Mackenna's Gold is a 1969 American Western film directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring an ensemble cast featuring Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Ted Cassidy, Camilla Sparv and Julie Newmar in lead roles.

The film was a box-office failure in North America, but went on to become a major success in the Soviet Union and the Indian subcontinent.

Years later, Marshal MacKenna is ambushed by Prairie Dog, an old Apache shaman, and is forced to kill him.

MacKenna warns them to return home, that they will get themselves killed searching for gold that does not exist, but Colorado reveals what happened to Prairie Dog, and they stay.

The next morning, when the first sunlight shines down, the shadow of the pinnacle of "Shaking Rock" starts to move and eventually points to a hidden passageway.

MacKenna, suspecting that Colorado does not intend to leave anybody else alive, tries to escape with Inga up the canyon wall.

Hachita removed the bullets, as the spirits had told him to do, but turns his back on Colorado, who kills him with a knife.

Colorado pursues MacKenna and Inga, catching up to them at an abandoned Native American dwelling up the cliff.

The three survivors descend the cliff and ride away, escaping the collapse of the canyon walls, which buries the gold beyond reach.

The film also adapts elements from another work, Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver (1939) by J. Frank Dobie, a collection of tales about the fabulous treasures of the Southwest, based on the legend of the "Lost Adams Diggins".

Film rights were purchased by Highroad Productions, the company of writer-producer Carl Foreman, who had a deal with Columbia.

In a sense this one bears a relationship with High Noon; it's roughly about the same town 10 or 15 years later and... [the lead role is] Gary Cooper's successor.

[6] In October 1966, Foreman announced he wanted to make the film in the US, where he had not made a movie for almost fifteen years.

Thompson's first choice for the role of MacKenna was Clint Eastwood, who was looking to make an American Western film after his success with the Dollars trilogy.

Parts of the film were also shot at Kanab Canyon, Paria, Sink Valley, and the Panguitch Fish Hatchery in Utah as well as Medford, Oregon.

The "Old Turkey Buzzard" theme song sequence was shot at Bryce Canyon in Utah and Monument Valley, on the Arizona-Utah border.

[23] Stills from the scene of Julie Newmar swimming naked in the film were reprinted in Playboy magazine.

Foreman reportedly hated Lucas' short film but was forced to say he liked it in a PBS documentary being made about the project.

[29] The original score and songs of the film were composed and conducted by Quincy Jones, and the soundtrack album was released on the RCA Victor label in 1969.

José Feliciano also plays guitar and adds vocals in many parts of the soundtrack and Spanish version of the theme song "Viejo Butre" for the Spanish-language edition of the movie.

Letterman would gradually show increased mock irritation with the clip in discussions with bandleader Paul Shaffer, while at the same time calling it "exciting, moving, inspirational" and "stirring, haunting, beautiful".

The running gag ultimately resulted in Feliciano making a guest appearance on the Late Show on October 16, 2007, singing a longer version of the song (with the buzzard video clip superimposed over him).

All compositions by Quincy Jones The film had its world premiere in Munich, West Germany on March 18, 1969.

[13] Mackenna's Gold was reviewed in The New York Times by Vincent Canby, who considered the film an example of "stunning absurdity".

Most surprising in a movie that obviously cost a good deal of money is the sloppy matching of exterior and studio photography with miniature work for special effects.

Mackenna's Gold was first shown at the VIII Moscow International Film Festival in 1973, followed by a cinematic premiere in 1974.

Even worldwide, hits such as Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977) would not make as much money in India as Mackenna's Gold did.

[37] Quincy Jones was nominated for a Grammy Award for best original score written for a motion picture or a television special.