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Mackenna's Gold

Mackenna's Goldis a 1969 AmericanWesternfilm directed byJ. Lee Thompson,starring anensemble castfeaturingGregory Peck,Omar Sharif,Telly Savalas,Ted Cassidy,Camilla SparvandJulie Newmarin lead roles. It was photographed inSuper Panavision 70andTechnicolorby Joseph MacDonald, with original music byQuincy Jones.

Mackenna's Gold
Theatrical release poster by Howard Terpning
Directed byJ. Lee Thompson
Screenplay byCarl Foreman
Based onMackenna's Gold
1963 novel
byWill Henry
Produced byCarl Foreman
Dimitri Tiomkin
Starring
Narrated byVictor Jory
CinematographyJoseph MacDonald
Edited byBill Lenny
Music byQuincy Jones
Color processTechnicolor
Production
companies
Highroad Productions, Inc.
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release dates
  • March 18, 1969(1969-03-18)(Premiere)
  • May 10, 1969(1969-05-10)(Phoenix)
Running time
128 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million[1]
Box office$41 million (est.)

Mackenna's Goldis based on the novel of the same name byHeck Allenusing thepen nameWill Henry, telling the story of how the lure of gold corrupts a diverse group of people. The novel was loosely based on the legend of theLost Adams Diggings,crediting theFrank Dobieaccount of the legend (Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver) in the author's note. The film was a box-office failure in North America, but went on to become a major success in the Soviet Union and the Indian subcontinent.

Plot

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An old legend tells of a fortune in gold hidden in the "Cañon del Oro" ( "Canyon of Gold" ), later called the "Lost Adams", guarded byApachespirits. A man named Adams is said to have found it when he was young, only to have the Apaches capture and blind him. Years later, Marshal MacKenna is ambushed by Prairie Dog, an old Apache shaman, and is forced to kill him. MacKenna thereby comes into possession of a map to the treasure. He examines it before burning it.

While being tracked by the US Cavalry, Mexican outlaw John Colorado and his gang look for Prairie Dog to get the map. They take shelter in the house of an old judge in Hadleyburg, kill him, and kidnap his daughter, Inga. Colorado captures MacKenna, intending to force him to lead them to the gold. The gang includes Colorado's right-hand man Sanchez and several Indians, among them Apache warrior Hachita and Apache woman Hesh-ke. Hesh-ke and MacKenna were once lovers, but she rejected him after he arrested her brother, who was tried and hanged.

Ben Baker, a gambler who knows Colorado, arrives with townsmen who have learned about Colorado's plans when one of the latter's men got drunk in town and said too much. Colorado is forced to allow them to join his party. The townsmen include the blind Adams himself. MacKenna warns them to return home, that they will get themselves killed searching for gold that does not exist, but Colorado reveals what happened to Prairie Dog, and they stay.

The cavalry, led by Sergeant Tibbs, ambushes the party at a water hole, and most of the gang is killed. The remaining gold hunters continue on their way, while MacKenna and Inga begin to fall in love. A jealous Hesh-Ke now wants MacKenna back.

When the cavalry patrol is whittled down to just Tibbs and two others, Tibbs kills them and joins the gang. After a shoot-out with the Apaches, they reach "Shaking Rock", a feature on the map. According to MacKenna, they will see the canyon the next morning. Mackenna says that he wants his guns and the girl and if there is no gold he still expects that Colorado will keep his word. Colorado reveals that he is not going to waste his share of the gold in bars and clubs but shows Mackenna a copy of the magazineLa Vie Parisienne[a]and Mackenna realizes that Colorado's ambition is to live as a millionaire in Paris. He warns Inga to be alert for any opportunity to escape. When Inga protests that she too wants some gold, he tells her there is no gold, that he has been bluffing.

The next morning, when the first sunlight shines down, the shadow of the pinnacle of "Shaking Rock" starts to move and eventually points to a hidden passageway. On the other side, they see below them a vein of gold in the canyon wall opposite. As everyone races to it, Hesh-ke tries to kill Inga, who fights back, making Hesh-ke fall to her death. MacKenna, suspecting that Colorado does not intend to leave anybody else alive, tries to escape with Inga up the canyon wall. Tibbs is killed by Hachita. Colorado then pulls his gun on Hachita, only to find that it is unloaded. Hachita removed the bullets, as the spirits had told him to do, but turns his back on Colorado, who kills him with a knife.

Colorado pursues MacKenna and Inga, catching up to them at an abandoned Native American dwelling up the cliff. They fight, but are interrupted when Apaches enter the canyon. Their shouts and the pounding of their horses trigger a rockfall which causes the valley floor to buckle and quake. The Apaches flee. The three survivors descend the cliff and ride away, escaping the collapse of the canyon walls, which buries the gold beyond reach.

Colorado warns MacKenna to stay away from him, but MacKenna tells him that he will be coming after him. MacKenna and Inga ride off together, unaware that the saddle bags of the horse MacKenna is riding are stuffed with gold nuggets.

Cast

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Original novel

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The film was based on a novel by Will Henry (pseud. of Heck Allen) which was published in 1963.[2]The novel was based on the legend of theLost Adams Diggings.According to the legend, a teamster named Adams and some prospectors in Arizona were approached by a Mexican Native American named Gotch Ear, who offered to show them a canyon filled with gold. However, in the novel as well as the film, the gang abducts a Marshal named MacKenna to find a way to the Canyon.

The film also adapts elements from another work,Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver(1939) byJ. Frank Dobie,a collection of tales about the fabulous treasures of the Southwest, based on the legend of the "Lost Adams Diggins".

Title

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Although Allen's novel title and hero shared the same spelling of the name "Mackenna", and the film's title according to the studio is "Mackenna's Gold", Peck's character is listed in publicity materials as "MacKenna".

Development

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Film rights were purchased by Highroad Productions, the company of writer-producer Carl Foreman, who had a deal with Columbia. It was Foreman's first Western sinceHigh Noon.[3]

"I feel we should all do a Western from time to time", said Foreman. "It's the gym, the workout for basic cinema. In a sense this one bears a relationship withHigh Noon;it's roughly about the same town 10 or 15 years later and... [the lead role is] Gary Cooper's successor.High Noonnever left town. This one never comes in but the town impinges on the story. "[4]

In April 1965, it was announced that composer Dimitri Tiomkin had joined the company as producer and his first project for the company would beMackenna's Gold.Tiomkin would also do the music.[5]"It was practical appreciation of my efforts", said Tiomkin, who had known Foreman since they served together in the Signal Corps during the war.[6]

In October 1966, Foreman announced he wanted to make the film in the US, where he had not made a movie for almost fifteen years. He originally believed that he would have to make the movie in Spain where it could be done for below the line costs of $2.2 million, while a USA shoot would cost $3.2 million. However, on further research, Foreman felt a US shoot would cost only 10% more than a foreign one.[1]He was persuaded to make the movie in America to use the Grand Canyon.[7](The budget would eventually rise to $7 million.)

In January 1967, it was announced the film would be shot in Cinerama. Columbia provided the finance and J. Lee Thompson would direct.[8]"I've always wanted to do an American Western", said Thompson. "We're taking a big new approach to this one, striving for an over-all presentation, rightly or wrongly, that will appear new – techniques that may now be acceptable when applied to the big screen."[1]

Thompson later called the film "sheer adventure in six-track stereo sound. Absolutely without any 'other dimension'."[9]

Casting

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The first star signed was Omar Sharif, whose casting was announced in February 1967.[10]His fee was $400,000.[11]Sharif said in an Italian interview that he would make this movie for his son, who was more impressed by action films but disapproved of Sharif's string of romantic epics during this part of his career.

Thompson's first choice for the role of MacKenna wasClint Eastwood,who was looking to make an AmericanWesternfilm after his success with theDollarstrilogy. He disliked the script and turned down the movie to play the lead role inHang 'Em High(1968).[12]Steve McQueenwas also considered for the lead role.[13]

A script was sent to Richard Burton who called it "a standard western script... Christ, what a lot of rubbish one reads."[14]

Gregory Peck's casting was announced in March. He had worked with Thompson and Foreman onThe Guns of Navarone.[15]Zero Mostelwas going to play a role but had to pull out due to a scheduling clash withThe Producers.[16]

Julie Newmar signed a long-term deal with Highroad Productions as part of her casting.[17]

Raymond Massey was the last major cast member to join the film.[18]

"This is contemporary without being tricky", said Foreman.[1]

Shooting

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Filming started May 16, 1967 on location in Oregon.

The plan was to show it in single lensCineramawith reserved seat roadshow engagements. Columbia eventually pulled the plug on that idea, andMackenna's Goldwas drastically cut down immediately prior to its release, from nearly three hours (plus an intermission) to just over two hours.[13]

Although most ofMackenna's Goldwas photographed on 65mm stock, a handful of scenes were filmed in 35mm anamorphic.

Locations and props

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Zuñi Mountainswere the locations[19]of digging according to the legend, but the film was shot mainly atGlen CanyonofUtahandCanyon de Chelly[20]ofArizona,specifically Spider Rock. Parts of the film were also shot atKanabCanyon,Paria,Sink Valley, and the Panguitch Fish Hatchery in Utah as well asMedford, Oregon.[21]In the climax scenes, as the sun rises, the shadow of "Shaking Rock"[22]grows longer. In reality, shadows become shorter as the sun rises higher.

The "Old Turkey Buzzard" theme song sequence was shot atBryce Canyonin Utah andMonument Valley,on the Arizona-Utah border. The bird is actually aKing vulturerather than aturkey vulture(buzzard).

Stock footage was used for the waterfall peril in the rafting scene. It is actuallyHigh Forceon theRiver Teesin the northeast of England.[23]

Stills from the scene of Julie Newmar swimming naked in the film were reprinted inPlayboymagazine.[24]

Film School Students: George Lucas

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Foreman allowed four film school graduates – two from USC, two from UCLA – to come on location and make their own short film on or around the shooting ofMackenna's Gold.The filmmakers were Chuck Braverman, who did a documentary on Foreman;George Lucas,who made the short film6-18-67;David MacDougal, who made a documentary on Thompson; and J. David Wyles, who made a film on the wranglers.[25][26][27]Lucas' movie was originally intended to be a making-of documentary.[28]

Lucas felt the films were a ruse by Foreman to get some "cheap, behind the scenes documentary films made" but did it for the chance to direct. His project was supervised bySaul Bass.He was appalled by what he felt was a waste of money on location. Foreman reportedly hated Lucas' short film but was forced to say he liked it in a PBS documentary being made about the project. The film went on to earn a number of awards.[29]

Musical score and soundtrack

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Mackenna's Gold
Soundtrack albumby
Quincy Jones
Released1969
Recorded1969
GenreFilm score
Length37:37
LabelRCA Victor
ABCS-OC-7
ProducerQuincy Jones
Quincy Joneschronology
For Love of Ivy
(1968) 		Mackenna's Gold
(1969) 		The Italian Job
(1969)

The original score and songs of the film were composed and conducted byQuincy Jones,and thesoundtrack albumwas released on theRCA Victorlabel in 1969.[30]The opening song, "Old Turkey Buzzard", is a recurring background theme. It was sung byJosé Felicianoand was composed byQuincy Joneswith lyrics by Freddie Douglas. 'Freddie Douglas' was a pseudonym for writer/producer Carl Foreman.José Felicianoalso plays guitar and adds vocals in many parts of the soundtrack and Spanish version of the theme song "Viejo Butre" for the Spanish-language edition of the movie.

The theme song was used on theLate Show with David Lettermanin 2007 as a random running gag. A 13-second clip would be played after Letterman threw his blue index cards through the "glass" window behind his desk, and was often combined with a video clip of the turkey buzzard soaring in the sky during the movie's opening sequence. Letterman would gradually show increased mock irritation with the clip in discussions with bandleaderPaul Shaffer,while at the same time calling it "exciting, moving, inspirational" and "stirring, haunting, beautiful". The running gag ultimately resulted in Feliciano making a guest appearance on theLate Showon October 16, 2007, singing a longer version of the song (with the buzzard video clip superimposed over him).

Track listing

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All compositions by Quincy Jones

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Overture"4:36
2."Old Turkey Buzzard"2:46
3."Canon del Oro"5:13
4."Waterhole Trek"2:37
5."Reve Parisien"2:40
6."Old Turkey Buzzard(Instrumental version)"2:30
7."Soul Full o Gold"2:40
8."Main Title"3:00
9."Apache Camp"4:36
10."Massacre Montage"2:42
11."Old Turkey Buzzard(Spanish version)"1:30
12."Finale"2:47
Total length:37:37

Personnel

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Release

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The film had its world premiere inMunich, West Germanyon March 18, 1969. It opened inPhoenix, Arizonaon May 10, 1969.[32]

Reception

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Critical response

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The film was not well received by critics and audiences in North America.[13]Mackenna's Goldwas reviewed inThe New York TimesbyVincent Canby,who considered the film an example of "stunning absurdity". He noted: "The structure of the movie is so loose that a narrator (Victor Jory) must be employed from time to time to explain the plot, as if it were a serial. Most surprising in a movie that obviously cost a good deal of money is the sloppy matching of exterior and studio photography with miniature work for special effects."[33] Gregory Peck did not like the film, saying: "Mackenna's Gold was a terrible western. Just wretched."[34]

Box office

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In the United States and Canada, the film earned$3.1 millionintheatrical rentals.[35]This was equivalent to estimatedbox officegross receipts of approximately$10 million.[36]It was a box-office failure in North America. Despite this, the film went on to become a major success in the Soviet Union and theIndian subcontinent.[37]In France, it was the 31st top-grossing film of 1969, selling 1,288,609 tickets,[38]which is equivalent to an estimated4,303,954F($876,254).[b]

The film was popular in the Soviet Union.Mackenna's Goldwas first shown at the VIIIMoscow International Film Festivalin 1973, followed by a cinematic premiere in 1974. The film was viewed by 63 million people and stands fourth in the all-time rankings offoreign film distribution in the Soviet Union.The title song "Old Turkey Buzzard" was dubbed with Russian lyrics byLeonid Derbenyov,a Russian poet and lyricist widely regarded as one of the stalwarts of 20th-century Soviet and Russian pop music. It was performed by then-popular Soviet singerValery Obodzinsky.[39]The film's63 millionticket sales[40]were equivalent to an estimated$30 million.[41]Combined, the film grossed an estimated$40,876,254in North America, France and the Soviet Union.

Mackenna's Goldwas and remains a very successful film in India.[37]It remained thetop Hollywood grosser in India,until blockbusters likeJurassic Park(1993) andTitanic(1997) came along. Even worldwide, hits such asJaws(1975) andStar Wars(1977) would not make as much money in India asMackenna's Golddid. The film went through countless re-runs until well into the 1980s and could be seen in cinema halls across India, including small venues in the medium-size towns ofNorthandSouth India.[37]

Awards

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Quincy Jones was nominated for aGrammy Awardfor best original score written for a motion picture or a television special.[42]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^abcdChamplin, Charles (October 10, 1966). "Foreman Hopes to Reverse Runaway".Los Angeles Times.p. C23.
  2. ^"Good Guys and Bad Guys Oehler, C M.".Chicago Tribune.March 31, 1963. p. i8.
  3. ^Blume, Mary (June 16, 1968). "Blacklist Spins 'Gold' for Carl Foreman".Los Angeles Times.p. c16.
  4. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (July 23, 1967). "It's Back to the Old West for Basics in Movie Action: Old West---Film's Home ground".Los Angeles Times.p. c1.
  5. ^Martin, Betty (April 26, 1965). "CALL SHEET: 'Runaway' Actor Man in a Hurry".Los Angeles Times.p. d11.
  6. ^Champlin, Charles (February 19, 1967). "Tiomkin: Tovarich of Cinema".Los Angeles Times.p. 12.
  7. ^Palmer, Raymond (February 1, 1967). "Producer Carl Foreman to Return to Hollywood".Los Angeles Times.p. e9.
  8. ^Martin, Betty (January 30, 1967). "'Gold' Will Be in Cinerama ".Los Angeles Times.p. d21.
  9. ^Thomas, Kevin (February 6, 1969). "'Chairman' Shot in Crossfire ".Los Angeles Times.p. h13.
  10. ^Martin, Betty (February 13, 1967). "Coppola to Direct 'Rainbow'".Los Angeles Times.p. c23.
  11. ^Haber, Joyce (March 31, 1969). "Lemmon to Direct Filming of 'Kotch'".Los Angeles Times.p. g23.
  12. ^Schickel, Richard (1996).Clint Eastwood: A Biography.Knopf. p. 185.
  13. ^abcSmith, Richard Harland."Mackenna's Gold".Turner Classic Movies.Archived fromthe originalon August 14, 2010.RetrievedAugust 22,2016.
  14. ^Burton, Richard (September 26, 1966).Richard Burton Diaries.
  15. ^Martin, Betty (March 22, 1967). "'Gold' for Gregory Peck ".Los Angeles Times.p. e16.
  16. ^martin, betty (May 22, 1967). "Terence Stamp Heads 'Cow' Cast".Los Angeles Times.p. d23.
  17. ^Martin, Betty (September 6, 1967). "Julie Newmar Signs Pact".Los Angeles Times.p. e11.
  18. ^Martin, Betty (May 24, 1967). "Roles for 2 Oscar Nominees".Los Angeles Times.p. e9.
  19. ^"Movie locations for Mackenna's Gold."ArchivedMay 22, 2012, at theWayback MachineFilmapia.com.Retrieved: August 22, 2016.
  20. ^"Movie location: Canyan De Chelly."ArchivedOctober 8, 2011, at theWayback MachineFilmapia.com.Retrieved: August 22, 2016.
  21. ^D'Arc, James V. (2010).When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah(1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith.ISBN9781423605874.
  22. ^"Movie scene: Shaking Rock Shadow."ArchivedMay 24, 2012, at theWayback MachineFilmapia.com.Retrieved: August 22, 2016.
  23. ^"MacKenna's Gold 1969".Movie-Locations.Archivedfrom the original on November 11, 2018.RetrievedJuly 9,2020.
  24. ^"There was Once an Indian Maid".Playboy.May 1968. pp.89–91.
  25. ^Champlin, Charles (November 13, 1967). "Four Filmmakers Film a Filming".Los Angeles Times.p. c25.
  26. ^greenwood, noel (August 31, 1967). "Young Moviemaker Concentrates on Grist".Los Angeles Times.p. ws12.
  27. ^Baxter 1999, pp. 76–78.
  28. ^Wickman, Forrest (March 23, 2012)."Watch the Early Art-House Documentaries of George Lucas".Slate Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2019.RetrievedOctober 17,2019.
  29. ^Baxter, John (1999).Mythmaker.Spike. pp.77–78.
  30. ^Soundtrack Collector: album entryArchivedJanuary 29, 2018, at theWayback Machineaccessed January 29, 2018
  31. ^"MACKENNA'S GOLD".Library of Congress.Archivedfrom the original on July 16, 2022.RetrievedJuly 16,2022.
  32. ^"'Mackenna's Gold' Launching Pattern ".Variety.March 5, 1969. p. 28.
  33. ^Canby, Vincent."Movie review; The screen: 'Mackenna's Gold' in Apache Country."ArchivedAugust 28, 2016, at theWayback MachineThe New York Times,June 19, 1969.
  34. ^Hannan, Brian (March 11, 2024)."Behind the Scenes: Mackenna's Gold (1969)".themagnificent60s.com.
  35. ^"Big Rental Films of 1969".Variety,January 7, 1970, p. 15.
  36. ^Vogel, Harold L. (2010)."Table 3.4. Motion picture theater industry statistics, 1965–2009".Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis.Cambridge University Press. pp.88–9.ISBN978-1-139-49732-9.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2023.RetrievedJuly 15,2020.1965 (...) MPAA U.S. + Canadian rentals % of BO (...) 29.8
  37. ^abcBhaumik, Kaushik."Old is Not Just Gold, It's Mackenna's Gold".The Indian Quarterly – A Literary & Cultural Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon June 14, 2014.
  38. ^"MacKenna's Gold (1969) – France".JP's Box-Office(in French).Archivedfrom the original on July 16, 2020.RetrievedJuly 16,2020.
  39. ^Calic et al.2011, p.102.ArchivedMay 22, 2023, at theWayback Machine
  40. ^Sergey Kudryavtsev(July 4, 2006)."Зарубежные фильмы в советском кинопрокате".Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2019.RetrievedDecember 12,2018.
  41. ^"Cinema Going".The Asian Messenger.1–4.Center for Communication Studies,Chinese University of Hong Kong:2. 1975.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2023.RetrievedJuly 16,2020.In Russia, where a movie ticket costs about 47 US cents, there are 154,200 cinemas
  42. ^"Quincy Jones".Grammy Awards.Archivedfrom the original on January 11, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 12,2021.

Footnotes

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  1. ^More specifically, the 1872 edition.
  2. ^SeeBox office § Average ticket price.

Bibliography

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  • Baxter, John.Mythmaker: The Life and Work of George Lucas.New York: William Morrow, 1999.ISBN0-380-97833-4.
  • Calic, Marie-Janine, Dietmar Neutatz and Julia Obertreis.The Crisis of Socialist Modernity: The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia in the 1970s.Göttingen, Germany: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2011.ISBN978-3-5253-1042-7.
  • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom(DVD). Paramount Pictures Home Video. 2008.
  • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade(DVD). So Paramount Pictures Home Video. 2008.
  • Kline, Sally.George Lucas: Interviews(Conversations with Filmmakers Series). Jackson, Mississippi: University of Mississippi Press, 1999.ISBN1-57806-125-3.
  • Mackenna's Gold(DVD). Sony Pictures Home Video. 2000.
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark(VHS). Paramount Pictures Home Video. 1999.
  • Salewicz, Chris.George Lucas: Close Up – The Making of His Movies.New York: Da Capo Press 1999.ISBN1-56025-202-2.
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