Major Dundee

Major Dundee was a 1965 Western film starring Charlton Heston and Richard Harris, and directed by Sam Peckinpah. It has become notorious for the feud between Peckinpah and the producing studio, Columbia Tristar, during its production and editing.

Plot Summary/Historical Basis

The plot of the movie involves the title character, played by Heston, a Union cavalry officer during the American Civil War, who has been banished for misconduct to a prisoner-of-war camp in New Mexico Territory. After a family of ranchers and a relief column of cavalry is massacred by an Apache warlord named Sierra Charriba (Michael Pate), Dundee seizes the opportunity for glory, raising his own private army of Union troops (black and white), Confederate POWs led by his old friend and rival, Captain Tyreen (Harris), several Indian scouts, and a gang of civilian mercenaries to pursue Charriba into Mexico. Dundee's force pursues Charriba, engaging him in several bloody battles, as well as coming into conflict with French troops who are occupying Mexico under Emperor Maximillian of Mexico. Also, an Austrian doctor (Senta Berger) who is sympathetic to the Rebels under Benito Juarez joins up with the army, causing further tensions between Tyreen and Dundee.

Related Topics:
American Civil War - New Mexico Territory - Apache - Michael Pate - Maximillian of Mexico - Senta Berger - Benito Juarez

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The screenplay, written by Harvey Julian Fink (who also wrote the film's novelization), was loosely based off of historical precedents, though contrary to claims by the production team it was not actually based off of a true story. During the Minnesota Sioux Uprising of 1862, Union forces in that state were forced to recruit Confederate prisoners from Texas to make up for their meager numbers in fighting the Indians. Unlike in the movie, where there is much animosity between the Union and Confederate troops in Dundee's command, the Rebels, called "Galvanized Yankees", fought well and without much complaint. Both Union and Confederate forces also battled Apache, Navajo, and Comanche Indians throughout the war along the U.S.-Mexico border, making the scenario of the movie at least somewhat plausible.

Related Topics:
Harvey Julian Fink - Sioux Uprising - Galvanized Yankees - Navajo - Comanche - U.S.-Mexico border

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Besides the above, the superb cast also includes Jim Hutton, James Coburn, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters, Mario Adorf, and Peckinpah regulars Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, L.Q. Jones, Slim Pickens, John Davis Chandler, and Dub Taylor. Veteran character actor Karl Swenson also puts in a brief appearance as Dundee's second-in-command at the POW camp. Jody McCrea appeared in an early deleted scene as Lieutenant Brannin, the young leader of the relief column killed in the movie's beginning.

Related Topics:
Jim Hutton - James Coburn - Michael Anderson Jr - Brock Peters - Mario Adorf - Warren Oates - Ben Johnson - L.Q. Jones - Slim Pickens - John Davis Chandler - Dub Taylor - Karl Swenson - Jody McCrea

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