They Came to Cordura (1959)

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  • THEY CAME TO CORDURA


    DIRECTED BY ROBERT ROSSEN
    A GOETZ-BARODA PRODUCTION
    COLUMBIA PICTURES



    INFORMATION FROM IMDb


    Plot Summary
    After a cavalry charge during the 1916 U.S. "war against Pancho Villa,"
    unheroic awards officer Tom Thorn (who is obsessed with the nature of courage)
    recommends 4 men for the Medal of Honor. He is ordered back to Cordura with them...
    and prisoner Adelaide Geary, gringo who sheltered the enemy.
    On the arduous journey, Thorn's heroes show a different face,
    and Thorn may have one last chance to prove he's no coward.
    Written by Rod Crawford


    Cast
    Gary Cooper ... Major Thomas Thorn
    Rita Hayworth ... Adelaide Geary
    Van Heflin ... Sgt.John Chawk
    Tab Hunter ... Lt. William Fowler
    Richard Conte ... Cpl. Milo Trubee
    Michael Callan ... Pvt. Andrew Hetherington
    Dick York ... Pvt. Renziehausen
    Robert Keith ... Colonel Rogers
    Carlos Romero ... Arreaga
    Jim Bannon ... Capt. Paltz (as James Bannon)
    Edward Platt ... Colonel DeRose
    Maurice Jara ... Mexican Federale
    Sam Buffington ... 1st Correspondent
    Arthur Hanson ... 2nd Correspondent


    Directed
    Robert Rossen


    Writing Credits
    Ivan Moffat ... (screenplay) &
    Robert Rossen ... (screenplay)
    Glendon Swarthout ... (novel)


    Produced
    William Goetz ... producer


    Music
    Elie Siegmeister


    Cinematography
    Burnett Guffey ... director of photography


    Trivia
    Besides looking far too old for his character, Gary Cooper was actually quite ill during shooting,
    and participated in this film against the advice of his doctors.
    Towards the end of the film he was dragged 100 yards along the ground by a railroad handcar,
    something film critic Stanley Kauffmann complained about in an issue in the magazine New Republic.


    In a 1960 interview John Wayne criticized this film and Montgomery Clift's Suddenly, Last Summer (1959),
    both of which treated homosexuality (in this film because of an implied homosexual relationship
    between the characters played by Gary Cooper and Tab Hunter),
    as "poison polluting Hollywood's moral bloodstream."
    The latter, he said, was "too disgusting even for discussion."


    Dick York suffered a back injury during the filming of this movie and never fully recovered from it.
    Continuing back problems forced him off of the TV show
    Bewitched (1964) in 1969 and effectively ended his career. He spent his last years in poverty.


    Although Gary Cooper was 57, his character Major Thorn was supposed to be in his thirties.
    Early in the film it is mentioned that Thorn's father had recently been killed while still on active service.


    The film was originally intended to be two and a half hours in length, but was cut down to about two hours.
    Robert Rossen was restoring the film to its original length when he died in 1966.


    When the film was released both "Variety" and "Films in Review" complained
    that Gary Cooper was too old for his character.


    Gary Cooper was only six years younger than 63-year-old Colonel Rogers,
    although his character Major Thorn was supposed to be about thirty years younger.


    During filming Gary Cooper arranged for his daughter to "date" gay actor Tab Hunter.
    He had previously arranged for her to "date" gay actor Anthony Perkins
    while they were filming Friendly Persuasion (1956), a film he hated.


    Montgomery Clift turned down the role of Major Thorn.


    John Wayne said, "How they got Gary Cooper to do that one!
    To me, at least, it simply degrades the Medal of Honor.
    The whole story makes a mockery of America's highest award for valor.
    The whole premise of the story was wrong, illogical, because they don't pick the type of men
    the movie picked to win the award, and that can be proved by the very history of the award."


    There were rumors that Gary Cooper had undergone surgery earlier that year,
    although officially he did not undergo surgery for cancer until April 1960.
    He had also had a full facelift in April 1958, but the procedure was largely unsuccessful.


    Film debut of Michael Callan.


    Average Shot Length = 10 seconds. Median Shot Length = 10.4 seconds.


    Crazy Credits
    Opening credits prologue:


    On the night of March 8th, 1916, a large mounted force of Mexican rebels under Pancho Villa
    crossed the American Border and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico,
    killing and wounding both American civilians and soldiers.


    As a result of this action,the United States Army sent an expedition into Mexico
    with orders to capture Villa and disperse his forces.


    It was during this campaign that one man, an United States Army officer,
    was forced to come face to face with two of the great fundamental questions that affect mankind:


    What Is Courage? What Is Cowardice?


    This is the story of his search for an answer.


    Goofs
    Anachronisms
    One of the soldiers is singing the folk song Denver,
    which was written by Randy Sparks for the New Christy Minstrels in 1962.
    the movie is set in the Mexican Wars in 1916.


    Character error
    Major Thorn improperly salutes Colonel DeRose in the opening scene when he is dismissed.
    He should have saluted and held his salute until it was acknowledged.
    Instead, he lowers his arm even before Colonel Rose acknowledges it.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Locations
    St. George, Utah, USA
    Bavispe, Sonora, Mexico
    Mexico
    Utah, USA


    Watch the Movie


    [extendedmedia][extendedmedia=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzwsuYKDq7g,fa-youtube-square][/extendedmedia][/extrendedmedia]

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

  • They Came to Cordura is a 1959 Western film co-written and directed by
    Robert Rossen, starring Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth,
    and featuring Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, Richard Conte, Michael Callan, and Dick York.


    It was based on a 1958 novel by Glendon Swarthout.



    User Review


    Our Comic Opera War in Mexico
    18 September 2006 | by bkoganbing (Buffalo, New York)

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England