Mackenna's Gold (1969)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Heck Allen (novel)
Carl Foreman (screenplay)

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:

Gold | Marshal | Cavalry | Catfight | Nude Underwater

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Mackenna
Omar Sharif	...	Colorado
Telly Savalas	...	Sergeant Tibbs
Camilla Sparv	...	Inga
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	...	Avila
Rudy Diaz	...	Besh
Robert Phillips	...	Monkey
Shelley Morrison	...	The Pima Squaw
Robert Porter	...	Young Englishman (as J. Robert Porter)
David Garfield	...	Adams' Boy (as John Garfield Jr.)
Pepe Callahan	...	Laguna (as Pépe Callahan)
Madeleine Taylor Holmes	...	Old Apache Woman
Duke Hobbie	...	Lieutenant
Victor Jory	...	The Narrator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Trevor Bardette	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits
Heck Allen		(novel) (as Will Henry)
Carl Foreman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Carl Foreman	....	producer
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	producer

Original Music by
Quincy Jones

Cinematography by
Joseph MacDonald		(director of photography) (as Joseph Macdonald)

Film Editing by
Bill Lenny

Production Design by
Geoffrey Drake

Art Direction by
Geoffrey Drake
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
Alfred E. Spencer

Costume Design by
Norma Koch

Makeup Department
Virginia Jones	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ralph E. Black	....	production manager (as Ralph Black)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Salven	....	assistant director
Tom Shaw	....	second unit director

Art Department
Eugene J. Reed	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Blunt	....	stereophonic dubbing: (Cine Tele Sound )
Peter Bond	....	assistant sound editor
Derek Frye	....	sound supervisor
Jeanne Henderson	....	sound editor
Bob Jones	....	stereophonic dubbing: (Shepperton Studios )
William Randall	....	unit sound recorder (as William Randall Jr.)
John Blunt	....	sound (uncredited)
Tony Dawe	....	foley recordist (uncredited)
Bob Jones	....	sound (uncredited)
Bill Taylor	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Lawrence W. Butler	....	special visual effects (as Larry Butler)
Willis Cook	....	special visual effects
Bob Cuff	....	special visual effects: (Abacus Productions Ltd. )
Geoffrey Drake	....	special visual effects: (Abacus Productions Ltd. )
John Mackey	....	special visual effects: (Abacus Productions Ltd. )
Joy Cuff	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunt coordinator (as Buzz Henry)
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Burk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Dale	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pete Dunn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Neil Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Donald C. Glouner	....	additional photography (as Don Glouner)
John Mackey	....	additional photography
Richard Moore	....	additional photography
Harold E. Wellman	....	second unit photography (as Harold Wellman)
Emil Oster	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Don Deacon	....	associate film editor (as Donald Deacon)
Lois Gray	....	first assistant film editor
John F. Link	....	associate film editor (as John Link Jr.)
Raymond Poulton	....	associate film editor

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator
Leo Arnaud	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gus Levene	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gene Clinesmith	....	driver (uncredited)
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
José Feliciano	....	introduced by
Bobby Hoffman	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Highroad Productions (as A Highroad Presentation)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS Television Network (1972) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia (1969) (France) (theatrical) (as Columbia Films S.A.)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Abacus Productions (special visual effects) (as Abacus Productions Ltd.)

Other Companies

• C.T.S. Studios  stereophonic dubbing (as Cine Tele Sound)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  acknowledgement
• Shepperton Studios  stereophonic dubbing
• Sunset Gower Studios  sound stages (uncredited)
• The United States Department of Interior, National Park Service  the producers thank, for its co-operation and permission to photograph in the following areas: - National Park Service: Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona (as the United States Department of the Interior)
• The United States Department of Interior, National Park Service  the producers thank, for its co-operation and permission to photograph in the following areas:- Bureau of Land Management: Kanab, Utah (as the United States Department of the Interior)
• The United States Department of Interior, National Park Service  the producers thank, for its co-operation and permission to photograph in the following areas:- Bureau of Land Management: Medford, Oregon (as the United States Department of the Interior)
• The United States Department of Interior, National Park Service  the producers thank, for its co-operation and permission to photograph in the following areas:- National Park Service: Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, Arizona (as the United States Department of the Interior)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

128 min | UK:136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) (1992) (2001) | USA:M | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (tv rating) | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | Netherlands:14 (orginal rating)

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

During the swimming scene at the pool Julie Newmar's character was supposed to be topless with a loincloth. In an interview Ms. Newmar stated that at the last minute she decided to do the scene nude and no-one, especially the male actors and crew, argued with her about the decision.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Colorado holds onto Mackenna's hair, in some shots there is hair falling over Mackenna's forehead and in others there is not.

Quotes:

The Preacher:It can work for the lord as well as the devil!
Colorado:Ai chihuahua.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Reel Injun (2009)

Soundtrack:

Old Turkey Buzzard

Gimme a map, a dusty trail and wild Apaches chasing me...

And I can find GOLD. I just recently viewed the DVD release of this little western nugget. I was taken aback by the wide screen splendor of the film, the grand location shots in Monument Valley and Canyon De Chellye, not to mention some tricky switcheroo in Zion and Bryce National Parks as well. The movie is campy yet serious, a shoot-em-up one minute and relaxing in a cool secret waterfall filled pond in the next. And the film has its' moments, like Julie Newmar (who can think of her and not say statuesque?), the vicious-obsessive-compulsive-Apache-squaw camp-follower, or Hatchita, played by Ted "You Rang?" Cassidy or the grande dames of acting all seated around the fire.. Keenan Wynn, Edward G. Robinson, Eli Wallach, Burgess Meredith, Anthony Quayle, Omar Sharif, Raymond Massey and Lee J. Cobb like the Fellowship of the Ring gone a hunting gold in the old west. And near the end, Telly (Who Loves Ya Baby?) Savalas joins up as a sadistically cruel Army seargent. I highly recommend this blast from the past, and Jose Feliciano singing "Ol Turkey Buzzard", sends chills down my spine. I saw this movie in the theatre when it premiered. This is already approaching cult status folks.. a real keeper.

The main reason I wrote this review is to pay tribute to Gregory Peck, who was MacKenna, Josef Mengele, Dwight Towers, Charles Keith, Robert Thorn, Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, Atticus Finch, Keith Mallory, David,Ahab, Harry Street and many many more. He will always live in my heart and mind as a great actor, the like of which may never again be seen. Nobody held a candle to him, or ever will. JUne 12, 2003