Mackenna's Gold (1969)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Heck Allen (novel) and
Carl Foreman (writer)

Release Date:

10 May 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

A GIANT OF A MOVIE

Plot:

The gangster Colorado kidnaps Marshal McKenna. He believes that McKenna has seen a map which leads to...

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | Female Nudity | Native American | Raft | Rope Bridge

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	MacKenna
Omar Sharif	...	Colorado
Telly Savalas	...	Sgt. Tibbs
Camilla Sparv	...	Inga Bergmann
Keenan Wynn	...	Sanchez
Julie Newmar	...	Hesh-Ke
Ted Cassidy	...	Hachita
Lee J. Cobb	...	The Editor
Raymond Massey	...	The Preacher
Burgess Meredith	...	The Storekeeper
Anthony Quayle	...	Older Englishman
Edward G. Robinson	...	Old Adams
Eli Wallach	...	Ben Baker
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Prairie Dog
Dick Peabody	...	Avifa

Runtime:

128 min | UK:136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Australia:PG | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Acording to a 1996 biography, Clint Eastwood was first offered the lead role, but turned it down to make Hang 'Em High (1968) instead

Goofs:

Factual errors: As the sun rises, the shadow of shaking rock grows longer. In reality the shadow should become shorter as the sun rises higher.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Wiz (1978/I)

Pretty much splendid adventure western

When I was a kid I used to totally love this movie. I thought it was one of the greatest and the most exciting westerns ever made. When I saw "Mackenna's gold" some years later and I was considerably older it seemed pretty lame and I wondered what was so special about it in the first place. Last night I saw "Mackenna's gold" again, I guess it was the third time. I admit that it wasn't difficult to understand why I adored the film when I was a child. "Mackenna's gold" is not a traditional western, it's more like an entertaining and unique larger-than-life adventure - just the kind of a stuff that appeals to young boy.

There's an interesting script with lots of thrills, action, Indians, lost gold treasure and a bit peculiar characters. I wouldn't be surprised if Steven Spielberg would admit that he's taken plenty of influences from "Mackenna's gold" for his Indiana Jones trilogy. (J. Lee Thompson himself directed afterwards couple of classic adventure flicks, such as two sequels to "The Planet of the apes" and Richard Chamberlain classic "King Solomon's mines".)

When I look at "Mackenna's gold" nowadays I frankly have to acknowledge that even though it's not among the best films of this genre it's a bloody great western and considering that back in 1969 westerns weren't so popular anymore this one's a marvelous classic and one of the finest of the time. Gregory Peck is just as superb as MacKenna as the splendid Omar Sharif in his amusing bad guy role. Supporting cast is excellent too, late Telly Savalas who played Blofeld in James Bond movie that very same year, Julie Newmar and Burgess Meredith (The Catwoman and The Penguin in the 60's tv series "Batman") and the legendary Eli Wallach. I understand that Clint Eastwood turned down the chance to play the leading role of "Mackenna's gold". With him this would have been one of my all time favorites.