Post by Brad Nelson on Jun 1, 2020 7:22:25 GMT -8
I read that Mackenna’s Gold was a yuge mega-hit in many places, including parts of Europe where it was one of the top-grossing films of all time until fairly recently. I may have seen parts of this in the past but I’m sure I’ve never sat down and watched the whole thing.
It’s a beautifully photographed Western. The cast is made up of all-stars with Gregory Peck leading the bunch and Omar Sharif as the main bad guy. They’re all in search of a legendary valley filled with gold. This is an Apache legion and it is said that the Apache Spirits protect this valley.
A few of the shots are hokey. At the time, speeded-up footage was thought to be a way to add excitement but it looks extremely dated now. The obvious blue-screen shots look terrible as well. And despite the gorgeous natural scenery they use, in a couple shots it looked as if they were trying to add to the scenery with some painted backgrounds. Bad idea.
But mostly this does roll along as a good adventure set in the Old West.
Ted Cassidy (Lurch) plays a particularly dangerous looking Indian who is partners with Omar Sharif who, this time, is playing a Mexican bandit. Sharif runs into an old Lawrence of Arabia buddy, Anthony Quayle. But most of this all-star cast is in the movie only for a very short time.
Julie Newmar plays the smoking’-hot Indian broad with an attitude, Hesh-Ke. She and Sheriff Mackenna (Peck) used to have a thing. And she doesn’t like the idea of the hot little blond, Inga (Camilla Sparv) making eyes at him. A cat fight can and does ensue.
I believe this is the kind of movie where the flaws are easier to overlook. Mainly this is a Peck/Sharif movie and it works on that level. The movie is meant to be a spectacle, not particularly to make a lot of sense.
It’s a beautifully photographed Western. The cast is made up of all-stars with Gregory Peck leading the bunch and Omar Sharif as the main bad guy. They’re all in search of a legendary valley filled with gold. This is an Apache legion and it is said that the Apache Spirits protect this valley.
A few of the shots are hokey. At the time, speeded-up footage was thought to be a way to add excitement but it looks extremely dated now. The obvious blue-screen shots look terrible as well. And despite the gorgeous natural scenery they use, in a couple shots it looked as if they were trying to add to the scenery with some painted backgrounds. Bad idea.
But mostly this does roll along as a good adventure set in the Old West.
Ted Cassidy (Lurch) plays a particularly dangerous looking Indian who is partners with Omar Sharif who, this time, is playing a Mexican bandit. Sharif runs into an old Lawrence of Arabia buddy, Anthony Quayle. But most of this all-star cast is in the movie only for a very short time.
Julie Newmar plays the smoking’-hot Indian broad with an attitude, Hesh-Ke. She and Sheriff Mackenna (Peck) used to have a thing. And she doesn’t like the idea of the hot little blond, Inga (Camilla Sparv) making eyes at him. A cat fight can and does ensue.
I believe this is the kind of movie where the flaws are easier to overlook. Mainly this is a Peck/Sharif movie and it works on that level. The movie is meant to be a spectacle, not particularly to make a lot of sense.
