Sam Peckinpah, the film director, and Mahler

[John Kim]

I was watching Sam Peckinpah's "Major Dundee" Extended Edition and a special feature attached to it. He is the person who also directed the legendary film "The Wild Bunch".

Guess what I learned about him? He was a classical music fan and had much interest in Gustav Mahler! A German actress who appeared in the film was telling the story during an interview. She said that very few people knew Sam appreciated the music of Mahler.

No wonder I admire his films, especially the bloody and profound The Wild Bunch!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the restored version of Major Dundee. This can be called a prelude to The Wild Bunch, but Peckinpah already had a unique idea of how Americans in the old west were abused by excessive violence and in a way became themselves addicted to it, and how to put it across the silver screen. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a masterpiece which some film critics do, but it is a beautiful, violent and authentic westerner with Peckinpah's stamps all over it. It could have been Sam's masterpiece had it not been for a blow up between him and the producer. Still, the extended edition is an invigorating movie experience.

John,

P.S. In the new version they even replaced the original soundtrack with new music.

[Damfino]

I quite like Major Dundee. The cast is superb, and it is one of Charlton Heston's very best roles, IMO. The "restored" cut is far preferable to the one they used to show on TV. In addition to this film, and The Wild Bunch, I really like Peckinpah's The Ballad of Cable Hogue.

I preferred the new score to the original one. About 2/3 of the movie is quite good; but then it sort of meanders and gets lost; then gets wrapped up at the end. One thing amusing about the "making of" documentary is the assertion by one of the talking heads that Peckinpah made the film as a protest against the Viet Nam War. What utter revisionist BS. The film was made in 1964 when the war was little more than a blip on the radar for most folks. Presumably Dundee's long campaign to capture Sierra Chariba mirrored the quagmire in Viet Nam.

I'm kind of surprised that Peckinpah never found an opportunity to feature some Mahler in one of his films.

[John Kim]

I quite like Major Dundee. The cast is superb, and it is one of Charlton Heston's very best roles, IMO. The "restored" cut is far preferable to the one they used to show on TV. In addition to this film, and The Wild Bunch, I really like Peckinpah's The Ballad of Cable Hogue.

I preferred the new score to the original one. About 2/3 of the movie is quite good; but then it sort of meanders and gets lost; then gets wrapped up at the end. One thing amusing about the "making of" documentary is the assertion by one of the talking heads that Peckinpah made the film as a protest against the Viet Nam War. What utter revisionist BS. The film was made in 1964 when the war was little more than a blip on the radar for most folks. Presumably Dundee's long campaign to capture Sierra Chariba mirrored the quagmire in Viet Nam.

I'm kind of surprised that Peckinpah never found an opportunity to feature some Mahler in one of his films.

I am watching the film the second time around and this time I like it more. The cinematography and character development in particular are splendid.

Still, it's clear that Sam needed a couple of additional scenes to make the movie flow smoothly and lead more naturally to the conclusion.

What do you know about Peckinpah as a classical music lover? How much did he appreciate Mahler?

Thanks.

John

[John Kim]

Speaking of Hollywood actors and directors who were interested in Mahler, I heard Alec Baldwin listens to Mahler very often. It is known that Frank Sinatra was interested in singing DLVDE although I don't know if he was a real Mahler fan.

Anybody else?

[James Meckley]

Anybody else?

Not exactly what you're looking for, but in his 1980 film Manhattan, Woody Allen made Mahler a charter member of the mythical "Academy of the Overrated"— along with Carl Jung, Norman Mailer, Isak Dinesen, and Wolfgang Mozart.

James

[James Meckley]

It is known that Frank Sinatra was interested in singing DLVDE...

Now that's something I'd pay serious money to hear!

James

[John Kim]

Anybody else?

Not exactly what you're looking for, but in his 1980 film Manhattan, Woody Allen made Mahler a charter member of the mythical "Academy of the Overrated"— along with Carl Jung, Norman Mailer, Isak Dinesen, and Wolfgang Mozart.

James

Yes, I noticed it while I was watching the movie. Woody didn't make fun of Mahler but it seemed he didn't particularly LIKE Mahler.

John

[Roffe]

On the other hand, I don't particularly LIKE Woody Allen.

[Damfino]

Speaking of Hollywood actors and directors who were interested in Mahler, I heard Alec Baldwin listens to Mahler very often. It is known that Frank Sinatra was interested in singing DLVDE although I don't know if he was a real Mahler fan.

Anybody else?

wow, I never heard that Frank wanted to sing Mahler. I just finished reading two books on Sinatra as a singer/recording artist. Both books mentioned that whenever anyone visited Sinatra; he was usually listening to classical music. I would not be at all surprised if Mahler was part of that.

Dave

[John Kim]

wow, I never heard that Frank wanted to sing Mahler. I just finished reading two books on Sinatra as a singer/recording artist. Both books mentioned that whenever anyone visited Sinatra; he was usually listening to classical music. I would not be at all surprised if Mahler was part of that.

Dave

That's very nice to hear. Sinatra is one of my favorite actors. I admire his acting as much as I do his singing.

Who knows he may have practiced DLVDE in his office in his lifetime.

John,