Troubled Genius
February 21, 2025 marks one hundred years since director Sam Peckinpah was born. Peckinpah is a fascinating character: a filmmaker of overriding vision, a maverick who fought with producers and studios who attempted to subvert that vision, a tyrant and occasional bully on set, a substance abuser, a writer of brilliant dialogue, a troubled genius who died relatively young. The legend of the man could, perhaps, overwhelm the legacy of his work. And make no mistake, the Peckinpah filmography is uneven. But Peckinpah’s best films are excellent and several are generally acknowledged as all-time classics. Even his lesser films hold interest with memorable lines, characters, or scenes and intriguing, sometimes disturbing themes. For followers of our noble genre, Westerns are the core of Peckinpah’s legacy. One hundred years after he entered the world, and forty years after he left it, the passage of time has burnished the reputation of these films.
Younger Sam
Peckinpah grew up in Fresno, California and spent significant time at his grandfather’s ranch in the foothills of the Sierras, during a time when the ways of the wild West were still part of living memory. This memory, and a persistent sense of melancholy as it gradually but steadily receded, informed his Westerns. Over time, so did an approach to the violence of firearms, often implied or downplayed in oaters before Peckinpah but graphically visual in his maturity.
For Jeff Arnold’s West, Sam’s centenary provides a fine opportunity.
Older Sam
For those new to the blog, it was founded, naturally enough, by namesake Jeff Arnold. Jeff was the exclusive author of all content until May 2024. In June 2024, however, we – known here as RR and Bud – became co-administrators of the site. (For those interested, the About page summarizes the sad circumstances which led to the change in the site’s administration.)
Jeff was wide-ranging in his interest and prolific in his coverage of the West and Western film. Certainly no classic Western escaped his keyboard and his muse. For we two greenhorns following in Jeff’s boot prints, his blanket coverage has presented us with an intriguing balancing act: maintaining the interest of the site’s community of current readers, while simultaneously enticing the interest of new readers without falling prey to a rehash of ‘Western greatest hits’… unlike so many radio channels which play the same tired 100 or so songs.
Artistic Sam
But, their director’s centenary really does provide an excellent reason to revisit and celebrate the Westerns of Sam Peckinpah. It’s a chance to collate Jeff’s thoughts on them, for Bud and RR to exchange theirs, and for you, the readers, to share yours as well.
This series of posts will canter through the Western films of Samuel Peckinpah, in order of release. (Due to their unfortunate inaccessibility, we will not delve into Peckinpah’s early years in Westerns for U.S. television). Thoughts, memories, and opinions are, as always, welcome in the Comments.
And so… on to Sam Peckinpah’s first, and probably least-celebrated, big-screen Western.
The Deadly Companions (Paramount, 1961)
In The Deadly Companions, Brian Keith plays a Union soldier with a bad shoulder pursuing an unknown person for unknown reasons. While attempting to stop bandits, Keith accidentally shoots and kills the son of saloon girl Maureen O’Hara. The distraught O’Hara decides to bury the boy next to his late father; his grave is in a town now located in Apache territory. Keith insists on accompanying her, in spite of vigorous objections, and brings along two others, the ‘deadly companions’. Steve Cochrane has unsavory designs on O’Hara; Chill Wills cheats at cards, wants to enslave the local Indians, and is decidedly mad. A journey and, ultimately, a confrontation ensue.
Jeff’s take:
Jeff Arnold had strong feelings about actors who portrayed Westerners. He really liked Gary Cooper in the genre; he really did not like Broderick Crawford. He mostly liked Dorothy Malone in her 17 (!) Westerns; he mostly did not like Maureen O’Hara in her 9, despite her enduring friendship and multiple appearances with John Wayne. As it happens, Sam Peckinpah’s first cinematic Western not only starred Miss O’Hara; she had also acquired the rights to the source material AND her brother produced.
Jeff, not unexpectedly, did not care for O’Hara’s work in the film: “really it’s a pity they couldn’t have got someone good”; he apparently was unaware that she was “they”. He also had a backhanded compliment for Brian Keith: he “could be very good occasionally… he is strong here”. All in all, he “quite like[d the movie] in its modest way”.
Bud’s take:
While Jeff aimed his vitriol for O’Hara, mine is reserved for her brother. He did not obtain the necessary copyright, so the film fell into the public domain. Even though my DVD claims to be a restored version (and does, in fairness, have the correct aspect ratio), the picture and sound quality are generally mediocre or worse. This quality does not, however, obscure Peckinpah’s visual sense, his love for Western landscapes; despite the absence of cinematographer Lucien Ballard (his go-to DP in the future), the film has some beautiful shots, particularly at the beginning and the end.
The film also features the first instance of a less endearing Peckinpah trope: an (apparent) disregard for lower animals, as a snake is shot, and its corpse dangled, on-screen.
I found the movie to be episodic and difficult to follow. The lone Apache who constantly harassed Keith and O’Hara was puzzling; was he a member of the Apache tribe whose territory Keith and O’Hara were crossing? A lone operator after Keith, O’Hara, or both? Or something else? Spoiler alert, the warrior is dispatched and this viewer was never quite sure of his motivation.
Brian Keith’s burly presence brings a low-key, measured masculinity to his character. Which he did consistently whether wearing cowboy duds or a suit, at least in my experience with his large- and small-screen work.
As for Maureen O’Hara, for whom the word ‘statuesque’ was seemingly invented: with her imposing cheekbones and Pre-Raphaelite hair, I generally find a sense of the patrician, a certain haughtiness, in her on-screen presence. This quality (whether real or in my imagination) adds a dimension to her role as a woman in severely reduced circumstances, working as a saloon girl. The characterization is uneven (as is the film) but the writing is the reason for this viewer, not O’Hara’s performance.
As for Jeff’s dismissive assessment of the opening and closing song, sung by O’Hara “in her second-rate operetta voice”: I own her 1959 RCA Victor record. I keep it for the lovely album cover.
RR’s take:
I enter into our Sam-a-thon as a reasonably seasoned but far-below expert-level afficionado: for a filmmaker with such a small output Sam Peckinpah’s had a mind-boggling number of books written about him but I haven’t read any of them, and although I’d seen most of Peckinpah’s movies previously, including most of his Westerns, there’s a few I’d never caught up with – and these include The Deadly Companions.
My copy (a second hand old UK DVD release) sounds like it was better than Bud’s: we’re not talking Criterion quality but more than adequate sound and picture for what I’d say this is: an interesting minor diversion. In fact, I’d suggest the best way to watch it is by removing your auteur goggles first and trying to place yourself in a cinema seat in 1961, before the rest of Peckinpah’s career happened. So what you’re seeing is nothing more – but also nothing less – than a low-budget independent Western, helmed by a promising TV director, with enough interesting ideas and enjoyable quirks to set it apart from the average oater; but also enough annoying flaws to stop you hurrying back for a second viewing.
I found this to be a play in three acts and I reacted differently to each. First there’s the opening town-set sequence. I thought the film did a good job here, establishing characters, plot, place and mood in a low-key but pleasingly atmospheric and intriguing way. It put me in the mood for a solid B Western experience. But then came Act Two, set on the trail as Keith and co escort a reluctant O’Hara. At this point the film began to lose its grip on me, not helped by the music becoming increasingly intrusive and grating (the guitar-based score is Western muzak, basically – oater elevator sounds, you might say – liberally sprayed over the film almost regardless of what’s happening on screen at the time. I’d thought it worked quite well in the town scenes, adding to the ambience, but as the film goes on it just becomes irritating). I did enjoy the unusual, slightly perverse bit where a group of Indians play drunken games with a stagecoach they’d ransacked. It’s as if they’re giving us their own little movie-within-a-movie: almost a post-modern touch if that’s not too pretentious a remark (I can almost hear Jeff tut-tutting…). Anyway it’s one of several instances in which novel ideas lift this film out of the norm. But it’s only during the third act, set in a ghost town, that I really got back into the movie. The suspense ratchets up, the character backstories and conflicts reach their climaxes and Peckinpah handles the gunplay in unusual, interesting ways.
Keith and Wills are great in this film, the other actors are all OK. DP William S Clothier does some good stuff, especially a few beautifully silhouetted night-time shots. And (I can hear Jeff’s tuts again), I’m a sucker for pretty much all western theme songs so I didn’t mind O’Hara’s warbling one bit! Having said that it’s best not to think of Deadly Companions too much in terms of later work, I couldn’t help putting those goggles back on again for the moment where Keith shoots at himself in a mirror, a powerful visualisation of his character’s inability to process his inner self-revulsion. The director would use this image of macho self-disgust much more powerfully in later pics.
I too suspect that Animals Were Harmed In The Making Of This Film. No doubt many of you reading this are not such sensitive souls as Bud and me, but the killing of living creatures onscreen is a recurring thing in Peckinpah’s films that I personally find off-putting. And it gets a whole lot worse in several of his later pictures! But those pictures themselves get ever better (that is, up until the point that the alcohol and cocaine ultimately ravaged his talents).
Stay with us for the journey.
(The pictures of Peckinpah above are from the Sam Peckinpah page on Facebook, which is an excellent follow for those who Facebook.)
37 Responses
I want to see EVERYTHING Sam Peckinpah has ever done–which means I have A LOT of catching up to do. As for the movie that first led me to Jeff Arnold’s West last July (2024)….
“Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973, my #24 movie of all time, all genres) is SUPERB ! ! ! ! ! The high points–among many moments of greatness–are the two “”Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” scenes.
The Criterion Version is one of my prized possessions, and on the Favorite Westerns post in late August/early September, I identified “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” as my #7 favorite Western.
Bud and RR, if you’re doing an individual article on each of Peckinpah’s films, then I’d be delighted and honored to guest-write–or contribute to–the article on “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973).
I’ll understand if you’re not comfortable with that–it’s your prerogative. I can write a review of “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” on Amazon. I want to make the offer, though.
Thanks for this. One of my favorite directors ever. I’ve tried to collect everything books, DVDs, Blus, 4Ks. His work means much. A bit of my writing on him can be seen on Amazon under ‘Chris’ on the page of reviews from David Weddle’s wonderful bio. I have also written various ‘intros’ on his movies if I could find them around somewhere. Can’t wait for you to continue the series.
Maureen looks just wonderful on that LP cover.
Chris,
Indeed. And I really, really want to like the music contained in it; the songs are well-chosen standards, the arrangements by Bob Thompson have some interesting touches inserted here and there. But Maureen’s vocals just don’t have rhythmic punch: overly-enunciated and mannered, with a wide vibrato and some phrases that approach trills. Still, I’ve kept worse albums because of their covers and so I’ll keep this one.
She did cut an album of Irish songs for Columbia in 1961. I haven’t heard it, but wonder if her style might be better suited for that material.
Thanks for the info. Do you have Mitchums records? Maureen is one of those ladies I could stare at forever on that movie screen of yore others I feel that way are as diverse as Helen Mirren, Pam Grier, Dorothy Malone, Marilyn, and Bacall etc etc.
Oh and Stanwyck. I enjoyed her much more than Jeff did.
I knew that Mitchum cut a calypso record, of all things, because it was reissued on CD. I’ve never run across a copy, though. And today I learned that he also did a country record! I read somewhere that he is a decent vocalist.
Yes, he sang the title song in ‘Young Billy Young’.
I must say that I thoroughly enjoy Mitchum’s rendition of ‘Little Ole Wine Drinker Me’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9oQxFg-IwM&list=RDC9oQxFg-IwM&start_radio=1
Chris Evans–
I gave a “Helpful” vote to your review of David Weddle’s Peckinpah bio, “If They Move…Kill ‘Em” (2001). I’ll include the book in my next Amazon order. Great review, man ! ! !
I see four Peckinpah films among your Favorite Westerns: “Ride the High Country” (1962), “The Wild Bunch” (1968), “The Ballad of Cable Hogue” (1970), and the phenomenal “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973).
Other than “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (my #24 movie of all time, all genres, and my #7 Western), the only Peckinpah films I’ve seen (so far) are “Ride the High Country” and “The Wild Bunch”–and I don’t remember much about either one of them.
I remember “Ride the High Country” (4 stars out of 5) was good. I saw it in 2018, and I’ll see it again in the next few nights.
I didn’t like “The Wild Bunch” (2 stars). There was some really good cinematography, but I found very little about the drama that was captivating. It was 2016 when I saw it–I’ll certainly give it another watch.
Like I’ve said, I want to see EVERYTHING Peckinpah has ever directed ! ! ! !
Thank you. It is one of my favorite short pieces I’ve written on Peckinpah. His movies mean alot to me. I also think ‘Junior Bonner’ is a wonderful modern Western, ‘Major Dundee’ a flawed ruin. Just a word too on ‘Cross of Iron’ one of the greatest war movies of all.
“Ride the High Country” (1962) and “The Wild Bunch” (1968) are both on Jeff’s Top 17. That by itself makes me want to see them again.
Even with my limited knowledge of Peckinpah, I can see his greatness and uniqueness as a director. Chris Evans is right to say in his review that Peckinpah lived his life and made movies “burning like a meteor across the sky knowing both victory and defeat.”
I want to leave a quick comment to say I’ve rewatched “Ride the High Country” (1962)–and it’s very good. It definitely deserves 4 stars out of 5.
I’ll withhold extended commentary until Bud and RR write their article on this film. I know Bud’s excited about it, because he’s identified it as his favorite film ! ! !
“Ride the High Country,” of course, is on Jeff’s Top 17, and it’s on the Favorite Westerns lists of Chris Evans, Nicholas Anez, and Kevin.
There’s no question: “Ride the High Country” signals the arrival of ONE SPECIAL DIRECTOR ! ! !
Yes, a truly great film with a stunning ending and that dialogue! “I must say we were expecting a younger man”, “I use to be, we all use to be”. Priceless.
Don’t forget ‘Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia’ wich is also more or less a western, with the great Warren Oates!!
Bart,
Stay tuned!
For Jeff and many others like me, The Head of Alfredo Garcia is a western…
https://jeffarnoldswest.com/2013/02/bring-me-head-of-alfredo-garcia-ua-1974/
Completely delighted to see this splendid article, absolutely worthy of this site. Made my day.
Very kind, and your comment has made my day too!
Don’t forget “Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia” with the great Warren Oates… This is more or less also a western…
sorry…. I thought my comment was not posted… -:)
Sad news. The great Gene Hackman has passed away. Wonderful actor and contributor to the Western genre. One of my favorites.
An immense actor, a superb career !
His best western part is surely his unforgettable Little Bill Daggett, one if the meanest evilest villain in the western history ever.
His contribution to the genre :
Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood
Bite the Bullet, Richard Brooks
Geronimo, an American Legend, Walter Hill
Wyatt Earp, Lawrence Kasdan
Zandy’s Bride, Jan Troel
The Hunting Party, Don Medford
The Quick and the Dead (he surely went for the cash…), Sam Raimi
Except the 3 first ones, most of the others are not as important or even good but they have their points, Hackman being one of their best assets usually.
I am taking this opportunity to ask if you should not correct your Peckinpahrama’s title…!? Maybe centennial would be more convincing I am not sure…
Indeed, a great actor. The Quick and the Dead has its fans (Jeff was very much *not* among them, nor you, Jean-Marie, by the sounds of things). Myself, I’ve only seen it once and that was in the cinema when it was released- and I vaguely remember quite enjoying it.
Conversely, I intended to see Geronimo when it came out but missed its brief UK cinema release and then for some reason never caught up with it for many years. When I finally did, it was on a very high-quality Blu Ray release. I was blown away by it, I felt silly for having waited so long but in a way was glad that I got to see it in such a high quality version – a very fine movie indeed.
Regarding ‘Centenary’ I must admit I’m unsure of the objection. If we’ve inadvertently made a semantic error of some kind, it’s not obvious to me what it is. But am always happy to be enlightened, so please share your reasoning Jean-Marie.
Yes, ‘Geronimo’ is a fine movie. Really one of my favorites of the historical Western.
I forgot to tell something about Gene Hackman’s books… Not sure Jeff had ever written about them.
Does anyo e have read one of them!?
Maybe a new project for this blog !?
Regarding “Centenary” just look again the way it has been (mis)typed at the top of your text !
“Centennial” and “Centenary” mean the same thing: A celebration of 100 years. “Centenary” is more British. I’m used to “Centennial” because I’m American.
Yes, that is a typo in the title. I didn’t catch it right away, even though I’m a free-lance writer. The topic and the content of the article are SO EXCELLENT that the typo is easy to miss. I see the word “Peckinpah” in the title, and the fireworks explode ! ! !
Ah, an extra, not-so-tall ‘t’. It has now rode off into the cyber sunset. Thanks.
I just mentioned Centennial to draw the readers’attention to the title mistake…
I like the Tall T allusion !
I now own David Weddle’s Peckinpah bio, “If They Move…Kill ‘Em” (2001)–and it’s a MUST-READ for ANY Peckinpah fan, and for any Western fan ! ! ! I already give the book 5 stars. Thanks Chris Evans, for your great Amazon review.
On page 85, one of Peckinpah’s actors at the Experimental Theater–Peckinpah was a grad student and intern director at University of Southern California–the actor, looking back, says, “I told everyone: ‘There’s something going on here, and this is a serious director for anybody who wants to act.'”
Yes, it’s one of the greats. Originally it was something like 1500 pages until edited down to its present length. Sure would like to check out the long version. Be sure to check out the complete interviews on Peckinpah from the ‘Man of Iron’ documentary on YouTube. They are awesome.
As we anticipate the next installment of The Peckinpah Adventure….
“Ride the High Country” (1962, 5 stars) is WONDERFUL ! ! ! ! I’ve given it a third viewing, and it gets better every time ! ! ! I still love “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973, my #24 movie of all time, all genres) more, but that takes nothing away from “Ride the High Country.”
Alos, I’ve given a second viewing to “The Wild Bunch” (1969). Okaaaayyyyyy. “The Wild Bunch” punches me in the face–but it’s a good punch, a powerful punch. I give it 5 stars–after giving it 2 stars in 2016.
David Weddle, in the prologue of his Peckinpah bio “If They Move…Kill ‘Em” (2001, 5 stars), gives a RIVETING account of the world premier of “The Wild Bunch” in Kansas City in May 1969. Some loved it, but most hated it, and they let Peckinpah and editor Lou Lombardo KNOW ABOUT IT ! ! !
Sam Peckinpah is a director who takes me out of my comfort zone. I look forward to seeing EVERYTHING this man has done.
Peckinpah is a director who takes me out of my comfort zone. I look forward to seeing everything this man
BLAH, my phone was giving me some problems, and it didn’t edit properly.
The comment should end with “…EVERYTHING this man has ever done.”
I’ve seen only 3 Peckinpah films so far. I’m IN LOVE with “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973, my #24 movie of all time, it’s one for the ages) ! ! ! ! “Ride the High Country” (1962, 5 stars) is just super. “The Wild Bunch” (1969, 5 stars) packs a powerful punch.
If anybody has any suggestions, any strong opinions on which Peckinpah film I should see next, then please let me know. THANKS ! ! !
‘Cross of Iron’ is a powerful war film, ‘Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia’ is a cracked masterpiece, ‘Cable Hogue’ is wonderful, ‘Junior Bonner’ so pleasant, and ‘Major Dundee’ what might have been. I could go on…
Thanks, Chris. I’ve just ordered “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia” (1974) and “Cross of Iron” (1977) ! ! ! !
I’ve read reviews of “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia” (1974) by our own Jeff Arnold, and by reviewers on Amazon. This movie–without my having yet seen it–reminds me of William Friedkin’s “Sorcerer” (1977, my #4 movie of all time, all genres), and Q-Tarantino’s “Kill Bill, Volumes 1 and 2” (2003, 2004, both make my Top 25 of all time, all genres). I am LOOKING FORWARD to this one ! ! ! !
“Cross of Iron” (1977) sounds like a top-notch, under-appreciated film. And it has James Mason ! ! ! I know him as neurotic mystery writer Warren Barrow in the great Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode, “Captive Audience” (1962, 5 stars).
Hopefully you are stunned by them. I know I was.
Well hello from France, this Peckinpah western remains quite mediocre overall, the original story by Albert Sidney Fleischman is quite original in itself, transporting a young guy who took a stray bullet into Apache territory to be buried there, but I didn’t like the work of William Clothier who has accustomed us to better than that, the music by Marlin Skiles is horrible, only Chill Wills stands out. I was pleased to see veteran Will Wright again in the role of Doctor Caxton. Overall this western is not interesting and the Pathé-Color image format is truly horrific.