They Came to Cordura

Plot synopsis:
In 1916, as U.S. soldiers chase after Pancho Villa, Army Major Thomas Thorn (Gary Cooper) is assigned to be a battlefield observer and reward heroism. He has been suggested for this duty by a Colonel Rogers (Robert Keith), who is 63 years old and impatiently yearning to be promoted to general before mandatory retirement a few months hence.
Rogers leads his regiment in an old-fashioned but poorly planned Cavalry charge on Ojos Azules, a villa owned by Adelaide Geary (Rita Hayworth) where Villa's men withdrew after a victory over Mexican government troops, enjoying her hospitality. Thorn, excused from the fighting, observes through his binoculars various acts of heroism by Lt. Fowler (Tab Hunter), Sgt. Chawk (Van Heflin), Cpl. Trubee (Richard Conte) and Pvt. Renziehausen (Dick York) in defeating Villa's men.
Rogers is proud of having personally led the charge, but furious when Thorn won't nominate him for a citation. Thorn insists that leading his regiment in the charge was "in the line of duty" and refuses to consider a citation for the Medal of Honor, awarded for heroism "above and beyond the call of duty." Rogers reminds Thorn that he protected him from an investigation for cowardice, which he did out of respect for Thorn's father, but does not sway Thorn.
Thorn intends to recommend the four soldiers for the Medal of Honor. He is ordered to take along Mrs. Geary, who is charged with "giving aid and comfort to the enemy." A fifth soldier, a private (Michael Callan) also nominated by Thorn for a medal after an earlier battle, rides with them to the expedition's base at the Texas town of Cordura.
This seemingly simple task becomes increasingly complex as the incessant squabbling between Thorn and the men threatens to destroy them all. Eager to learn more about their acts of bravery, Thorn finds the men to be hostile toward him. A series of harrowing incidents make it clear that the apparent heroes were motivated by ambition, terror, or chance while it is the disgraced Thorn who possesses moral courage. The men soon become insubordinate ultimately turning against Thorn, forcing him to fight the soldiers to save his own life.

Tags: anti war, violence

Review:
This is in response to comments on 'They Came to Cordura' regarding its dramatic weakness and flawed camera work and editing.The flaws may be real, but they might not be the fault of the filmmaker (writer-director Robert Rossen).Reportly, the film was taken out of Rossen's hands by the studio and drastically cut and re-cut.
The director's original version, about 1/2 hour longer, was apparently much better, making much more dramatic sense.Further, the movie was shot in CinemaScope, and comments on its poor cinematography and editing are likely based on viewing a crude pan & scan video copy.
Angered by the US President Wilson's increasing support the rising Mexican political leader General Carranaza, the former US darling Francisco Villa sends his group of rebels to raid a town in New Mexico before coming back over the border.
Thorn is keen to get to know more of the men but, with a captured woman in tow, the men are not as simple as their proposed medals would suggest.Despite pretty much ignoring the interesting history that serves as a backdrop to this film, this is actually still quite an interesting film that was a lot rawer than I expected it to be, given the period in which it was made.
Conte, Heflin, Keith and Hunter are among those giving solid turns in support of Cooper and the raw story.Overall then this is not a great film but it is an interesting one.
Due to showing cowardice in battle, Major Thomas Thorn (Gary Cooper) has been assigned the degrading task of "Awards Officer" to the Mexican expedition of 1916 against Pancho Villa...Thorn witnesses the U.S. Army attack on a ranch house which results in an American victory, and selects five men as candidates for the Congressional Medal of Honor...Since Washington wants heroes in a hurry, for a World War I recruiting campaign, Thorn has to guide these men through the perilous border country to the 'out of danger' base at Cordura...Since Villa's men were given shelter in the ranch house of the beautiful Adelaide Geary (Rita Hayworth), she is accused of treason and is forced to accompany the men on their difficult journey...Before the seven get to the Texas border town, the five heroes are given ample time to show their true colors (cheats, thieves, rapists and murderers) and Cooper (always under great danger) discovers, far from crossfire, their true characters...
Thorn also discovers that he has respect and affection for his prisoner...Rita Hayworth seems, on screen, to be a woman who has seen too much, lived too hard There are circles under her eyes now, and an indefinable sadness about her presence But she remains more delicious than ever She had been the greatest girl of them all, a living summary of all our sexy, dreamy ideals Now she is a reminder, for an aging generation, of the generous visions of youth In "They Came to Cordura," Rita gives the best performance of her career as the shady lady surrounded by six men, substituting acting for sex and glamor....
Since many viewers lose their interest in the film at it's current length, why would a longer version improve matters?In 1916, while World War I was occupying most people's attention, President Wilson was concerned with the continuous unsettled state of Mexico, then in the sixth year of it's Revolution.
Instead it concentrates on Gary Cooper's assignment to find five men who should receive the U.S. Medal of Honor for gallantry and bravery in action.
For the Major to be given this quiet assignment is actual an insult - his own courage is being questioned.Soon he finds a battle going on and picks out his five men (Van Heflin, Richard Conte, Michael Callan, Tab Hunter, and Dick York).
He soon discovers that the men are not interested in the medal, and (as they have a long trek to Cordura, where they have to go to finalize the awards), Cooper learns that the men are not very noble at all.
Set in 1916, the film centres on a US military expedition deep into Mexico, a punitive response to Pancho Villa's raid on American territory.
A cavalry charge against the Mexicans looks like dashing American heroism, but might be no more than cynical fakery on the part of medal-hunting Colonel Rogers.
Because his father was a big shot in the army and was killed there, Cooper's actions were covered up and he was given the non-combat assignment of awards officer.So on a raid on Mexican sympathizer Rita Hayworth's ranch where some Villistas have taken cover, Cooper's job is to find worthy candidates for medals.
His job is then to bring them back to the American base in Cordura.The journey reveals the less than sterling character of these men of courage.
Quite a bit happens on the way to Cordura, some of it a little too unbelievable for me.This was one of Gary Cooper weakest films in his last years.
The surface story is reasonably entertaining and the themes are extremely interesting even if they are so poorly articulated that they lose much of the power that they should have had.Like the novel, the film is set in 1916 Mexico with the U.S. Cavalry dashing about in pursuit of Pancho Villa.
Major Thomas Thorn (Gary Cooper) is in charge of escorting five prospective Medal of Honor winners back to the base at Cordura where their heroics can be utilized to fan a recruitment campaign for the looming U.S. entry into WWI.
His past performance causes him to over-compensate as a leader and to soon alienate most of the men under his command; Lt. Fowler (Tab Hunter), Sgt. Chawk (Van Heflin), Pvt. Hetherington (Michael Callan), Cpl. Trubee (Richard Conte), and Pvt. Renziehausen (Dick York).
Being dragged along with the group is a woman named Adelaide (Rita Hayworth), an American expatriate accused of aiding the Villa.This is not exactly a strong cast, especially for a film that is more character study than action adventure.
Cooper , Hayworth and a large support cast give good performances as a motley group lost in Mexico ..
An army officer (Gary Cooper), himself guilty of cowardice, is asked to recommended soldiers (Van Heflin , Richard Conte , Dick York , Michael Callan, Tab Hunter ) for the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Mexican Border Incursion of 1916 .
Meanwhile , they meet on the way a suspicious lady (Rita Hayworth) with dark secrets .Coooper is pretty well as an Army major sent to find five men worthy of Medal of Honor and Rita Hayworth is attractive as a shady lady .
Robert Rossen directed this unusual Western that explores human conflicts in an intelligent way as representative of this genre such as cowardice and bravery of the soldiers , but is paced with some flaws and gaps , including an unfairly adulterated final .
The real events in which are based this film are the following : For a time Villa,who seemed in line for leadership of Mexico ,enjoyed the sympathetic interest of the US government who then dropped Villa and supported his rival,Carranza.Villa's resentment resulted in the vengeance raid on Columbus.Villa slapped the United States in the face by mounting a surprise raid on the town of Columbus,New Mexico,on 9 march 1916, killing eight American soldiers and ten civilians.In retaliation,President Woodrow Wilson sent General Pershing and a Punitive Expedition into Mexico in hot pursuit of Villa .
The awards officer Major Thomas Thorn (Gary Cooper) is assigned as observer in the battlefield to seek out heroes in the regiment of veteran Colonel Rogers (Robert Keith) during the attack to Ojos Azules villa to be nominated to the Medal of Honor with Pvt. Andrew Hetherington (Michael Callan) that is riding with him.
Thorn identifies acts of heroism by Lt. Fowler (Tab Hunter), Sgt. Chawk (Van Heflin), Cpl. Trubee (Richard Conte) and Pvt. Renziehausen (Dick York) during the charge.
Van Heflin, Rita Hayworth, Dick York, Richard Conte and Tab Hunter all help to make this a fine character driven piece.Above all else it's the story that works the best, Thorn is carrying around a burden as he strives to take these heroes to safety and ensure they receive their medals of honour.
The rest of the characters are equally unbelievable in the context of the movie- the "act of cowardice" of Maj Thomas Thorn (sorry, but Gary Cooper was just a little too old to portray even a passed over Major) was hardly cowardice but simply proper tactics- take cover until you find out where the enemy fire is coming from.
The expedition was launched in retaliation for Villa's attack on the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and was the most remembered event of the Border War. The expeditions had one objective: to capture Villa dead or alive and put a stop to any future forays by his paramilitary forces on American soil.After contact with the enemy, and after losing many men, five men were nominated for the Medal of Honor.
Since the army needed living heroes to prepare the nation for its likely entry into WWI, Major Thomas Thorn (Gary Cooper), an awards officer, escorts the nominees, Lt. William Fowler (Tab Hunter), Sgt. John Chawk (Van Heflin), Cpl. Milo Trubee (Richard Conte), Pvt. Andrew Hetherington (Michael Callan), and Pvt. Renziehausen (Dick York), back to headquarters.
This film is the story of that journey, and Thorn's exploration of the character of heroes.Adelaide Geary (Rita Hayworth), an American woman who owns the ranch where the battle was fought, is sent back with them on charge of treason for aiding Villistas against American soldiers, even though she had no choice.Although Hayworth and Cooper both gave impressive performances, Van Heflin was the standout as a brutish sergeant, especially since he was acting against type, having played decent men forced into heroism during his best-known films, Shane (1953) and 3:10 to Yuma (1957)..
Cooper performs his usual good understated acting and notable screen presence, but he has aged considerably and his health is obviously in decline to the point where you don't believe he could either chase Pancho Villa or handle the rigors of this story's long journey.
Never viewed this film until recently and was completely surprised by the role Gary Cooper, (Maj. Thomas Thorn) played as a rather soft spoken Army Awards officer who was in charge of giving out Congressional Medals of Honor to a group of men.
For being in a desert in sunny Mexico, there is a severe lack of dirt, sweat, and flies in this film.The best part of the flick, is where Hayworth's character discusses bravery with Coop: She says something to the effect that "One act of cowardice does not mark a man as a coward forever, and one act of bravery does not make a person a permanent hero." Rossen, with the talent in this film, could have made that statement in a much more interesting way, but instead he takes two of the greatest actors of all time and gives them shoddy lines and weak characters.Someone stated that Coop was "Too Old" for the part...
Even then I felt there was something odd about an officer accused of cowardice, Major Thomas Thorn played by a very serious Gary Cooper, who becomes the awards officer for the U.S. Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1916.
During a battle that is the reverse of the Alamo, Mexicans inside, Americans outside, Thorn observes acts of bravery (through binoculars from a distance) and recommends five men for the Medal of Honor.
Other IMDb reviewers have pointed out historical inaccuracies including the fact that no Medal of Honor was awarded during the campaign.The last two thirds of the movie sees the group wandering in the wilderness with Thorn the most determined and heroic of the men.There were a lot of issues going on around this movie, which may have distracted director Robert Rossen from delivering a more appealing film.
The film is about an unusual topic: the early twentieth century, in the times of Pancho Villa, U.S. military assigned to receive high honor Army, for bravery, form a squad under the command of Major Thorn (Gary Cooper) and will at desert, towards the base of Cordura.
Along the way discovers the fragility of Thorn, by knowing that he would have cowered in battle, causing mistrust of the group at his command, at the same time if the group shows, mostly, without character and capable of low and despicable acts.
Here, then, it creates an interesting situation: the heroes reveal themselves men of bad character, unworthy, especially receiving a medal for bravery, while the coward becomes a hero, dignified, empathetic, courageous, generous.
It's not a 'deep' movie but it is very well-crafted and Rossen certainly has a handle on the material.The central premise, (six men, five of whom are to receive the Congressional Medal of Honour for bravery, and one woman, their prisoner, journey across some particularly wild terrain together), is the stuff of cliché but Rossen keeps us interested in their plight and the cast are top-notch.
Gary Cooper's character Major Thorn enters the scene and we are given a hint of the scorn held for him due to his behavior during Villa's attack on Columbus, New Mexico.
Finally the aviator might be an anachronism, because the expedition had run out of flyable airplanes by April 20, but I guess that at least was plausible.Long story short, Swarthout and Rossen could have set this in World War I to make their point (well, maybe not with Rita Hayworth), but then nobody could make all those snide little innuendos about macho heroes and elderly superannuated colonels, could they?
Cooper, who was ailing at the time and would make only two more films, is solid as a cowardly officer tasked with finding candidates for the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Entrance into WWI is imminent and Gary Cooper plays a major who escorts five men to the the New Mexican base town of Cordura (which means "courage").
The five men are candidates for the Medal of Honor; they've proved themselves courageous in battle and the government wants heroes to promote military recruitment.
Along for the ride is Rita Hayworth, an alcoholic American expatriate charged with aiding the Mexicans.Cooper's character is in incredible agony throughout the picture.
Four of the men become increasingly hostile toward the major, propelled by the authority-hating, rivalrous sergeant (Van Heflin).The film will appeal to anyone who, like me, is into lost-in-the-wilderness type stories.
Cooper plays a Cavalry major in 1916 who is assigned the task of finding five noteworthy men to receive Congressional Medals of Honor in a bid to increase the country's morale before inevitably entering into WWI.
On March 9, 1916, the Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa, angry at American support for his rival, President Venustiano Carranza, ordered more than five hundred of his men to attack the border village of Columbus, New Mexico which was garrisoned by a detachment of the U.S. 13th Cavalry Regiment.
The central character is an American officer, Major Tom Thorn, who takes part in an attack on a hacienda defended by Villa's men.
There is therefore relatively little for Hayworth to do, although the presence of such a glamorous major star must have helped the film at the box office.Gary Cooper, as Thorn, plays his part reasonably well, although I would agree with those who would have preferred a younger man in the role.
The wandering in the desert to find the way to Cordura is mind numbingly boring interspersed as it is with set pieces of every man in the group turning against the Major for one reason or another.And the ending is absolutely ridiculous -- one of the worst, least plausible means to The End that has ever been "submitted for your approval" as the characters who so despised the Major enter some sort of Twilight Zone where the men they have been for 2 hours of the movie are completely transformed (by the scribblings in the Major's notebook!) so that they can drag the Major across the finish line that is Cordura.Don't let the fine cast lure you in lest you lose two hours of your life and a lot of your respect for Coop and Ms. Hayworth..
In 1916, Major Gary Cooper is the awards officer during the pursuit of Pancho Villa into Mexico.
After witnessing two battles he recommends five men for the Congressional Medal of Honor -- enlisted men Michael Callan, Richard Conte, Van Heflin, and Dick York; and a lieutenant, Tab Hunter.
The angry Keith orders Cooper to take his five heroes to the distant base at Cordura, and while he's at it he can take Rita Hayworth too.
Further, a performer who had played iconic American heros does not seem right in the character of a bewildered "coward" Since Cooper is the character the audience is to identify with, and since all of the other male characters have serious personality deficits and Rita Hayworth is a cipher for most of the film, there is no one the audience can identify with.
This polarized aspect to all the men (including Cooper and prisoner Rita Hayworth) just seemed like one huge cliché and as a result, none of the characters seemed real or engaging!
One of the more interesting Westerns of the 1950s, Robert Rossen's "They Came to Cordura" stars Gary Cooper as a US Army officer tasked with leading a small group of men to the frontier town of Cordura.
I probably liked this film more than most, but I thought it had a great cast and a good story.
Major Thomas Thorpe (Gary Cooper) is assigned the task of identifying American heroes to be recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I didn't get the sense that he was cowardly in any way and it required the story to play out in order to show his true colors.Interesting casting for this picture with the likes of Richard Conte, Dick York, Tab Hunter, and Van Heflin who looked like he packed on a few pounds since "Shane".