Mackenna's Gold (1969) User Reviews

A curious serial-like Western melodrama packed with stars and pretensions above its situation

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 17 July 2005]

The film opens with a narration by Victor Jory about an Apache legend: a hidden canyon, guarded by the Apache gods and rich with gold… As long as the Apaches kept the canyon a secret and never touched the gold, they would be strong and powerful…

Marshal Mackenna (Gregory Peck) wasted three years chasing that wild goose… He immediately knew the place and identified it as 'Shaking Rock' but insisted to the old Apache dying chief who was keeping the map that there is no gold around there: "The only dust I found was prairie dust!"

Before the chief dies, Mackenna destroys the map, confident it is a myth…

When the ludicrous Mexican bandit Colorado (Omar Sharif) appears on the scene with his gang, and discovers the useless burned map, he took Mackenna—his living map—to his hideout in a little box canyon and forced him to lead him to the legendary canyon…

Colorado's gang includes Hesh-Ke (Julie Newmar), an attractively jealous Apache woman who was once involved with Mackenna, Hachita (Ted Cassidy), a strong and deadly Apache warrior, and a captive girl called Inga (Camilla Sparv), daughter of a murdered judge who put a price on Colorado's head…

Along the way, the group is joined by 'good' citizens, dirty scheming ambitious men, a lot of bronco Apaches on the prowl, and the U.S. Cavalry after anybody and everybody… Probably after the gold too…

"Mackenna's Gold" remains a curious serial-like Western melodrama packed with stars and pretensions above its situation… The script completely wastes the fine cast… On a lower level, it is quite enjoyable… Julie Newmar is a delight, a natural beauty and a distinct "presence" that immediately captivates the audience… There are scenic location shots of the vastness of the desert, exciting action scenes, pretty spectacular scenes of danger but all hampered by frustrating special effects

5 out of 5 action rating

[scheelj · 8/10 · 22 July 2012]

See it – This is "Indiana Jones" disguised as a western. It is overflowing with action and adventure as a group of outlaws, Indians, soldiers, townspeople, and a sheriff played by Gregory Peck search for fabled treasure in the old west. The impressive cast also includes Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Eli Wallach, Edward G. Robinson, and Lee Cobb. Although most movies during this time period were very family friendly, be aware that in addition to some violence, this movie has one of the first female nude scenes in a western. So keep it in mind before watching it with the kiddos. But if you are looking for a movie with non-stop action, this is one of the most action-packed, epic westerns you'll ever see. You've got Indian fights, cavalry fights, gunfights, knife fights, tomahawk fights, and…belt fights? No joke.

Spectacular Western with stellar cast and breathtaking outdoors

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 31 December 2009]

This is one of the major movies of 1969 . It is a marvelously rambling frontier fable packed with extraordinary incidents, amazing encounters , nasty characters and virtuous rewards . It follows a sheriff (Gregory Peck) and a group of ambitious men (formed by all star cast : Omar Shariff , Elli Wallach, Lee J. Cobb, Edward G. Robinson, Raymond Massey, Keenan Wynn and many others) in search for gold in a big lost canyon and being pursued by soldiers(Telly Savalas) and Indians.

This is an overwhelming Matinée Western plenty of intrigue, double-crosses, gold-lust clichés, adventures and action-packed especially in its final part ; ending in an abrupt, ironic denouement. The film is an exciting story though disjointed and with numerous loose ends ; it is originally written by Carl Foreman and based on the novel by Will Henry. Some ridiculous especial effects such as the bridge scenes at the beginning and abundant matte paintings. Furthermore, contains excessive use of absurd transparency. Packs a colorful and glimmer cinematography in Panavision , shot at Monument Valley from Arizona and Utah. Moving and stirring musical score by Quincy Jones with today classic songs by Jose Feliciano. The film is lavishly produced by Carl Foreman who formerly produced some excellent movies . The motion picture is regularly directed by J.L. Thompson (1914-2002) during his splendorous and successful time in the 60s, when he directed ¨Cape fear¨, ¨Taras Bulba¨ and ¨Guns of Navarone¨; though in his last period he only directed Charles Bronson vehicles, such as ¨Death wish 4¨, ¨Kinjite¨, ¨St. Ives¨,¨Messenger of Death¨, among others. This delicious embarrassing movie will appeal to Gregory Peck devotees. Rating : 6'5 , acceptable and passable.

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

[dfarhie-1 · 12 June 2003]

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

60s Pop Epic & Pure Escapist Fun

[Derutterj-1 · 7/10 · 23 November 2006]

I have very fond memories of seeing Columbia's "MacKenna's Gold" before it was even released, as a sneak preview in Washington, DC. It was a glorious throwback even then. Critics at the time (as well as other commentators on this page) have noted the cheesy insertion of phony "exteriors" and I did too at the time, as well as scenes like a conversation between Gregory Peck and someone where actual location medium shots were inter-cut with studio ones against a rear projection screen. OK. But we must remember that some of the craftsmen involved here cut their teeth on large-scale color features of the 40s and 50s, and this is how they made the big ones then (examples: the second unit cameraman's first credit dates back to 1931; Art Director Cary Odell had been working at this studio, and no other, since 1942).

As for the continuity and motivational problems, I didn't notice any of them; perhaps I saw a version before trimming. But even I, at the age of 18, winced at the hokey Turkey Buzzard title song, Omar Shariff looked and sounded funny and out-of-place in a Western, and Italian character actor Eduardo Ciannelli, as the dying Indian Peck finds in the wilderness (who passes along his plot-motivating secret), was comically miscast, but once again, this is how such things were done in those days. This was indeed twilight time for the old Hollywood. The same year, "Once Upon A Time In The West" and "The Wild Bunch" would change the Western forever.

But bad special effects? "MacKenna's Gold" was supposed to be exhibited in Cinerama, but the studio executives abandoned that idea in favor of a general release, which would still be in…..

SUPER PANAVISION 70...!

You had to be there, in that old movie palace in downtown Washington, on that day to see those "cheesy" special effects through those young eyes on that ultra wide screen. The desperate ride down the sides of the canyon wall, seen from the riders' points of view, (with the two competing women fighting it out, until Julie Newmar takes the Big Fall) and the climactic collapse of the canyon itself, was thunderously, unexpectedly, thrillingly vivid! I left the darkness vibrating with excitement. Of course my preview comment card reflected my youthful approval! Corny? Over-the-top? Hammily written and acted? Sure, but like I said, you had to be there….

exceptionally uneven

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 4 March 2006]

This movie has just about as much wrong with it as right. While the plot involving greed and a search for gold is excellent and there was a good movie underneath it all, several things help to derail the production and keep this from being a better film--despite its wonderful cast. First, the beginning and ending song by Jose Feliciano is very dated and very annoying. I hated it thoroughly. Second, a lot of really fine character actors enter the film and unfortunately, in most cases, they die so quickly and without making much of an impact on the film, it's a real waste. Third, the ending is great if you have a strong ability to suspend disbelief AND you believe in a lot of spiritual mumbo jumbo. I didn't and so I thought the ending was pretty dopey. Gregory Peck is fine in the film, as always, but I thought it very odd that they cast Omar Sharif as a Mexican and Ted Cassidy and Julie Newmar as American Indians but this is only a minor quibble.

A beautiful western in the genre's twilight

[NewEnglandPat · 6/10 · 9 August 2003]

This grand, sprawling western is an entertaining picture with mega cast names that results in an enjoyable adventure. Gregory Peck and Omar Sharif are the main adversaries here as a diverse group of ranchers, soldiers and assorted types search for a hidden canyon of gold in Indian country. The expensive production has several cameo appearances of stars well past their prime and a message about greed and the corrupting influence of gold fever and the risks people take to acquire untold wealth. There are two women in the story, one to meet the romance requirement while the other represents pure menace. The great beauty of the American west is the highlight of the picture as the plot plays out against the deserts, mountains and canyons of the great southwest. Indians are the main danger but the party of whites have their share of infighting with gun fights, chases and double crosses. The film was one of Hollywood's last great screen westerns.

Good old cowboy yarn.. adventure etc..

[davewigan-43321 · 6/10 · 24 October 2018]

Have to say this movie must have been a nightmare to make and work on..it's got a massive all top notch cast..and I'm sure top crew and technical ..for1969... it's entertaining but..it switches all the way through from actual location footage..in the desert etc..to studio matched and what I assume is/ was back projection stuff..! Sets to location..back to location and sets..in the edit I suppose.. so editors must have had a hard job.. plus the actors.. all the close ups are back projection..mainly..and long shots in the real location..I wouldn't be surprised if they used standings..as long shots are hard to tell who's who...and obviously stunts are all stunt people.. maybe it's just1969 or the director who cut it like this..but by modern standards it's a bit ropey".. but..it still stands up as a good action movie..seeking the gold etc.. I was surprised all the big stars got shot in the cavalry ambush..but.I suppose it saved the massive budget a bit... bits of saucy nudity in bits in the watering hole.. but the way it's shot ..results in a slightly surreal" experience! It also cuts between lots of not too bad model shots.. the horse on the rope bridge..and the watering hole mountains..obviously we are used to cgi these days.. this is reminiscent of thunderbirds".. luckily they edited it so quick you hardly notice..ha.. watering hole was definitely a studio tank..undercut maybe with a real waterhole... I wrote this because it struck me as so disjointed and rather strange I figured others must have picked up on it.. it's not bad for a 60s biggish budget movie.. Saturday afternoon tv movie.. anyone like to comment??. I think I'll leave it there!.. good old Gregory peck..he holds it all together with his charisma. Aplomb..grit and understated acting.. a true star... sadly no more.....

fast paced western based on a treasure hunt story

[biyer · 9/10 · 7 April 2006]

This movie will always remain a favorite on my list. I am surprised that it received such a low rating on this board. It deserves its rightful place as one of the best western movies ever made.

The cast is good with some powerful performances including Gregory Pack as the small town sheriff who accidentally stumbles onto a treasure map leading to a gold mine protected by the Apache Indians. The outdoor locations in this movie (with The Grand Canyon as the back drop) are simply breath-taking.

The story is fast paced with lot of action scenes including some thrilling footage of high speed horse chases. If you like western genre, don't miss this one. You will not be disappointed. It has everything - story, cast, locations, horses, shooting and a very happy ending.

Greed is a terrible thing to waste .......

[merklekranz · 7/10 · 19 February 2020]

Human nature's bad side is amply on display in this greed motivated Western. Gregory Peck is the only non believer in a lost canyon of gold, with everyone else in the fantastic cast blinded by gold fever. Rarely do you get such an ensemble of wonderful actors in the same film, but MacKenna's Gold certainly does. The film is magnificently photographed, taking full advantage of the wide Southwest vistas. One intriguing photographic technique is the horses eye view as they gallop down the canyon. There are some excellent miniatures used to good advantage, without any cartoon like C.G.I. to get in the way. The story is a straight forward search for treasure with everyone's share getting bigger as competitors are killed off. Special mention must be made of Julie Newmar as the sexiest Indian ever on film. Her nude scene is surprising and a definite highlight. - MERK

what a letdown!

[alexgreig · 5/10 · 10 February 2007]

For all fans of the genre, this should have been the Western epic's last hurrah. All the ingredients are right - Gregory Peck, Carl Foreman, score by Dimitri Tiomkin, vocals from Jose Feliciano, veteran Hollywood stars like Edward G Robinson and Raymond Massey, spectacular scenery, marauding Indians, lost gold, and a nude Julie Newmar. Instead we get a chaotic shambles, with wooden acting, dire script, ridiculous characterisation,uneven editing, preposterous storyline, crude special effects and scientific impossibilities (shadows lengthening when the sun rises). What can we salvage from this? Gregory Peck as always provides gravitas, although the poor man must have wondered why he signed on the dotted line. The scenery certainly is wonderful, and Dimitri Tiomkin delivers as always. But the rest of the film crumbles in a heap, rather like the climactic earthquake.

Disaster western

[searchanddestroy-1 · 9/10 · 21 July 2022]

And what a coincidence that the director is the same who gave us GUNS OF NAVARRONE, which was the gigantism in the war movie. Excellent time waster, if not necessarily awesome, but tense, jawdropping, with many characters, as in a disaster movie from the next decade, the seventies. Terrific settings, special effects - very rare for a western - and we can say that this western is the equivalent of GUNS OF NAVARONNE, not concerning the story of course, but in the story telling, film making, budget. The climax is obviously the highlight of this unforgettable western, though not the best ever. From the same ambition DNA as John Sturges' HALLELUJAH TRAIL, made in the same period. But the question that I ask each time I watch this unusual disaster western, is : why Omar Shariff climbed after Gregory peck and the girl instead of running away with his share of gold? And the final fate of bad guy Shariff is also the biggest surprise of the whole.

A Movie Ahead Of It's Time

[Akash_Menon · 7/10 · 27 June 2020]

Rating: 7

A beautiful movie which was marked as a box office flop but gained popularity overseas. It remained a top Hollywood grosser in India beating even Jaws. The movie brings forth a stellar cast of Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Julie Newmar, Eli Wallach and so many others. It is a fairly simple driven story which is about a search for the valley of gold or as they say "Canon Del Oro".

The Good - The power packed performances and cameos in the movie make it a must watch. The cinematography seems to be ahead of it's time considering the year to be 1969. I like how the film touches upon the themes of greed and betrayal and the vices of the human nature. The song "Old Turkey Buzzard" composed by Quincy Jones is heard throughout the movie and way too catchy.

The Bad - Some bits of the movie seem stretchy, it could have been shortened. Other than that I didn't find anything wrong with the movie.

Mackenna's Gold is a classic film packed with notable actors which makes it a must watch. The runtime is around 2 hours which I believe could have been shortened but do watch this movie for it's cinematography and effects.

A ridiculous waste of talent

[funkyfry · 4/10 · 6 September 2009]

Gregory Peck is Mackenna, a one-time gambler who's settled down as the Marshall in a small desert town. Rumors of a lost Apache valley full of gold causes a mass rush that catches both the best and worst elements of the town up in its force. His nemesis Colorado (Omar Sharif) is the chief ringleader, responsible for kidnapping the local judge's daughter (Camilla Sparv) and Mackenna after Mackenna destroys the only map to the valley.

By far the strangest thing about this movie is the way that so many great character actors are basically wasted in tiny roles. I see no reason for the townspeople, who only play in one scene, to be performed by actors of the caliber of Lee J. Cobb, Burgess Meredith, Ray Massey, Eli Wallach, and Edward G. Robinson. It seems to me like a gimmick, a trick to make the audience think that the film will be full of great stars when in actual fact they only paid them for what looks like a couple days' work. The big roles in the film go to incompetent performers like Sparv, or to the stale theatrics of a born TV actor like Savalas (who looks incredibly odd and uncomfortable with his tiny fat legs perched on a huge stallion). Only the excellent Sharif is able to do anything really memorable or interesting with his character, and that's a bit of a stretch since the character himself is so typical. Peck is fine, but that's about it. He has none of the fire or passion that fueled his best western performance in "Duel in the Sun" here. Poor Julie Newmar is stuck as a mute with brown makeup on as an evil Apache woman.

Another odd thing about the movie is the way it consciously evokes Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia", a far better film. The landscape shots are fantastic, but the shots of Sharif riding through the desert ring a note of deja vu. And it can't be a coincidence that Anthony Quayle shows up in the movie. I half expected Peter O'toole or Alec Guinness to make a cameo towards the end.

There's nothing horribly wrong with the film or bad about it as simple entertainment. But considering the cast assembled and the money that was spent, it's very underwhelming. The story is rather dull and predictable, the direction is bland and impersonal. This is simply functional western film-making of the kind that killed the genre.

The worlds first Sci-Fi Western

[seashellz · 28 November 1999]

Its got everything! Two fisted action! Gorgeous females! Catfights! Gregory Peck! Camilla Sparve! a Whos Who of yesterdays character actors! Hokey dialog! Excellent Special Effects! Great scenery! Ultra-Panavision™! Directed by the guy who did Bridge Over River Kwai! ah well, according to several sources this movie was supposed to be over 3 hours long, and was going to come out as a Cinerama-type Road Show...but the days of that were dying and Columbia got cold feet, so it was cut to a little over 2 hours; There are some minor differences between 35 and 70mm prints; This movie is a hoot-see it!

This Movie Is 100% Crazy

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 5 July 2004]

MACKENNA`S GOLD has got to be one of the craziest movies I`ve ever seen . Watching this I was very worried that someone had spiked my local water supply with LSD

The opening title sequence alone sets off warning bells with the music being very similar to a sixties spy shows like THE MAN FROM UNCLE . After the bizarre title sequence comes an even more bizarre opening scene featuring an expositional voice over complete with a corny song called " Turkey Buzzard ". Structure wise this is somewhat similar to the opening of NO BLADE OF GRASS released a year later but in terms of execution it resembles THE DUKES OF HAZZARD . " Well lookee here if it ain`t Boss Hogg come to get his hands on Apache gold " . This voice over keeps appearing when you least expect it to .

As the film moves on to the story proper more and more ridiculous things take centre stage . People have already mentioned the choppy editing like the bridge sequence and the river scene , but throughout the movie we see characters in one scene only for them to appear in a following scene which does seem to interfere with the time frame , and there`s some very jarring cuts from studio exteriors to location filming which is laughable , not to mention the long shots of characters riding on horses which cut to actors bouncing up and down on an imaginary horse against back projection

There`s also a subplot about half way through where a load of characters are introduced who want to find a legendary valley of lost gold . Many of these characters are played by big name actors ( They don`t come much bigger than Edward G Robinson ) which led me to shriek " Hey I know where this is heading . They`re all going to slit each others throats to get the gold " . Logically a film should play out like this but you`ll never see a film less logical than MACKENNA`S GOLD because most of these characters are written out in the next scene . I`ve no idea why the producers did this or why they decided to cast so many big names for something that accounts for one cameo sequence . The fact this movie cost seven million dollars ( A big budget for a movie in those days ) and has very poor production values makes me believe most of the money was spent on the cameo performances . Talking of production values why has no one mentioned the outrageous and sidesplitting revealing mistake of the stuffed dummy falling off the cliff ?

The climax takes place in a valley of gold and again there`s very little logic involved . The hero Mackenna doesn`t want any part in it so decides to escape after he arrives there . If that`s the case then why has he spent the whole movie telling everyone he doesn`t know where the valley is ? Did he know where it was or doesn`t he ? And if he knows where it is but didn`t want to show the bad guys the location what was stopping him from waiting till everyone was asleep and running off ? As everyone else seems to have noticed the last twenty minutes of the movie seem to have been inspired by if not mystical mumbo jumbo then at least by illegal substances

Production wise MACKENNA`S GOLD is an awful film , but I couldn`t help but enjoy it . it`s a turkey for sure but it`s a turkey buzzard that earns seven out of ten for entertainment value

Unintentionally funny

[Rob_Taylor · 6/10 · 7 July 2004]

Looking through the cast list, you might be forgiven for thinking that this film will be a rare treat. Well, it is, but not for the reasons you might imagine.

Most of the big name stars don't appear until about 3/4 of the way through the movie, and then only last for a few scenes (literally) before they are removed permanently from the film. Perhaps the intent was to have all these people show up and then savagely remove them to shake the viewer's complacency. Who knows? Anyway, my partner went to make a cup of tea and when she came back the likes of Edward G Robinson, Anthony Quayle, Lee J Cobb, Burgess Meredith and Co had all vanished. It was such a surprise that she looked at me accusingly, like I'd had something to do with it! So be warned, blink and you might miss them.

Regardless, it was nice to see so many famous faces in one film. I'd find it difficult to name a modern film where such an array of talent was assembled for a film, much less one where half of that talent is removed almost indifferently after a few scenes.

Anyway, I said this film was a treat, and it is. Seeing all those old faces from the good old days of cinema is pleasure enough. But combine it with a hokey story and hilarious effects and it's just a treasure.

My favourite of the lame effects has to be the back-projection horse riding sequences. These are just so funny to watch. Odd to think that at one point we wouldn't have batted an eyelid at them. How time, and technology, have moved on since those simpler days. Also watch out for the canyon collapse scene and the stop-motion mule on the bridge.

It's also great to see Lurch (Ted Cassidy) in quite a prominent role here as Hachita, the Indian guide (you could still call them Indians in those days). He doesn't really look much like an Apache, but who cares!

Apart from the hokum and silly effects the movie only made me scowl at one point. You see, there's this big rock spire and when the sun rises, see, the shadow points to where the hidden canyon is. Or that's the line you're fed. However, nobody apparently seemed to care that, as the sun gets higher, shadows get shorter in real life. So here we're treated to the rising sun casting longer and longer shadows. Or rather, just the rock spire's shadow. All the other shadows didn't change at all that I could see. A pointless oversight that could have been remedied by changing the line "rising sun" to "setting sun". Ah well.

Overall it's a standard treasure hunt story with a few big names doing it. Others have already mentioned the similarities to the Indiana Jones stories, so I won't go into them. The only real sub-plot concerns the identity of the female hostage of Omar Sharif and how to keep it a secret from him.

The movie is worth a watch as it'll have you smiling most of the way through.

A game of two halves

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 28 October 2012]

Marshall Mackenna (Gregory Peck) becomes the recipient of the location of a legendary hidden valley of gold. This makes him of considerable interest to assorted individuals who believe the legend to be true (Mackenna doesn't), chief among whom is outlaw Colorado (Omar Sharif).

This 1969 western is a curious mix of extremes - when it's good, it is very good, and when it's bad it is truly awful. The workmanlike story is perfectly serviceable (if a little overburdened with sidetracks), but the script is abominable. The extensive cast is peppered with high profile names, but most of them have little to do while the obscure and uninspired Camilla Sparv is on screen through the latter two thirds of the film. The scenery is eye-catching and spectacular, but there are big chunks which are heavily (and obviously) studio-bound. The action is mostly pretty good, but the special effects are lamentable (poor rear projection, standard ratio shots unsqueezed, out of focus model work etc.).

Peck is his usual upright self, and Sharif has fun chewing the scenery. Most of the support cast is OK, and Julie (Catwoman) Newmar as a moody Apache woman with her own agenda, puts in sterling service with a nekkid dip in a mountain pool.

Not as bad as it sounds

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 23 July 2018]

MACKENNA'S GOLD is a typical American western made with Leone's epic of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY in mind; this influence is clear both in the film's epic length and in some of the staging which is very Leone-esque at times. The story is quite simple, involving Gregory Peck's lawman being taken captive by Omar Sharif's bandit and forced to lead him to a legendary desert location said to hide a fortune in gold. A huge amount of famous faces pop up in support, including the likes of Eli Wallach, Anthony Quayle and Edward G. Robinson, but they're oddly underutilised. Apparently there were some problems during the film's production which resulted in an hour of the running time being chopped out, which leaves some problems in the plot and the like. Still, it's a well-shot yarn and there are some good scenes here, so it's not all bad.

Mackenna's Gold

[adam6194 · 10/10 · 26 January 2005]

I first saw this film a few months ago on TV and i thought it was so good i bought it on DVD.Now I'm not really a fan of westerns but this film really got me interested in them.The Film is set in the Arizona territory of the 1870's. Gregory Peck is brilliant as Sam Mackenna who is the only living person who knows the torturous route to the fabulous "canon del oro." During his journey Mackenna is captured by Colorado played by the great Omar Shariff, a brutal Mexican bandit who has long sought his death. But, if Mackenna is to lead the cut-throat gang to the lost treasure, Colorado must keep him alive. En route, Mackenna and the outlaw band are joined by renegade soldiers, vengeful Indians, cold-blooded killers and "gentlemen from town" As they near golden canyon, all but Mackenna are swept by a sudden fever - the naked greed for Gold. Mackenna's Gold is one of the most exciting Westerns ever made.

Best viewed as disposable time-waster.

[fletch5 · 6/10 · 2 July 2002]

It must be pointed out that "Mackenna's Gold" is a heavily flawed movie. From a technical viewpoint, it constantly borders on the inept. The rear projections stick out quite embarrassingly (especially when the actors are pretending to be riding) and the bits of sped-up film look pretty laughable. Others have also mentioned the sloppy editing and the poorly executed earthquake in the film's finale, clearly done with models.

Despite the numerous shortcomings, I have to admit I found myself enjoying the film to some extent. The story keeps moving along at a good enough pace and several veteran actors (Edward G. Robinson, Burgess Meredith, and others) pop up to keep the viewer interested. However, it's quite astonishing to learn that this was made by mostly the same people who were involved in the masterful "Guns of Navarone"... I wonder what happened?

Masochistic western...ridiculous, overblown, and generally miscast

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 28 July 2010]

In 1874 Arizona, a marshal is bushwhacked by an elderly Apache Indian chief carrying a treasure map detailing the whereabouts of a hidden valley of gold; upon the chief's demise, the marshal (who has memorized the map and destroyed it) becomes the prisoner/reluctant ally of a bloodthirsty outlaw and his men who want the gold all for themselves. Trimmed by Columbia Pictures before its release from a three-hour length down to just over two hours, "Mackenna's Gold" features a simple-minded narration by Victor Jory--ostensibly to fill us in on the bothersome story details--but the filmmakers needn't have gone to so much trouble, because their picture is a catastrophe anyway. The Super Panavision 70 vistas are breathtaking to behold (as are the roller-coaster point-of-view shots from the galloping horses), but the intermingled studio footage is an eyesore by comparison, and the film has some of the choppiest editing I've ever seen in a major motion picture. Worse, the strong cast of supporting players are mostly used for target practice, allowing maniacal killer Omar Sharif to practically own the film's entire second-half. Sharif is game but he isn't convincing, and his character Colorado falls prey to some glaring gaps of logic in Carl Foreman's messy screenplay. As the stalwart marshal, Gregory Peck looks understandably sheepish--not even two attractive females in the group rouse his excitement. The finale is a jaw-dropping display of effects, noise, and brutality, and it makes no more sense than the rest of the picture, yet interest is sustained (incredibly) and one is apt to feel they have witnessed something here. Something most definitely wrong-headed, but peculiarly intriguing nonetheless. ** from ****

An unusual, exhilarating adventure about the quest for the canyon of gold

[coltras35 · 10/10 · 29 March 2021]

The summary: Ambushed in the desert, Sheriff Mackenna shoots an old Apache chief- but before he dies the Indian entrusts Mackenna with a map to the legendary Valley of Gold. After burning the map, Mackenna alone carries the secret. Under pressure from Colorado, a ruthless bandit, played charismatically by Omar Sharif, Mackenna joins a gang on a hazardous journey to the lost valley.

Some people criticise this star-studded western, claiming it doesn't live up to the heights of classic westerns such as High Noon, Shane and the Searchers, and in a way they are right because Mackenna's Gold has nothing in common with those aforementioned classics - it's an adventure western, an unusual one at that; matter of fact, the beauty of the film that it isn't a western in a strictest sense, but an exhilarating, briskly-paced fantasy about a bunch of characters on a quest for gold - it has more in common with Indiana Jones films than High Noon. If you enjoy oft-kilter westerns like the Valley of the Gwangi, then this is up your street.

Gregory Peck, who stars as Sheriff McKenna, heads a star-studded cast ranging from Edward G. Robinson, and Raymond Massey - but most of them don't last when it roughly passes an hour mark - and the number is soon whittled down to three - Peck, Sharif and Sparv- in the terrifying climax where they find the cañón de oro - the canyon of gold. The special effects is really good for 1969- there's plenty of the usual tropes of gunfights and marauding Apaches. The highlight is the crossing of a rickety-bridge and the raft river sequence. The desert locations, the scenic view of the canyon are breathtaking. The opening is quite unusual with a lively tune penned by Quincy Jones and memorable song about a turkey buzzard.

You would think that this film is aimed for the juvenile crowd- it isn't really. It can be violent, edgy, the fight between Sharif and Peck is quite tough, and characters like Julie Newmar playing Hesh-Ke and the imposing, granite-faced Hachita - played by Ted Cassidy - are quite menacing. Telly 'Mr Cool' Savalas eats up the scene as an army deserter. Camila Sparv is a hottie, so is Newmar.

Unfortunately, Mackenna's Gold wasn't a massive hit in USA, possibly because it didn't reek of revisionism like the one Clint Eastwood or other filmmakers were making, but it was a big hit in the Soviet Union -as it was known - and in India ( it ran in the cinema halls well into the 80's, was remade into a Hindi film called Zalzala). A really exciting film that had stoked my imagination as a child and still does!

It's a mad, mad, mad, mad Western

[tomsview · 7/10 · 3 June 2023]

Well, the basic premise is sort of like 1963s "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". Remember in that one, with his last breath a dying man reveals to a random group of motorists where a fortune in stolen cash is hidden, sending the drivers on a wild race to see who can claim the loot first!

In the case of "Mackenna's Gold", a map carried by a dying Indian reveals how to find a lost canyon full of gold, sending a random group of western characters, lawmen, outlaws, townsmen, apaches and cavalry on a wild race to get the loot.

However "Mad, Mad World" was a deliberate comedy while "Mackenna's Gold" turned out to be more of an unintentional one.

When it was first released one critic called it, "... the most expensive, star-studded B-movie ever made, a gargantuan dud of absolutely stunning dreadfulness".

But au contraire, I think the film is far more fun than that. If you are in the mood it's very watchable, maybe even a guilty pleasure.

Apparently the "Lost Adams" canyon in the movie is pretty closely based on the real legend and director, J Lee Thompson, showed he could handle a western. Except for a few dull spots shot in the studio, the film is spectacular, following in John Ford's footsteps through Monument Valley.

Thompson even goes one better than Ford, who never had a skinny dip in any of his westerns. "Mackenna's Gold" doesn't make that mistake with Omar Sharif and Julie Newmar providing the skin in the dip; a surprise as I sat with the family packed into our Ford sedan at the drive-in around 1970.

Gregory Peck as Marshal Mackenna is his monolithic self, but who ever wanted an over-emotive Greg. Omar Sharif as Colorado, the leader of the outlaws, gets the best lines, it's as though he got the over-the-top vibe and didn't take it too seriously.

Finally, few survive flying tomahawks, knives, bullets and falling rocks. Mackenna, the only one not bitten by the gold bug, gets the girl and rides off with a saddle bag full of gold nuggets he doesn't know is there until, presumably, he reaches in for a handful of trail mix.

"Mackenna's Gold" is the perfect movie to "Gogglebox"; you just can't help talking back to the screen. Its far more enjoyable than the critics of the day would allow.

I've never seen so many men dying so badly

[petra_ste · 5/10 · 26 May 2007]

How can a western with Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Eli Wallach, Lee J. Cobb and Edward G. Robinson be mediocre? Well, it can.

This could have been a classic treasure hunt: action, adventure, growing paranoia, shifting factions... instead, it's a waste.

The big cast is handled terribly. We are introduced to this huge group of people, played by famous stars and respectable character actors; we get some half-baked character-building scenes... then, after a few minutes, 90% of them get killed. The quote from a much better western I've put in the review title feels quite fitting. Try to imagine a version of, say, The Magnificent Seven or The Dirty Dozen... where most group members die in the scene right after their introduction. "Anticlimactic" doesn't quite convey it.

Peck is not at his top form: he looks uninterested, even bored. Sharif goes for an over-the-top approach as the outlaw.

Worth mentioning is a bit near the end which just cracks me up - movie villain stupidity at its most glorious. Sharif's Colorado has all the gold and the horses, he can ride away and live happily ever after... but he grabs an axe and goes free-climbing after Mackenna, who is far away on the top of a mountain. It's so dumb it's brilliant.

There are a few effective scenes - like the arrival at the valley and the gold fever - but, overall, Mackenna's Gold is sadly mediocre.

I dig the main theme of the score, though - catchy.

5/10