Cavalry Movies
Favorites of the 545th MP Company
As of January 26, 2012

 

Not only were the following movies favorites of many of the veterans of the 545th MP Company, but many were in fact required viewing for all members of the 1st Cavalry Division at one time or another as verified by several of our Association members.

 

  An army doctor, with no combat experience, is forced to take command of a cavalry troop escorting a wagon train through hostile Indian country when the unit's commanding officer dies. Stars Guy Madison, Joan Weldon and James Whitmore.

   Although not a Cavalry movie per se, the portrayal of one of the 9th Cavalry BN CMDR’s, LTC Bill Kilgore by Robert Duval was indicative of the intense and sometimes unorthodox actions of this units Cav troopers in real life. We were all a bit crazy in those days.    With Marlin Brando, Charlie Sheen and Robert Duval.

Typical older Cavalry and Indians style movie available for viewing often on TCM. With Troy Donahue.

  A great movie depicting the 10th Cavalry and the well remembered black troopers of that unit and is to this day required viewing by troopers of the 10th Cavalry.  With Danny Glover.

   A great old movie with Ronald Reagan playing the lead long before he became our president.  With Ronald Reagan and Bruce Bennet.

   This is one of Errol Flynn’s best movies and a must watch for any Cavalry movie buff.  With Olivea DeHavilland.

   Typical old Cowboys, Indians and Cavalry movie that many of us watched as young kids at the Sunday Matinee in the local theater.  With Richard Widmark, James Stewart.

   Another old time Western Movie favorite. With James Garner and Sidney Portier.

    This great old black and white Cavalry movie is one of the John Wayne Cavalry Trilogy movies that can often still be found on cable TV and is very popular with Cavalry veterans. This is also one of the cavalry movies showing the antics of the Cavalry NCO’s with the Cavalry punch!  With John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple.

  This great old movie with Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Victor McLaglen is about the British Cavalry in India and is one of the many cavalry movies depicting the Regimental NCO’s spiking the Cavalry punch at the Regimental Ball.

   This is another one of the really good John Wayne Cavalry trilogy movies that can still often be seen on TV and also shows the drinking habits of Cavalry Troopers (which are known to this day for their off duty consumption of various alcoholic beverages in quantities that would knock a horse out).

    This is a movie that shows the final days of the old horse cavalry and the destiny of the cavalry mounts. Don Johnson portrays a crusty cavalry NCO that tries to save most of these horses and his extreme efforts to do so.

   Carlton Heston as the tough Major Dundee who takes the Confederate prisoners from the prisoner compound he commands to peruse Indians across the Rio Grande into Mexico. A great Cavalry Movie!

   John Wayne plays a Cavalry Colonel whose Southern wife, Maureen O’Hara and soldier son join him at a fort out west. I highly recommend this one that can still be found on regular TV now and then.

    A really good action movie depicting the Rough Riders with Tom Beranger, Sam Elliott and Gary Busey.

    Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford play three sergeants that always get into trouble and help each other out.

    Another one of the John Wayne Cavalry Trilogy movies that is extremely popular with Cavalry Veterans and is also often available on cable TV.

    Circumstantial evidence suggests a first sergeant in a black cavalry regiment has raped and murdered a white girl then killed his commanding officer. When he makes the case look even worse by deserting, an old lieutenant friend is sent to get him back - and finds himself also quelling an apache uprising. The lieutenant then volunteers to defend the sergeant in court, where the full story starts to slowly emerge.

    The tale of a group of African soldiers who join the French in their fight against the Nazis. Although they passionately battle to defend the motherland, a place they’ve never been, they face inequality and daily humiliation within the French army. These heroes that history forgot won battles throughout Europe before finding themselves alone to defend a small village against a German battalion. There is some scant mention of Cavalry in this movie but it is well worth viewing to see what these unsung heroes accomplished.

    The US Army is under pressure from the desperate relatives of white prisoners of the Comanche to secure their rescue. A cynical and corrupt marshal, Guthrie McCabe, is persuaded by an army lieutenant to assist in the negotiations with the Comanche’s. However, just two captives are released; and their reintegration into white society proves highly problematic. With James Steward, Richard Widmark and Shirley Jones.

    Errol Flynn and the beautiful Olivia DeHaviland in the ultimate cavalry movie which was required viewing by all members of the 1st Cavalry Division at Camp Custer, Korea and we also saw it often in Vietnam. There was one week at Phouc Vinh where the members of the 545th wanted to see it over and over again every night for a week! The Div CSM finally demanded that we pass it along to another unit!!

    When this movie came out, it was required viewing by the entire 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas and is a fairly accurate depiction of the first combat activity by the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam.

    This one is set during the time of the Crimean War and the efforts of the Allies to take the Russian naval base at Sebastopol. Jean Pierre Aumont and Richard Stapley are guardians of a new cannon that can pierce the walls of the Russian fortress, and also rivals for the favors of nurse Karin Booth who, as it turns out, is a Russian spy.

All you old movie buffs out there should find this list of Cavalry Movies of interest and you can find all of them for sale at reasonable prices on line at the various sources and suppliers of movies. I suspect that many of you already have these movies in your movie library.

Anyone knowing of other similar movies, or wants to make corrections on any of these movies, kindly contact me at:

Sam Reinert
CPT MP USAR (Ret)
Founder
545th Military Police Company Association
626 1/2 South 9th Street
Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA
(765) 962 4627 phone & FAX
http://545thmpassn.com/