The Appaloosa (1966)

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

James Bridges (screenplay) and
Roland Kibbee (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 October 1966 (West Germany)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Southwest to Sonora rode the lustful, the lawless... to live on the edge of violence!

Plot:

Man tries to recover a horse stolen from him by a Mexican bandit.

Plot Keywords:

Bandit | Appaloosa | Confession Booth | Deep Focus | Scorpion

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Matt Fletcher
Anjanette Comer	...	Trini
John Saxon	...	Chuy Medina
Emilio Fernández	...	Lazaro (as Emilio Fernandez)
Alex Montoya	...	Squint Eye
Miriam Colon	...	Ana
Rafael Campos	...	Paco
Frank Silvera	...	Ramos
Larry D. Mann	...	Priest

Also Known As:

Southwest to Sonora (UK)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

According to Bob Thomas' 1973 biography "Marlon: Portrait of the Artist as a Rebel", producer Alan Miller, appalled at his star's lack of interest in the film and his lackluster performance, pinned a bit of doggerel about Marlon Brando, whose character is called "Mateo" by his Mexican friend in the film: "Mateo, his heart / It bleeds for the mass, / But the people he works with / He kicks in the ass."

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Appaloosa which portrays the title character was actually a registered Appaloosa stallion named Cojo Rojo. He was born in 1960 and just prior to being used for the film he was racing on the California tracks. He sired several foals, including several race champions. During filming a few other similarly marked horses were used as stunt horses, but the majority of work was done by Cojo Rojo.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Priest: Madam.
[enters confessional booth]
Matt Fletcher: I'm having a little trouble getting started, Father.
Priest: You are in the House of God now, my son. Speak from your heart.
Matt Fletcher: Well, I've done a lot of killin'. I've killed a lot of men and sinned a lot of women. But the men I killed needed killin' and the women wanted sinnin', and well, I never was one much to argue.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Brando (2007) (TV)

Mexico after The Civil War with Brando

Slow-moving, beautifully shot, this film starring Marlon Brando is a treat to watch. No line of dialogue is wasted, close-up shots reveal people's emotions. Mexican pride and culture are revealed with knowledge and respect. I loved this trek to old Mexico with Marlon Brando et al.