“Sam is the only person I ever physically threatened on a film set.”
Charlton Heston on the tumultuous working relationship with director Sam Peckinpah during the filming of Major Dundee. (1965). IMDB.com”Sam always pushed me over the abyss and then jumped in after me. He took me on some great adventures.”
James Coburn speaking of Sam Peckinpah at his memorial service. IMDB.com
“The end of a picture is always the end of a life.”
Director Sam Peckinpah – IMDB.com
He was a man’s man. He lived life to the fullest. He freely admitted bedding many women during his marriages. He didn’t take guff from anyone and often alienated people in his life. He abused alcohol most of his adult life crossing it with recreational drugs followed by hard drug abuse in his later years. When he died at the age of 59 he looked 20 years older and doctors claimed his body looked to be about the same age.
Many of his films were ahead of their time and while overlooked at the time of release many have gained cult status. Many directors have claimed he influenced their work such as Martin Scorsese, John Woo, Paul Schrader, Walter Hill, John Milius and Quentin Tarantino
Sam Peckinpah never apologized for the movies he made. His films were filled with flawed characters with themes that often revolved around the conflict between right and wrong. His characters were often losers or loners trying to turn their lives around only to find themselves forced to compromise in harsh situations simply to survive. Peckinpah had a love for guns that obviously played a part in almost all of his movies and a thrill for violence that made him famous.
Sam Peckinpah broke the taboos of film violence during the tumultuous and violent times of the country in the 1960’s. He showed it the way it is even in eras of the way it was. He is credited with showing violent spurts of action in slow motion, a trait that was common to his films. He is credited with having less then sympathetic main characters populating his stories. He made films for men who liked their violence raw, their women trampy and their situations dangerous.
Unfortunately Sam Peckinpah never met a fight he didn’t like and often he clashed with film producers. On many of these occasions Peckinpah’s films were taken away and re-edited, often poorly and away from the visions he had. Yet still Peckinpah often took the brunt of the blame for the failings of the films.
In his twenty years of filmmaking Peckinpah made a total of fourteen movies, many of them Westerns or Western-themed. Of the thirteen only three were bonified box office hits yet his reputation has grown through the years since his death and his works have become more appreciated. Over a dozen books have been written about him and his films while two documentaries (to date) have been made about him.
Peckinpah was famously lampooned twice in television. The first time was on Monty Python’s Flying Circus in a skit about an upper class British family out for lovely day in nature which turns violent and deadly. Images included a piano player having his arms severed, a young man being hit in the eye with a tennis ball causing blood to explode everywhere and a machine gun shootout which annihilates the family.
The second time was in the first season of Saturday Night Live with John Belushi as the director making his first romantic comedy who loses control of himself and ends up beating up the whole cast.
Such was Peckinpah’s reputation, a reputation Peckinpah never bothered to defend.
Here is a look at the films of Sam Peckinpah. If you ever choose to watch one of his movies make sure to jump in the deep end and watch them uncut.
RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY (1962) Peckinpah’s first movie was the undistinguished Western The Deadly Companions. His follow up film was this Western about two aging men hired to transport gold from a mining community through some roughly populated areas. Along the way one of them, an ex-sheriff on hard times, hopes to talk the other into stealing the gold for them. Aging Western stars Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott played the lead roles and they, like their characters, were going through the West one last time. The film failed when first released but became a huge hit overseas and was named the best movie at the Belgium Film Festival (beating out Fellini’s 8 ½). The film placed on a few of the top critics film lists here in the U.S. and today is considered a masterpiece and one of Peckinpah’s best films.
MAJOR DUNDEE (1965) Peckinpah’s next film began what would become a career long problem for the director – problems with the producers and alcohol. Major Dundee told the story of a Union cavalry soldier (Charlton Heston) and his obsessive quest to capture the Indians that have kidnapped some children from a group of Confederate prisoners he was in charge of. Problems on the film began immediately. Peckinpah re-wrote the script and began shooting while still writing it. Because of the pressures being put on him because of the sizable budget, Peckinpah began drinking heavily each night and became verbally abusive to his cast and crew. It is reported he fired at least two dozen crewmen during production. Heston, considered one of the most laid back of actors, almost came to blows with Peckinpah several times and even threatened to quit the film at one point. Once Peckinpah delivered the finished film it was three weeks over schedule and nearly $2 million over budget. Peckinpah was fired from any further post-production work. The producer severely re-edited the film and, upon its release, was met with scathing reviews and flopped at the box office. Peckinpah always claimed that his final version of Major Dundee was one of his best films.
Next up for Peckinpah was The Cincinnati Kid with Steve McQueen as an up and coming card shark eager to play his idol in a poker match. Immediately Peckinpah came in and started re-writing the script. Producer Martin Ransohoff had heard the horror stories coming from the Major Dundee set but agreed to give Peckinpah a chance sighting that any director can sometimes be difficult. It became clear almost right away the marriage between the two men was going to deteriorate quickly. Peckinpah wanted to shoot the film in black and white and concentrate less on poker and more on surviving the streets during the Depression. Peckinpah also had written several racy scenes which would require female nudity, a no-no at that time. Four days into production Ransohoff fired Peckinpah.
THE WILD BUNCH (1968) It would be three years before Peckinpah got another opportunity to make a theatrical movie and with The Wild Bunch he created a Western masterpiece by which all other Westerns to come would be compared. Peckinpah also carved his way into the annuls of film history by creating a film that broke the rules. The film tells the basic story of a group of aging outlaws (played by amongst others William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson) in 1913 trying to survive during a time where the world is modernizing in front of their eyes. Peckinpah framed the film around two terrific gunfights, one a failed bank robbery that opens the film and the other a suicidal gun battle with the Mexican army that has killed one of its members. Peckinpah didn’t shy away from the violence as we saw blood spurt from gunshot wounds and even a throat slashing – some of it in slow motion. Critics were sharply divided by the film. Some felt the violence was needless and exploitive while others praised Peckinpah for his audacious direction. Peckinpah received the only Academy Award nomination in his career for co-writing the Screenplay. Today the film is considered the best in Peckinpah’s career.
THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE (1970) Peckinpah couldn’t get any further away from The Wild Bunch then he did with this sweet, tender romantic Western starring Jason Robards in the title role as a man who discovers water in the desert and plans to make a fortune. He opens his business along the same route as the stagecoach only to discover the automobile has been invented. Stella Stevens co-stars as a prostitute who loves Cable Hogue. This is a marvelous film unlike anything Peckinpah would ever do again. Unfortunately the making of the film proved turbulent as Peckinpah’s drinking increased as did his short temper resulting in the firing of over three dozen crewmen. When he delivered the final cut the film was almost three weeks late and $3 million over budget. Because of this Warner Bros. removed Peckinpah from any upcoming projects which would include Jeremiah Johnson, Deliverance and The Exorcist. The film received mixed reviews but flopped at the box office. In the years since Peckinpah died the film has been re-discovered and a joyous discovery it is to see that he could make a movie without the prerequisite violence one expected with each of his films. Peckinpah sited this movie as his favorite of all his films.
STRAW DOGS (1971) Likely Peckinpah’s most controversial film was this dramatically disturbing film starring Dustin Hoffman as an introverted teacher who decides to leave America with his wife (Susan George) and move to the small English community where she grew up. After arriving he is met with derision from townspeople, especially the men who knew the wife well. Soon he is being harassed and tricked by these men leading to a violent showdown in which Hoffman has to defend his home. The film was praised by some and lambasted by others, particularly by women’s groups over a still potent rape scene involving Susan George who first resists her attacker and then seems to enjoy it. Critics were sharply divided once again but the public failed to latch on and it was not a success.
JUNIOR BONNER (1972) The first of two Peckinpah movies to be released in 1972 starring Steve McQueen. Peckinpah jumped on this film only weeks after completing Straw Dogs as it was his intention to shake his reputation as a violence-only director and knew the controversy Dogs was about to bring. McQueen plays an aging rodeo star who returns home to compete in a rodeo competition and deal with family matters he thought he left behind. Peckinpah’s earnest direction of a very tender story turned the film into a strong drama but the studio had no faith in it and promoted it as a Steve McQueen action film. As always reviews were divided but the film flopped at the box office. Peckinpah was so angry by the fiom’s failure he vowed never to do another against type film again. “I made a movie where no one gets shot and nobody went to see it.”
THE GETAWAY (1972) Peckinpah’s second pairing with McQueen turned out to be far more successful. In it McQueen plays an ex-con who, just after being released from prison, gets involved with a bank robbery that goes wrong and he is forced to hit the road while protecting the money and dodging a psychotic partner. Peckinpah, fearing another failure with Bonner, signed up to direct and made a straight ahead action film with no frills. He needed a hit and so did McQueen so they both jumped at the project. The reviews were again mixed but it became Peckinpah’s biggest hit to date and brought McQueen back to the rankings as a top movie star.
PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (1973) Perhaps the most troubled of all of Peckinpah’s films was his telling of the friendship and split of the two Western legends (played by James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson). The production was plagued by widespread illness, bad weather, malfunctioning equipment and a temperamental director who was usually so drunk by lunch that little to no shooting could be completed after noon. Peckinpah delivered the film to MGM three weeks over schedule and almost $2 million over budget. MGM took the film away from Peckinpah and cut almost 20 minutes out of it. Though Peckinpah retained credit he, along with most of the cast and crew, disowned the film that was released. Critics were near unanimous in blasting the film and audiences stayed away. In 1988 Peckinpah’s cut of the film was released on video and it was hailed by critics and is now considered an unsung classic.
BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA (1974) To devoted fans this would be the last Peckinpah film to resemble a true Peckinpah film. In it Warren Oates plays a down and out bartender/piano player who decides to take up the offer of bringing back the head of a gigolo who has impregnated the daughter of a Mexican crime family head. The prize? A cool one million dollars in cash. The man sees this as his opportunity of a lifetime and heads out to find Alfredo Garcia. This film was lambasted by most critics with the exception of Roger Ebert who called the film a masterpiece. In the years since its release many critics have come over to Ebert’s side of thinking. Nevertheless the film was a huge box office flop.
THE KILLER ELITE (1975) Peckinpah’s creative decline began with this espionage thriller he signed up for believing this could be the hit to pull him out of his latest rut. Peckinpah even cast James Caan and Robert Duvall in the leads to no avail. The film, as with many of Peckinpah’s, was plagued with problems, some of Peckinpah’s doing and some not. Peckinpah, it is believed, discovered cocaine while shooting this film and became so addicted that some days he couldn’t leave his trailer and the assistant directors were left to do the work. Peckinpah even overdosed during production and was laid up for weeks but the production continued. The final results are dismal with critics agreeing and audiences passing on the film altogether.
CROSS OF IRON (1977) Peckinpah’s drug habit had clouded his judgment but he was still renowned enough that he was offered the chance to direct both King Kong and Superman and instead chose this World War II action/drama about a platoon of German soldiers on the verge of collapse on Hitler’s Russian front. James Coburn, Maximillian Schell, James Mason and David Warner starred in the film that was so low budget, Peckinpah had to put in almost $100,000 of his own money to ensure he had experienced film crew members to work with. He was able to keep off the cocaine but not the alcohol and soon he was behind schedule and over the small budget. Money finally ran out just prior to filming what was to be an expensive and action filled conclusion so Peckinpah improvised a scene and shot it in an afternoon. The film was received badly by critics and even his most ardent admirers, like Roger Ebert, noted that while there were signs of his brilliance it was becoming apparent that he was losing his touch. Interestingly the film was a box office smash in Europe and is now highly regarded here.
CONVOY (1978) Having had four box office flops in a row Peckinpah decided to jump on the bandwagon started by Smokey and the Bandit and create a road chase romance film based on the hit song by C.W. McCall. Delving more deeply into cocaine and alcohol it became evident early on that Peckinpah would not be able to go it alone so James Coburn volunteered to be second unit director and wound up directing many sequences on his own while Peckinpah would wind down in his trailer. Once Peckinpah got it together he realized he had a bad script. He did some re-writes and re-shoots but it wasn’t enough as the film was still two weeks over schedule and almost $5 million over budget. Interestingly the film would become Peckinpah’s biggest hit grossing over $46 million but Peckinpah’s reputation had done him in and it would be some time before he worked again as a film director.
Thanks to a favor from famed director Don (Dirty Harry) Siegel, Peckinpah became 2nd unit director on the ill-fated Bette Midler comedy Jinxed. Siegel let it be known that Peckinpah did as he was told, showed up sober every day and did a good job. This would lead to one final film.
THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND (1983) Peckinpah’s final go around was based on the novel by Robert Ludlum about spies, espionage and revenge. Actors such as Rutger Hauer, Burt Lancaster, John Hurt, Dennis Hopper, Chris Sarandon and Craig T. Nelson all signed for less their usual salary to work with the re-invigorated director who was signed on by two novice producers who felt Peckinpah’s name could add credibility to the project. Peckinpah re-wrote the script to try and clear some of the convoluted material up which did not please the producers. Though Peckinpah delivered the film on time and on budget the producers decided to re-edit the film and fired Peckinpah from post-production. The resulting film has some strong moments but is an incomprehensible mess that takes the convoluted book and unbelievably makes it even more so. The resulting film was hammered by critics and bombed at the box office. It was a sad end to a once prolific career.
Barely a year after the release of The Osterman Weekend, Peckinpah was preparing to film The Shotgunners based on an original script by Stephen King. Sadly Peckinpah died of a massive heart attack at 59 and the film never went into production.
Sam Peckinpah’s last job as director was directing the video of the song Too Late For Goodbyes by Julian Lennon.
