Mackenna’s Gold (1969)

Gregory Peck plays Mackenna, a lawman who fatally wounds an old Indian chief who ambushes him.

Before dying, the Indian shows Mackenna a map to a legendary lost valley of gold. Not believing it to be real — and map or the canyon of gold — Mackenna burns it.

That’s when an old nemesis, the outlaw Colorado (Omar Sharif) shows up with his gang. Seems he had been trailing the old Indian with hopes of securing the map.

Now he’s convinced that Mackenna, having seen it, will remember it well enough to lead him to the treasure.

Before long, the outlaw band and the lawman have been joined by a contingent of upstanding citizens from the nearby town of Hadleyburg. They’re eager to get rich too, and it that means becoming partners with Colorado, so be it.

The group also includes Inga Bergman (Camilla Sprav), the daughter of a judge Colorado killed. MacKenna, who got his job because of the judge, assumes the role of her protector.

But in doing so, he arouses the jealousy of a former lover, the pretty Indian Hesh-Ke (Julie Newmar), who bears a scar on her cheek and wields a wicked temper.

Gregory Peck as MacKenna, issuing a warning to John Colorado in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Omar Sharif as John Colorado, in a desperate search for the gold with more partners than he’d like in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Review:

Early in the film, the Quincy Jones’ theme song “Old Turkey Buzzard” begins playing. Take it as a warning: You’re about to witness a turkey. A turkey on a grand scale.

Parts of the film are gloriously photographed. A cast that includes Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas as a deserting cavalry sergeant, Eli Wallach as leader of the Hadleysburg contingent and Raymond Massey in what would be his final film should have added up to a better result.

But this wannabe epic is marred by poorly mismatched cinematography, cheesy special effects, a script full of holes and implausibility and a climax that borders on the ridiculous.

Julie Newmar, best remembered as Catwoman on the “Batman” TV series, takes a nude dip in a river at one point in the film. MacKenna and Inga decide to take a swim too. Which first leads to an underwater makeout session between Hesh-Ke and Mackenna, which then turns into an underwater catfight between Hesh-Ke and Inga. Yep, that’s how illogical parts of this movie are.

Supposedly the film was shorn of 45 minutes of footage just prior to release. Who knows whether the extra footage would have helped or made the film more tedious?

Julie Newmar as Hesh-Ke, realizing an old flame named MacKenna will be joining the search for gold in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Telly Savalas as Sgt. Tibbs, stashing gold in his saddlebags once the valley is located in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Directed by:
J. Lee Thompson

Cast:
Gregory Peck … Mackenna
Omar Sharif … John Colorado
Telly Savalas … Sgt. Tibbs
Camilla Sparv … Inga Bergmann
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 … Old Englishman
Edward G. Robinson … Old Adams
Eli Wallach … Ben Baker
Eduardo Ciannelli … Prairie Dog
Dick Peaboby … Avila
Rudy Diaz … Besh
Robert Phillips … Monkey
Shelley Morrison … Pima Squaw
Robert Porter … Young Englishman
David Garfield … Adams’ boy
Pepe Callahan … Laguna
Madeleine Taylor Holmes … Old Apache woman
Duke Hobbie … Lieutenant
Victor Jory … Narrator

Runtime: 128 min.

Title song: “Old Turkey Buzzard”
by Quincy Jones

Camilla Sparve as Inga Bergmann, the judge’s daughter kidnapped by Colorado and his men in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Rudy Diaz as Besh and Ted Cassiday as Hachita, two of the Indians who are part of Colorado’s band in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Memorable lines:

Prairie Dog: “Now you have the gold. You will wish you never see this map. The spirits will kill you. No laugh. It is a secret place.”
MacKenna: “Ah, so that’s what it’s supposed to be. Cannon del Oro. The Lost Adams. Don’t worry, old man. I won’t go looking for it. Wasted three good years chasing that old goose. There is no Lost Adams.”

Colorado: “I know this fellow. He’s a good card player. He always remembers the cards. If he saw the map, he remembers it. So we have a map — m his head.”

Ben Baker to Colorado: “I told you, everyone knows. You can’t keep gold a secret. It travels in the air.”

Eli Wallach as Ben Baker, trying to negotiate a compromise with John Colorado in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Lee J. Cobb as the editor and Burgess Meredith as the storekeeper, two townsmen who join the search for riches in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

MacKenna: “I’ll take you there. I’ve got no choice. But I’ll tell you this. Not many of you will be coming back.”

MacKenna: “Has it crossed your mind that you’ll never see that canyon if you kill me?”
Colorado: “I won’t kill you. But I’ll hurt you awful bad.”

MacKenna about Hesh-Ke: “Don’t make her mad. She’s a little bit crazy.”

MacKenna to Inga Bergman, as she begins dreaming of what they could do with the gold: “You’re out of your mind. Now wake up. Your share. My share. There aren’t going to be any shares. I know him (Colorado). He doesn’t share with anybody.”

Gregory Peck as MacKenna, falling into the hands of Colorado and his men, even minus a treasure map, in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Keenan Wynn as Sanchez, having fun with an English adventurer who joins the search for riches in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Edward G. Robinson as Old Adams, remembering when the gold was discovered and how he lost his sight in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Eduardo Ciannelli as Prarie Dog, the old chief carrying a map to the valley of gold in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Camilla Sparve as Inga Bergmann, on the verge of being abandoned in the desert until MacKenna intervenes in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Julie Newmar as Hesh-Ke, out to get MacKenna or the white girl along on the journey in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Omar Sharif as John Colorado, determined to take advantage of the map inside MacKenna’s head in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)

Gregory Peck as MacKenna, trying to bring Inga Bergmann to her senses in the valley of gold in MacKenna’s Gold (1969)