The story of the making and post production of "Major Dundee" would make a movie in itself. It was the first big budget western directed by the legendary Sam Peckinpah following the success of his earlier "Ride the High Country" (1962). Peckinpah allegedly shot over 4 hours of film. According to IMDb his directors cut was 151 minutes. However the studio (Columbia) took the picture away from the director and cut it down to 122M for its theatrical release. I think the initial road show cut ran 134M.
For its 2005 restoration, an additional 14M was found and restored making this cut 136M which is supposed to be as close to the director's cut as is possible. Anew musical score has also been added. This version extends several sequences notably the village fiesta sequence and adds a scene at the beginning showing the rebels attempt to escape.
The film in its widescreen format is a beautifully photographed landscape. Peckinpah uses the whole frame to show panoramic scenes of the marching soldiers and the various battle scenes.
The story opens at the end of a massacre of a military encampment by renegade Apache Sierra Chariba (Michael Pate) where all have been slaughtered except for the bugler Trooper Tim Ryan (Michael Anderson Jr.). It is his narration which tells the rest of the story which by the way, takes place during the Civil War.
Major Amos Dundee (Charlton Heston) arrives a Union prison to form a group of volunteers to go after the Apaches and exact revenge for the massacre. He assembles a group of volunteer misfits including regulars Lt. Graham (Jim Hutton), Trooper Ryan, Sgt. Gomez (Mario Adorf), a grizzled one-armed scout (James Coburn) as well as a vengeful Reverand (R.G. Armstrong), a horse thief (Dub Taylor) and the disheveling Wiley (Slim Pickens).
Not having enough men, Dundee brings Aesop (Brock Peters) and his freed slaves on board and is then forced to ask for volunteers from the Southern prisoners led by Captain Tyreen (Richard Harris) to round out his force. Eventually agrees and brings with him the likes of O.W. Hadley (Warren Oates), his brother Arthur (L.Q. Jones), Sgt. Chillum (Ben Johnson) and Benteen (John Davis Chandler).
The first part of the story is the conflicting relationship between Dundee and Tyreen. Tyreen agrees to follow orders until the Apaches are brought to justice. Then there is a lengthy village sequence where Dundee meets his (totally unnecessary) love interest, the supposedly starving Teresa Santiago (Senta Berger) and a brief affair ensues. When Dundee is wounded following a skinny dip with Teresa, he is taken to a town to recover but begins to wallow in self pity until Tyreen rescues him and re-instills his sense of duty.
Along the way the troop attacks a French garrison and steals their horses. Now the boys are forced to fight not only the Apaches but the French Army as well. Eventually Dundee engages the Apaches and the French and..............
The acting is particularly good. Heston as the self destructing Dundee is excellent as is Harris as his adversary. James Coburn just emerging as a major star gives a memorable performance as the one-armed scout. The picture is also blessed with a large cast of recognizable character actors (see above), many of which would appear in other Peckinpah films. Begofia (Begonia) Palacios who plays Trooper Ryan's love interest would go on to marry Peckinpah....three times.
Not Peckinpah's best but many of the elements (and players) would be used in his next western, the masterpiece "The Wid Bunch" (1969).
For its 2005 restoration, an additional 14M was found and restored making this cut 136M which is supposed to be as close to the director's cut as is possible. Anew musical score has also been added. This version extends several sequences notably the village fiesta sequence and adds a scene at the beginning showing the rebels attempt to escape.
The film in its widescreen format is a beautifully photographed landscape. Peckinpah uses the whole frame to show panoramic scenes of the marching soldiers and the various battle scenes.
The story opens at the end of a massacre of a military encampment by renegade Apache Sierra Chariba (Michael Pate) where all have been slaughtered except for the bugler Trooper Tim Ryan (Michael Anderson Jr.). It is his narration which tells the rest of the story which by the way, takes place during the Civil War.
Major Amos Dundee (Charlton Heston) arrives a Union prison to form a group of volunteers to go after the Apaches and exact revenge for the massacre. He assembles a group of volunteer misfits including regulars Lt. Graham (Jim Hutton), Trooper Ryan, Sgt. Gomez (Mario Adorf), a grizzled one-armed scout (James Coburn) as well as a vengeful Reverand (R.G. Armstrong), a horse thief (Dub Taylor) and the disheveling Wiley (Slim Pickens).
Not having enough men, Dundee brings Aesop (Brock Peters) and his freed slaves on board and is then forced to ask for volunteers from the Southern prisoners led by Captain Tyreen (Richard Harris) to round out his force. Eventually agrees and brings with him the likes of O.W. Hadley (Warren Oates), his brother Arthur (L.Q. Jones), Sgt. Chillum (Ben Johnson) and Benteen (John Davis Chandler).
The first part of the story is the conflicting relationship between Dundee and Tyreen. Tyreen agrees to follow orders until the Apaches are brought to justice. Then there is a lengthy village sequence where Dundee meets his (totally unnecessary) love interest, the supposedly starving Teresa Santiago (Senta Berger) and a brief affair ensues. When Dundee is wounded following a skinny dip with Teresa, he is taken to a town to recover but begins to wallow in self pity until Tyreen rescues him and re-instills his sense of duty.
Along the way the troop attacks a French garrison and steals their horses. Now the boys are forced to fight not only the Apaches but the French Army as well. Eventually Dundee engages the Apaches and the French and..............
The acting is particularly good. Heston as the self destructing Dundee is excellent as is Harris as his adversary. James Coburn just emerging as a major star gives a memorable performance as the one-armed scout. The picture is also blessed with a large cast of recognizable character actors (see above), many of which would appear in other Peckinpah films. Begofia (Begonia) Palacios who plays Trooper Ryan's love interest would go on to marry Peckinpah....three times.
Not Peckinpah's best but many of the elements (and players) would be used in his next western, the masterpiece "The Wid Bunch" (1969).