Sam peckinpahs 1965 western major dundee is a neargreat film with a checkered history. Charlton heston, richard harris, james coburn, senta berger, warren oates, ben johnson, jim hutton. The movie was also fairly gory for the standards of 1965, and more bloody and violent scenes were cut out. Major dundee plot during the last winter of the civil war, cavalry officer amos dundee leads a contentious troop of army regulars, confederate prisoners and scouts on an expedition into mexico to destroy a band of apaches who have been raiding u. Major dundee is a 1965 western film directed by sam peckinpah and starring charlton heston, richard harris, jim hutton, and james coburn. Directed by sam peckinpah, one of my favorite directors, a dream cast of charlton heston, richard harris and james coburn with a utopia of rich character actors supporting them. Contentsshow plot during the american civil war, union cavalry officer major amos dundee heston is relieved of his command for an unspecified. The extended version, as it is known officially, tells essentially the same story as the original but with clearer motivations for the characters which often seemed vague or obscure in the 1965 edition and much greater effectiveness. Restored dundee provides insights on peckinpah the boston globe. The opening theme done by the fabulous mitch miller singers still gives me chillsyoull want to join the 7th cavalry right on the spot when you here it. Its the midsixties and judging from the decent turnout of ride the high country, director sam peckinpah is given an epic task to bring a big film set south of the border and telling a tale of a leader, his men and the task. Major amos charles dundee charlton heston is a west point graduate who somehow its not clear exceeded his orders while serving in the battle of gettysburg and, as punishment, has been taken out of combat and put in. Major dundee internet movie firearms database guns in. The extended version, as it is known officially, tells.
During the end of the civil war, major dundee guards confederate prisoners, union deserters and ordinary hardbitten criminals in a remote fort. The extended version, as it is known officially, tells essentially the same story as the original but with clearer motivations for the characters which often seemed vague or obscure in the 1965 edition. A study in male hubris, director sam peckinpah is giving free rein to certain of his proclivities. With a eventually storied director and boasting an exceptional cast charlton heston, richard harris, and james coburn it has all the needed ingredients to be a success. It starred charlton heston and richard harris as officers from opposing sides in the american civil war who band together to hunt down a band of apaches. The extended and theatrical cuts of major dundee are markedly distinct entities, the former featuring far more detailed subplots with respect to the brigades racial tensions and dundees sexualdomestic dysfunction. Major amos charles dundee is sent by his hierarchy to a farther western fort. Major dundee 1965 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Major dundee sam peckinpah data corrections allmovie. With charlton heston, richard harris, jim hutton, james coburn.
Major amos charles dundee, who was disgraced at the battle of gettysburg and sent to a pow outpost in new mexico, decides to hunt down sierra charriba and his apache seeking for glory. Heston signed on the film to work with sam peckinpah, having really enjoyed ride the high country 1962. It has only the great new instrumental soundtrack not the corny old one with all that terrible singing which enhances the movie and sounds wonderful in 5. In 1864, due to frequent apache raids from mexico into the u. The picture quality is quite dazzlingly good, especially compared to what you may have experienced on past tv showings of major dundee. Peckinpah was imagining major dundee as a newstyle. As a film, it was overlong and couldnt ever figure out whether it was a western or a civil war movie, nor whether it was an action picture or an emotional drama.
Despite this, major dundee achieved cult status among western movie fans as much for its gritty realism as anything. Anyone notice the similarities between rio grande and major dundee. The cast included charlton heston, richard harris, jim hutton, and james coburn. Major dundee 1965 with charlton heston classic film freak. Major dundee is a 1965 western film written by harry julian fink and directed by sam peckinpah. Around the time peckinpahs second movie, ride the high country 1962 came out, harry julian finks treatment for major dundee, the story of a disgraced cavalry officer who drives his men on a long hazardous trip into mexico in pursuit of a band of apaches, fell into the hands of charlton heston and producer jerry bresler. Even in this new print, major dundee isnt a very goodlooking film. Sam peckinpahs mangled masterpiece gets a new lease on life with this austrian import, which corrects all the things that bugged me about twilight times impressive bluray back in 20.
Submit data corrections for major dundee sam peckinpah on allmovie. The story behind the making of sam peckinpahs 1965 cavalry western. The following weapons were used in the film major dundee. With big stars, lots of action, a little romance, and a rousing score. Major dundee can perhaps best be described as the dress rehearsal for peckinpahs magnum opus the wild bunch. In peckinpahs mind, it certainly wasnt a movie not the one he wanted to make, anyway. As i slipped the dvd into the machine, my expectations for major dundee were sky high. Major dundee 1965 approved 2h 3min adventure, war, western 15 march 1965 denmark in 1864, due to frequent apache raids from mexico into the u. Major dundee is a film not like they make em anymore. On a scale of excellent, good, fair, and poor, major dundee rates. Because major dundees name was used in the title of the movie, and as i was watching it, it sometimes looked like that it was based on fact, motivating me to look it up and this was.
When apaches attack the fort and make off with three children, dundee must set up a posse including confederates, who face a choice between joining up or being shot. Major dundee marks sam peckinpahs second feature film, following its predecessor ride the high country by three years. But he later cited that major dundee began filming without a properly finished script and that none of the major parties involved had agreed on what the film was truly supposed to be about. Some seeing the original vision, or as close as well ever get to it, for the first time may mourn the loss of implicitness where the main characters self. That said, columbias restored 6minute dvd version really shines. Written by harry julian fink, the film is about a union cavalry officer who leads a contentious troop of army regulars, confederate prisoners, and indian scouts on an expedition into mexico during the american civil war in order to destroy a band of apaches. Screenplay, harry julian fink, oscar saul, peckinpah. He recruits an army of confederate prisonersofwar, black soldiers, a reverend that knows the boys and outcast people thieves, drunken etc. Some of dundees major plot turns are also from the earlier war movie. Heston later regretted breaking his own rule of never participating in any film where the script wasn. During the last winter of the civil war, cavalry officer amos dundee leads a contentious troop of army regulars, confederate prisoners and scouts on an expedition into mexico to destroy a band of apaches who have been raiding u. It stars paul hogan as the weathered mick dundee, and hogans future wife american actress linda kozlowski, whom he first met while working on the film, as reporter sue charlton. He recruits an army of confederate prisonersofwar, black soldiers, a.
The twodisc set includes a longform makingof docu from. Judgment day mistakes the big bang theory mistakes e. Pickens, sam peckinpah, jerry bresler, jerry bresler productions, inc. Western indian war meets civil war meets european war in mexico story. Sam peckinpahs 1965 feature major dundee was recut and rescored for rerelease theatrically in 2005, 40 years after its original release. The film was edited by the studio, 45 to 50 minutes was supposedly lost, and the film was always an intriguing failure.
Major dundee, film set in late civil war, premieres in. Major dundeecharlton heston, richard harris, senta berger, jim hutton, james coburn, l. Now its back, its 12 minutes longerand its still an intriguing failure. Harry julian fink story, harry julian fink screenplay 2 more credits. Major dundee1965 is a good movie that might have been great. An offbeat western adventure film about a union officer in charge of a jail in the southwest. Peckinpah drehte mit diesem film seinen dritten spielfilm. The title character, union cavalry officer major amos dundee heston, is relieved of his command for an.
Review of major dundee major dundee 1965 discussion. Released in 1965, major dundee was a plagued by cost overruns, a skittish and pushy studio, and a director who hit the bottle just a bit too much and caused mayhem on the set. During the last winter of the civil war, cavalry officer amos dundee leads a contentious troop of army regulars, confederate prisoners and scouts on an expedition. Recommendation engine sorted out serious, realistic, suspenseful and rough films with plots about heroes, adventure, escapades, rivalry, soldier, danger and violence mostly in western, adventure and war genres. The whole point is supposed to be the pursuit of the apache, yet the film spends. In navarone mallory doubts his leadership judgment and is comforted by the mysterious female commando anna. Thematically and even to some extent stylistically you can see the resemblance with one of the greatest westerns in movie history, but major dundee still has the look and feel of a john ford cavalry epic not that theres anything wrong with that. Inspired by the truelife exploits of rod ansell, the film was made on a. Major dundee is a movie cowritten and directed by sam peckinpah in 1965. Major dundee is a 1965 western film directed by sam peckinpah and starring charlton heston. Amos dundee weakens under the strain of leadership and is comforted by senta berger and aurora clavel. Made between ride the high country and the wild bunch, this film is a commentary on the question. Follow the movie on facebook plot summary during the end of the civil war, major dundee guards confederate prisoners, union deserters and ordinary hardbitten criminals in a remote fort.
Major dundee 1965 movie mistakes, goofs and bloopers. A bombastic musical score by daniele amfitheatrof was added to the film despite peckinpahs protests, as was the title song, the major dundee march, sung by mitch miller and his singalong gang. Crocodile dundee stylized as crocodile dundee in the u. Major dundee is a 1965 action film set during the time of the civil war and directed by sam peckinpah. Sam peckinpahs story set in the civil war tells the story of major amos charles dundee who exceeded his orders while serving in the battle of gettysburg and, as punishment, has been taken out of. Major dundee 1965 cast and crew during the end of the civil war, major dundee guards confederate prisoners, union deserters and ordinary hardbitten criminals in a remote fort. The beast of war 1988, the undefeated 1969, rio lobo 1970, 100 rifles 1969, the mountain men 1980. Some have also pointed out similarities of the plot to the vietnam war, which are highly unlikely to have been intentional, as the war had not. This is an example of producers putting their dirty greedy palms where they dont belong. Major dundee charlton heston takes a small cavalry expedition employing a small contingent of union soldiers and confederate pow volunteers led by richard harris against raiding apaches into a mexico freshly conquered by. The original finished product was widely panned, but restoration efforts completed in 2005 brought the film back to a semblance of what the director envisioned. Blatant pressure convinced the french to return home, enabling juarez to regain control of mexico.
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