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- Mar 7, 2009
Clip from one of my favorites as a youngster.
Sad we don't see these any moreClip from one of my favorites as a youngster.
I think it's meant to be based on the cadets at Newmarket, and the poignancy of children being forced into battle sets the scene. The other thing is that maybe this is how cadets learnt to advance and fire in a military academy based on tactics being taught at the time. I don't imagine grown men would want to fire on boys, so their best option in the circumstances was retreat. I enjoyed the bit of humour added in with the 'spanking', and once again it goes to the poignancy of the situation. Not too sure about other John Wayne movies, but I think a little humour sprinkled in with the drama can also be quite representative of war. It is possible to laugh while you're crying. I do remember some humour sprinkled into the Clint Eastwood movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and that was a devastating movie in many respects.Why would the Confederates march like that across an open field and then so awkwardly and blindly fire two volleys so the Union cavalry can just duck? Then it's comical how they wildly chase after them and somehow a drummer boy gets captured and spanked. It looks like a bunch of kids playing dress up and pretty much every John Wayne movie I've seen has been like this. I don't get the appeal of it.
"The Horse Soldiers" contains many of the classic elements of John Ford's films, including doses of humor. The boys look like kids playing dress up because that's what they are: Military school cadets. The soldier doing the spanking is Ken Curtis--Ford's son in law and a dependable member of his stock company. Recognize him? He went on to be Festus Hagin on Gunsmoke. Some of the movie's other appeal come from the cast: John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers, etc. I know the cavalry uniforms are from the wrong era, and so are some of the firearms. I have less trouble suspending my disbelief with those details than I do when watching "The Outlaw Josie Wales" (California just does NOT look like Missouri and Kansas.) But I enjoy that movie, too.I'm sorry to keep being so negative everyone, but what is the appeal of that John Wayne movie? I'm honestly wondering. It's just obviously very unrealistic how it's done.
Why would the Confederates march like that across an open field and then so awkwardly and blindly fire two volleys so the Union cavalry can just duck? Then it's comical how they wildly chase after them and somehow a drummer boy gets captured and spanked. It looks like a bunch of kids playing dress up and pretty much every John Wayne movie I've seen has been like this. I don't get the appeal of it. It's not like I don't like old war movies either. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with Clint Eastwood made in 1966 has a pretty great Civil War battle scene that at least feels pretty authentic even if some details can be criticized. So does the 1951 The Red Badge of Courage. Even The General made in 1926 has a pretty decent looking battle scene. Other non-Civil War movies like All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Sergeant York (1941) and Paths of Glory (1957) also manage to have convincing battle scenes.
(California just does NOT look like Missouri and Kansas.)
Actually the uniforms of the US Cavalry in Horse Soldiers, and most John Ford westerns don't belong in any era at all. Its something they dreamed up, especially the yellow bandanas. Bad part is, those movies were so popular the real US Cavalry will dress the part that way sometimes.
John Ford and company were actually pretty miserable filming Horse Soldiers in Louisiana, and the entire experience got really, really soured to the point John Ford hated the movie and wouldn't watch it. The scene right before the final battle, when a few cavalrymen come riding across the bridge at a full gallop and one man falls, with John Wayne and another man running to grab him and take him to the ding dong doctor, was actually a disaster. The stuntman who made the fall from the horse was one of John Ford's friends and favorites, but when he hit the ground he broke his neck and died instantly, and him dying that way was left in the film. They were actually going to end the movie with the troops arriving in Baton Rouge, but after the death of a stuntman, they wrapped it up and got the heck out of there as quick as they could.
I second that a hundred percent, and if I may add, it also looks nothing like Texas! Their filming locations can halfway pass for eastern Oklahoma and NW Arkansas, but not Missouri, Kansas, or Texas. The part of Texas Josey Wales and company first come to is supposed to be NE Texas and we ain't got a desert for 200 miles.
Ken Curtis was part of the "Sons of the Pioneers" as well .. and it shows in John Ford Films"The Horse Soldiers" contains many of the classic elements of John Ford's films, including doses of humor. The boys look like kids playing dress up because that's what they are: Military school cadets. The soldier doing the spanking is Ken Curtis--Ford's son in law and a dependable member of his stock company. Recognize him? He went on to be Festus Hagin on Gunsmoke. Some of the movie's other appeal come from the cast: John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers, etc. I know the cavalry uniforms are from the wrong era, and so are some of the firearms. I have less trouble suspending my disbelief with those details than I do when watching "The Outlaw Josie Wales" (California just does NOT look like Missouri and Kansas.) But I enjoy that movie, too.
Yep, Ford often worked in a scene with the regimental band, or with Curtis playing guitar and singing solo.Ken Curtis was part of the "Sons of the Pioneers" as well .. and it shows in John Ford Films
Yep, Ford often worked in a scene with the regimental band, or with Curtis playing guitar and singing solo.
This is one of my faves from The Horse Soldiers:
For more about where the Horse Soldiers was filmed: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/cane-river-creole-national-historical-park-louisiana.119395/"The Horse Soldiers" contains many of the classic elements of John Ford's films, including doses of humor. The boys look like kids playing dress up because that's what they are: Military school cadets. The soldier doing the spanking is Ken Curtis--Ford's son in law and a dependable member of his stock company. Recognize him? He went on to be Festus Hagin on Gunsmoke. Some of the movie's other appeal come from the cast: John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers, etc. I know the cavalry uniforms are from the wrong era, and so are some of the firearms. I have less trouble suspending my disbelief with those details than I do when watching "The Outlaw Josie Wales" (California just does NOT look like Missouri and Kansas.) But I enjoy that movie, too.
Sad we don't see these any more
They might *offend* somebody!Looney Tunes ...they don't make cartoons like that anymore..
Do you know if the Cadets were actually cadets ? They really seam to know what they are doing.For more about where the Horse Soldiers was filmed: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/cane-river-creole-national-historical-park-louisiana.119395/
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