The Horse Soldiers Overview:

The Horse Soldiers (1959) was a Adventure - War Film directed by John Ford and produced by John Lee Mahin and Martin Rackin.

SYNOPSIS

Union colonel Wayne leads a daring commando raid 300 miles into Confederate territory in an attempt to destroy a railway hub. Along the way, he butts heads with Holden, a doctor with misgivings about the mission. Ford's only Civil War movie.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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BlogHub Articles:

The Horse Soldiers (1959)

By 4 Star Film Fan on May 8, 2019 From 4 Star Films

The Horse Soldiers is the one and only teaming of John Wayne and William Holden in a story based on the raids of Colonel Benjamin Grierson during the Civil War. John Ford casts the story as a brand of folklore carried through the air by the songs sung on the trail by a regiment riding in their forma... Read full article


The Horse Soldiers (1959)

By Beatrice on Dec 10, 2016 From Flickers in Time

The Horse Soldiers Directed by John Ford Written by John Lee Mahin and Martin Racklin from a novel by Harold Sinclair 1959/USA The Mirisch Corporation/Mahin-Racklin First viewing/Netflix rental This is an OK civil war flick with good performances from John Wayne and William Holden. ?I expect somethi... Read full article


The John Ford Blogathon: THE HORSE SOLDIERS

By Dan Day Jr. on Jul 8, 2014 From The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog

The legendary John Ford was a huge Civil War buff. He was fond of telling people that several of his ancestors fought in the conflict, and he even went so far to say that some of them fought on both sides. The Civil War is touched upon in a number of Ford's films, but it wasn't until 1959 that Ford ... Read full article


The John Ford Blogathon: THE HORSE SOLDIERS

By Dan Day Jr. on Jul 8, 2014 From The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog

The legendary John Ford was a huge Civil War buff. He was fond of telling people that several of his ancestors fought in the conflict, and he even went so far to say that some of them fought on both sides. The Civil War is touched upon in a number of Ford's films, but it wasn't until 1959 that Ford ... Read full article


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Quotes from

Col. John Marlowe: Kirby, you tangle with me, I'll have your hide.
Sgt. Maj. Kirby: You're welcome to that too sir, if it's in the line of duty.


Col. John Marlowe: Where did you pick up that Reb colonel?
Maj. Richard Gray: In the telegraph office, sir.
Col. John Marlowe: The telegraph office?
[officers begin to scramble]
Col. John Marlowe: Alright, Secord, you know what to do.


Col. John Marlowe: [grabbing Sgt. Mitchell by the arm] Come on, Mitch, I've got some whiskey in my locker...
Major Kendall: [forces Sgt. Mitchell back on the bed] He's staying here and those are my orders!
Col. John Marlowe: You've read the whole book, haven't you?


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Facts about

John Ford suspended location filming in Louisiana after Fred Kennedy was killed performing a riding stunt. The film was later completed in California.
The film marked the beginning of mega-deals for Hollywood stars. John Wayne and William Holden received $775,000 each, plus 20% of the overall profits, an unheard-of sum for that time. The final contract involved six companies and numbered twice the pages of the movie's script. The film, however, was a financial failure, with no profits to be shared in the end.
The film is based on the true-life raid by Col. Benjamin Grierson who, as shown in the movie, began his expedition--known as Grierson's Raid--from LeGrange, Tennessee, in April of 1863.
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Also directed by John Ford




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Also released in 1959




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