Drama
Adventure
History
England, 1763. After being convicted of a crime, the young and beautiful Abigail Hale agrees, to escape the gallows, to serve fourteen years as a slave in the colony of Virginia, whose inhabitants begin to hear and fear the sinister song of the threatening drums of war that resound in the wild Ohio valley.
Directors
Gary Cooper
Captain Christopher Holden
Paulette Goddard
Abby
Howard Da Silva
Garth
Boris Karloff
Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
Cecil Kellaway
Jeremy Love
Ward Bond
John Fraser
Katherine DeMille
Hannah
Henry Wilcoxon
Captain Steele
C. Aubrey Smith
Lord Chief Justice
Victor Varconi
Captain Simeon Ecuyer
Virginia Grey
Diana
Porter Hall
Leach
Mike Mazurki
Bone
Richard Gaines
Colonel George Washington
Virginia Campbell
Mrs. John Fraser
Gavin Muir
Lieut. Fergus McKenzie
Alan Napier
Sir William Johnson
Ninetta Sunderland
Mrs. Pruitt
Directors
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User reviews3
Review
Featured review
Unconquerable, because, they are strong and free!
Unconquered is directed by Cecil B. DeMille and collectively written by Charles Bennett, Frederic M. Frank and Jesse Lasky, Jr. It is based on the novel written by Neil H. Swanson. It stars Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, Howard Da Silva, Boris Karloff, Cecil Kelleway, ward Bond and Katherine DeMille. Music is by Victor Young and cinematography by Ray Rennahan.
Frontiersman Chris Holden (Cooper) becomes embroiled in the machinations of Martin Garth (Ds Silva), who for his own ends is helping the Native American Pontiac uprising. All this while trying to keep slave girl Abby Hale (Goddard) out of harms way…
And 6 pence!
So it comes to pass that this really is no historical document – shock! Based around Pontiac’s Rebellion, circa 1763 after the French and Indian War, it’s a fanciful narrative that’s a right old mixed bag. On one hand it’s the story of an all American hero and a fish out of water British woman traversing through perilous situations whilst simultaneously ignoring the attraction that exists between them. On the other hand it’s proud in propaganda flag waving, with heroic verve in full effect, but is gleefully executed with customary panache by DeMille.
The Gilded Beaver!
It’s a little too long at nearly two and a half hours, for there are exposition passages that don’t really serve the adventurous heart at core of story, yet the collective gathering of numerous characters does excite, DeMille excelling in that department. Action sequences are splendid, the fights with the Native Americans, repelling a siege of the fort as fiery death falls from the sky and bullets and blades do what they were designed for – sort of. Chase sequences, the best of which on the river rapids with incredulous tumble and all, and of course much shifty shenanigans and stoic glint in the machismo.
The Compass Bluff!
There’s the blend of fun scenes with the sadly elegiac, where a compass comes to the rescue of Holden and Hale for fun value, and the realisation of death being just yards away from homely comforts is sombrely played. There’s even some sexy spice in the mix, especially when the ravishing Goddard takes a barrel bath! Who cares about her non existing British accent?!
Some of the attitudes within the narrative are suspect, towards race, nationality and womanhood, and the over talky sections tip it off the tracks at times, but it’s still ripper entertainment. It be colourful and vibrant, sexy and sharp, and boisterously proud into the bargain - enough good here in fact to forgive it the misdemeanors of the era. 7/10
John Chard11 May, 2019
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Box office
Budget
$5,000,000Gross worldwide
$0