Mackenna's Gold
Mackenna's Gold, released in
1969, is
John Lee Thompson's ambitious variation on
Erich von Stroheim's
Greed, with
Gregory Peck as the hero in search of lost gold while
Apaches and
Omar Sharif (as a Mexican) try to foil him. It also stars
Julie Newmar (Catwoman on TV's
Batman) as a skinny-dipping Apache dame.
There is an old legend which talks about hidden gold and guarded by the Apache gods. This legend speaks of a canyon,
Canyon del oro where a lot of gold is stored. It also says that a man called Adams had visited that place and had seen the gold. But the Apache tribesmen removed his eyes and killed all his accomplices. In this background, the movie begins with Marshall Mackenna, played by Greogory Peck, wandering in the desert alone. He is bushwacked by an India Chief, the old priery dog, whom Mackenna wounds mortally in the fight. A certain map in the posession of the chief passes to MacKenna, who is of the opinion that there is no gold in the location specified in the map. MacKenna burns the map after the old chief dies of his wounds. Meanwhile, the gangster and outlaw,
John Colorado, is tracking the old man for two weeks to possess the map. He is chased by the infantry of the state. He takes shelter in the house of the judge of the town
Blaskburg, where he obtains horses, mules and food for his journey. He kills the old judge, Burgerman, and kidnaps his daughter to use her as his protection from cavalry. Along the route, he finds that MacKenna has already killed the old man. It later becomes apparent from the story that Colorado was driven out of the state by MacKenna. Colorado is accompanied by his associates, chiefly an Indian woman,
Heishki, who had a relationship with MacKenna earlier and two more Indian men, one of whom is called
monkey. He finds that the map has been burned, and figures that MacKenna remembers the map. So he forces MacKenna to lead him to the canyon, disregarding MacKenna's warnings about no gold being there. He is joined along the way by
Ben, who is again accompanied by gentlemen of the town, among whom were the editor of the
Hadlyberg Gazette, a storekeeper, a priest and old Adams himself.When the infantry attacks colorado, he cunningly arranges for Ben's men to be killed, he himself escaping along with MacKenna, Miss Burgerman, Heishki and the Indian. This follows with a journey in the wild desert towards the fames canyon del oro or the Lost Adams.Along the way, the captain of the infantry chasing Colorado falls to the temptation of the gold, and joins Colorado. Finally they reach the place specified in the map, where a tall rock, called
The Shaking Rock, resides. Upon sunrise, the shadow of the shaking rock starts to grow, as if by magic, beyond its usual length. Seeing this, MacKenna, who had been skeptical of the existance of such a canyon till now, also believes that they shall find the canyon. Eventually they do find the canyon, which is really filled with gold. As soon as they enter the canyon, Heishki tries to kill Miss Burgerman, and falls to her peril in the effort. MacKenna forces Miss Burgerman to escape, along with himself, to a secluded place in the canyon. Colorado kills all his accomplices, and has a final battle with MacKenna. In the meanwhile, a group of Apaches attack this group, and because of their incessant firing, the rocks of the canyon begin to shake and the whole canyon closes down. Colorado, MacKenna and Miss Burgerman escape the calamity. Colorado leaves the place to seek his way, and Miss Burgerman believes all the gold to be buried. But a small bag in MacKenna's horse shall be full of gold, filled by the Captain of the infantry, with which he makes away along with Miss Burgerman.
