Zachariah (1971)

Two gunfighters separate and experience surreal visions on their journey through the west.

Director:

George Englund

Writers:

Philip Austin, Peter Bergman,

Stars:

John Rubinstein, Patricia Quinn, Don Johnson

Cast

Cast overview:
John Rubinstein	...	Zachariah
Patricia Quinn	...	Belle Starr (as Pat Quinn)
Don Johnson	...	Matthew
Country Joe and the Fish	...	The Crackers
Elvin Jones	...	Job Cain
Doug Kershaw	...	The Fiddler
William Challee	...	Old Man
Robert Ball	...	Stage Manager
Dick Van Patten	...	The Dude
James Gang	...	Job Cain's Band (as The James Gang)
White Lightnin'	...	Old Man's Band
The New York Rock Ensemble	...	Belle Starr's Band

Storyline

Gunfights and electric guitars in the Old West? You bet! Zachariah gets a mail order gun, practices a little, and kills a man in the local saloon. He and his friend Matthew set out to become gunfighters, joining with the Crackers, a rock band who are also (pitifully inept) stage robbers. Having quickly outgrown that gang, Zachariah and Matthew set out to become bigtime gunslingers. Before long, they part company and a rivalry grows between them.

---

Plot Keywords:

gunfighter | journey | band | guitar | mail order | 

---

Taglines:

A Head of His Time

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Western

---

Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 June 1971 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Da Westen blev elektrisk

Filming Locations:

Laguna Salada, Mexicali, Baja California Norte, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

ABC Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Reanimator Academy (1992)

---

Soundtracks

"All I Need"
Music and Lyrics by Barry Melton
Performed by Country Joe and the Fish

User Reviews

I Love This Movie the Same As 40 Years Later

If you have a chance, watch this movie on DVD with an open mind. Know that it is unique in all filmdom, a musical, and every music scene is memorable, especially if you like drums. I saw it in 1972 in a double feature midnight show when everyone else was there for Billy Jack. There's so many ways to praise this movie, especially the cinematography, clever set-design. I always thought Rubenstein was going to be a big star, who knew it would be Sonny Crocket.

Here is something a friend recently emailed, for the true connoisseur.

"I engineered the sound track for the James Gang and some others. Went down to effin calinete, south of El Centro.... for the shoot. People were fainting from the heat and we lived on a very watered diet... soups, salads, soups, fruits, and water. Wow... very hot and liquid. If you watch the film, notice the refractions off the acrylic guitars and the liquid backdrop landscape of the heat, coming up from the ground.

We had problems with way off background... a truck in the distance that they did not want in the frames... The mountains seemed to be within walking distance but they were miles away. Many people got very sick from the heat.

Good film... I was only there for a small portion of the shoot... George Englund (married at that time to Cloris Leachman) having an affair with a woman named Sydney. Marlon Brando was living at George's house because he was involved with someone (?)...

Sad to see the poverty there and within the hotel compound, $$$$...."