The Horse Soldiers (1959) {KL Studio Classics Blu-ray Review}

Reviewed by Jason Lockard

At the time of this writing we are just under two weeks from the day the world celebrated what would have been The Duke's 115th birthday. John Wayne was in 170 films during his illustrious career.

The great director John Ford loved working with John Wayne. Thus they collaborated together in 12 movies during their careers. One such film was the 1959 war drama The Horse Soldiers. The great folks at Kino Lorber under the division KL Studio Classics have given this amazing film a Blu-ray release from a new 4K Scan.

The film takes place during the Civil War. Colonel John Marlowe (John Wayne, The Searchers) has the task of with leading a Union cavalry division to destroy a Confederate stronghold at the Newtown railroad station. Along with the challenges his faces with the confederates, he also must deal with frequent disagreements with the regiment's surgeon, Major Henry Kendall (William Holden, Sunset Boulevard), and the presence of Miss Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers, The Naked Kiss), a Southern belle who overhears Marlowe's secret plans and is brought along to prevent her from spreading the word.

Some movie reviewers will say John Wayne films are mostly all the same. The same formula. The same tough hero. But the thing is I always feel if it ain't broke don't fix it! And the John Wayne formula was a success clear to the end. And western fans love to take adventures with The Duke.

John Wayne and William Holden are at their best in this tale, but Constance Towers holds her own right along side these legends. The action is great and the story is a great one. But the supporting cast is stellar as well including many favorites. Judson Pratt (Union Pacific), Ken Curtis (Gunsmoke), Willis Bouchey (The Sheepman), Bing Russell (Elvis), O.Z. Whitehead (Beware, My Lovely), Hank Worden (McLintock), Denver Pyle (Duke of Hazzard), Strother Martin (Cool Hand Luke) and Hoot Gibson (Death Valley Rangers).

The Horse Soldiers comes to Blu-ray in 1080p in 1.85:1 from a brand new 4K master. The audio is a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. There is also optional English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

When watching this new 4K scan the picture looks and sounds stunning. The scan looks crisp and clean. There was no signs of damage that I could see to the film. It is absolutely gorgeous! But Kino Lorber added some cool bonus features as well to this release.

* NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride, the Author of Searching for John Ford. Joseph McBride drops so much knowledge on this release. You may need to listen to this commentary twice to get all the amazing details.

* Trailers: The Horse Soldiers, Legend Of The Lost, Brannigan, The Devil’s Brigade and The Revengers

* A slipcover with the same artwork on the Blu-ray insert.

Watch The Trailer Below:

If you are a fan of Civil War adventures, John Wayne, William Holden or John Ford this film has you covered on all accounts. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.