.”
    Information from Western Clippings- Neil Summers

    Quote from alamo221

    He would have been perfect in the top sergeant part. To me, the part screamed for a more familiar face in the part.


    Must have been a reason they pulled Jack Pennick with the Malaria bit, but, although I was a bit upset with the new fellah coming in, I quite enjoyed his performance. Any of the others would have had more pomp and circumstance, I would think. He was a bit slip shod. But, he always seemed to do his job well and be ahead of his orders, usually.
    I, of course, thought of Ward, but then, he was a too old and thoroughly entrenched in the MAJOR Adams character.

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE