Really good western with Gregory Peck, where George Lucas got his first Hollywood job (and wasn’t impressed)

In the late western Mackenna’s Gold from 1969, J. Lee Thompson (Bait for the Beast) directed and was able to Star ensemble win. The novel adaptation tells of a bloody treasure hunt. He was also on set young George Lucas, who went against the instructions of producer and screenwriter Carl Foreman and stubbornly implemented his own project. Mackenna’s Gold is on TV today.

That’s what the Western Mackenna’s Gold is about

Sheriff Mackenna (Gregory Peck) learns from a dying native the hiding place of a legendary Apache treasure and sets out to find it Search for gold valley. But he is not alone. In addition to honorable citizens and deserted soldiers, the bandit Colorado (Omar Sharif) also wants to recover the treasure. But personal enmities must always be put aside in order to face it common enemy, the Apaches deliver. The race for Mackenna’s gold is inexorably heading towards a brutal climax.

George Lucas’ small protest against Hollywood

During the production of Mackenna’s Gold, Columbia Pictures and producer Carl Foreman invited four film students, each documentary short films should put together for a behind the scenes special. In return they received $150 a week and the necessary equipment. But the 23-year-old George Lucas refused to meet the requirements, the gigantic Hollywood production could not impress him, on the contrary.

Columbia Pictures

Mackenna’s Gold

As you can read on Senses of Cinemas, Lucas didn’t agree to make a cheap documentary disguised as a grant. Instead, he made a silent film that focused primarily on Focused on landscape shots. Only once can a few crew members be seen on set, sitting under parasols. His short film
6.18.67
he named after the day he completed production.

A small protest that the young student made towards the major Hollywood production. What shocked him most about his experience on set was how wasteful with the budget was bypassed while he and the other students made films for $300. But this attitude didn’t last, at least it would over the course of his career gigantic franchise films build with enormous budgets.

When is Mackenna’s Gold on TV?

The cultural broadcaster Arte shows the western today Sunday, January 14th, at 8:15 p.m. Three Repetitions is available on Arte: on Monday, January 29th at 2:10 p.m., on Tuesday, February 6th at 2:15 p.m. and on Saturday, February 10th at 12:55 a.m. You can also stream Mackenna’s Gold on Amazon Prime, among other places.

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