Quincy Jones' opening score and the theme song Old Turkey Buzzard are so emotionally powerful (especially combined with the magnificent photography) that sometimes I will just play the beginning of the film for my enjoyment. This grand, sprawling western is an entertaining picture with mega cast names that results in an enjoyable adventure. Don't  look on it as a typical western. It just happens to be set in a western setting. This movie is centered around GREED. Its directed by J. Lee Thompson (The guns of navarone, cape fear). The direction is generally good, there is some striking photography of the desert landscapes, and sequences such as the fight scene between Mackenna and Colorado and the final earthquake are well handled. We also have quality thespians like Omar Sharif (Hidalgo, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago). Eli Wallach ( The good, the bad n the ugly). Edward G. Robinson ( The Cincinnati Kid, The Ten Commandments). Raymond Massey ( How the West Was Won). Telly Savalas (dirty dozen, cape fear, on her majestys secret service). Burgess Meredith (Rocky, clash of the titans). Lee J. Cobb ( The Exorcist, Our Man Flint, 12 angry men, On the waterfront). Keenan Wynn (The Mechanic, Point Blank, The Night of the Grizzly), Anthony Quayle (Lawrence of Arabia, The guns of navarone) n Ted Cassidy ( The Addams Family, Poor Pretty Eddie). Screenplay by Carl Foreman ( The Bridge over the River Kwai, High Noon, Guns of navarone). Cinematography by Joseph MacDonald ( The Sand Pebbles, Taras Bulba). Edited by Bill Lenny.

I remember catching "MacKenna's Gold" on TV with my dad a couple times, but both times I only made it about an hour into the movie (with commercials) before having to go to bed; I made it to the campfire scene where old Adams describes the legendary secret canyon containing incredible natural gold treasure. I was upset that I couldn't finish the film because the film builds up a great amount of anticipation concerning the secret gold canyon.Well, in the early 90's I spied a VHS copy of "MacKenna's Gold" and immediately purchased it. I finally got to see the ending and wasn't disappointed.Brilliant author and Western expert Brian Garfield ("Death Wish") comments on "MacKenna's Gold" in his outstanding book "Western Films" thusly: "it hasn't a single redeeming quality. It has got to be the most expensive star-studded two-hour "B" movie ever made; a gargantuan dud of absolutely stunning dreadfulness." It hasn't a SINGLE redeeming quality? Okay, let me list a smattering: Outstanding cast, including Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Ted Cassidy, Julie Newmar, Telly Savalas, Carmilla Sparv and many more, albeit mostly cameos; one of the greatest Western scores of all time, which ranks up there with "How the West Was Won," "Rio Lobo," "Duel at Diablo," "Bandelero!" "Bonanza," "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (to name a handful); an incredible theme song, "Old Turkey Buzzard," sung by Jose Feliciano and written by Quincy Jones; and magnificent locations (Utah, Arizona, Rogue River Oregon) & cinematography.Plus, although the story has an undeniable comic booky vibe to it (which explains why Mr. Garfield refers to it as a "B" movie), it is played out in a completely serious manner and successfully holds your attention while, once again, creating much anticipation regarding the legendary canyon.Gregory Peck, who plays Marshal MacKenna, and Carmilla Sparv are definitely the "good guys" in this picture. The film was made at a time (1969) when characters in Westerns tended to be unlikable and amoral (e.g. "The Wild Bunch," "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "Macho Calahan"), so it's just nice to have some quality people to root for, if you know what I mean.Omar Sharif plays the head Mexican bandit "Colorado" excellently. It's sort of an atypical role for him, but he performs so fabulously that it seems he was born to play the part. Ted Cassidy, well-known as "Lurch" on TV's "The Addam's Family," plays the intimidating, laconic Indian warrior Hachita. He superbly fits the character (regardless of whether or not he has Indian blood running through his veins). Julie Newmar, although obviously not of Native American heritage, is great as a crazy -- and I mean CRAZY -- squaw. Red-blooded males will be interested to know that she has a nude swimming scene, while fans of "Brokeback Mountain" will likely appreciate Omar Sharif during the same sequence (lol).Quincy Jones' opening score and the theme song "Old Turkey Buzzard" are so emotionally powerful (especially combined with the magnificent Southwest photography) that sometimes I'll just play the beginning of the film for my enjoyment, which runs a full 6-8 minutes or so (!). I've heard some complain that "Old Turkey Buzzard" is corny, but nothing could be further from the truth. I'll be perfectly honest with you, although open-minded, I've never been much into County/Western music, but "Old Turkey Buzzard" is just simply a POWERFUL composition, regardless of the musical genre. It potently comments on man's temporal nature and the insane & contagious condition of gold fever, i.e. greed, which is what the film is about.While "MacKenna's Gold" certainly lacks the gritty realism of, say, the contemporaneous "The Wild Bunch," it is indeed a SERIOUS film despite some undeniable cartooney aspects. One could also probably nitpick about the not-quite-successful F/X miniature sequences, but that's not important; what IS important is the film's entertainment value. At the end of the day "MacKenna's Gold" successfully entertains.GRADE: B

There has to be a worst western ever made. In my view, this is it. Let me tell you why...First - the story. It's another banal hunt for a lost gold mine, a line that's been done to death already, and long before this movie was ever thought of. The producers should have thought of that.Second - the plot. Even though there are claims the movie was ruined by lousy cuts, there are too many inept jump cuts, too many holes in the narrative, too many bizarre changes of landscape (it's all supposed to occur in a desert), and way too many unnecessary characters.Third - the photography. Granted the desert scenery is imposing and impressive, but I've already seen better in Koyannistqatsi (1982). Unhappily, the director ruined it all when he insisted on placing the camera, too many times, on horse so that we "look through" a character's eyes. And, most egregious, the not-so-special effects guaranteed the ending was no where near as good as that I've seen in any Japanese Godzilla movie from the 1950s.Fourth - the acting. Even at best of times and in his best movies, Peck was usually quite wooden, but adequate; in this, he's just dead wood. Sharif was totally miscast as Mexican; where was Anthony Quinn, or Eli Wallach? Oh, sorry, Eli turned up in this turkey as just another gold digger along with Lee J. Cobb, Burgess Meredith, Anthony Quayle, Keenan Wynn, Raymond Massey, and Edward G. Robinson - all great actors and who all get killed off within twenty minutes or so. Telly Savalas at least managed to stay alive until near the utterly absurd end. Good job he missed it, in my opinion. And, to cap it all, the sub-plot of the rivalry between the two women, Inga (Sparv) and Hesh-ke (Newmar) simply weighs the story down with unnecessary non-sex. On the other hand, it's inadvertently comedic.Finally, the music and voice over (the latter by Victor Jory, an actor I admired) should have been removed entirely - the first because it's worse than a Roy Rogers outing, the second because it's totally unnecessary in a movie that's beyond resuscitation.Considering all the good or great westerns of that time - A fistful of dollars (1964), A few dollars more (1965), The good, the bad and the ugly (1966), Once upon a time in the west (1968) and The wild bunch (1969), there was absolutely no need for producers to spend the estimated seven million to finance this waste of time and resources.This movie is so bad, I'm sure it will never get back the money invested. And it shouldn't.Not recommended at all - except for those who actually want to see the worst western of all time.Give it one out of ten - and that's for old Prairie Dog (Eduardo Ciannelli) for suffering so much for being in it.February 23, 2014.

i have heard read about this film many time before reading about it here-and downloading watching...this is really fantastic film with best cast-story-direction-settings...gold-the bloody yellow metal which made human fools-greedy and forget relationships and kill even those who's close..:((start to finish film is so superb and after watching it u sure say what an film....!!i watched it many times and still wanna watch again n again.. i think this film is classic n needs remake every ten yrs....this film truly appreciable... climax is quite surprise....!!go watch it...don't miss it...only some days back i watched client Eastwood's best-the good the bad and the ugly which too has a story of finding treasure in a grave...i give it 10/10 n it deserves even more....