Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1960s
    Movies - 1960s Movies - W 3 Mins Read

    Wild Bunch, The (1969)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    The Wild Bunch is regarded by many as the last great Western, although Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw Josey Wales has its followers too.

    It’s 1913 and a group of ageing outlaws led by Pike Bishop (William Holden) rob a railroad office and then engage in a savage shootout on a dusty western town’s Main Street with a posse of lawmen who have been trailing them.

    Dozens of people are killed including gunmen on both sides, but mostly innocent bystanders who happen to be in the street or who are used as human shields by the crooks.

    Pike and a few of his men – including the loyal Dutch (Ernest Borgnine), a young Mexican named Angel (Jaime Sanchez), and the rowdy Gorch brothers, Lyle and Tector (Warren Oates and Ben Johnson) – manage to escape the shooting gallery and hide out on the Texas/Mexico border.

    Pike discovers his ex-partner Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan) is leading the gang who are coming after them, so they decide to hide out in the little Mexican village Angel grew up in.

    wildbunch

    The village has been taken over by an insane Mexican general named Mapache (Emilio Fernandez) and has become a hellhole full of sex, tequila and robbery to feed his loyal troops.

    When Angel spots his ex-lover in the general’s arms, he shoots and kills her, which angers Mapache. To appease him, and possibly now save Angel’s life, the gang agree to do a job for him, stealing arms from a US military train.

    The middle section of the film is the train heist and its aftermath wherein they try to get a portion of the weapons to Angel’s people so they can one day overthrow their tormenters.

    On delivering the arms to Mapache, the bunch know they could be walking into a death trap but decide to go out in a proverbial blaze of glory.

    And what a blaze of glory it turns out to be!

    When Mapache shoots Angel, Pike’s natural reaction is to shoot back, killing the general.

    The four men give each other a look – almost with relief knowing they are about to die – as dozens of Mapache’s men, at first stunned, prepare to respond. And that begins maybe the greatest gunfight in movie history, highlighted by the use of a Gatling machine gun and some well-placed slow-motion editing.

    The two episodes of violence in the film caused a furore because of the blood-spurting, slow-motion, repetitive detail in which they are shown.

    Director Sam Peckinpah claimed the realism (and the action replays) were necessary to condemn violence. The debate went on and on.

    The violence would get much worse with Soldier Blue the following year, but here it is seen as almost operatic.

    Pike Bishop
    William Holden
    Dutch Engstrom
    Ernest Borgnine
    Deke Thornton
    Robert Ryan
    Freddie Sykes
    Edmond O’Brien
    Lyle Gorch
    Warren Oates
    Angel
    Jaime Sanchez
    Tector Gorch
    Ben Johnson
    Mapache
    Emilio Fernández
    Coffer
    Strother Martin
    T.C.
    L.Q. Jones
    Pat Harrigan
    Albert Dekker
    Crazy Lee
    Bo Hopkins
    Mayor Wainscoat
    Dub Taylor
    Lieutenant Zamorra
    Jorge Russek
    Herrera
    Alfonso Arau
    Don José
    Chano Urueta
    Teresa
    Sonia Amelio
    Aurora
    Aurora Clavel
    Elsa
    Elsa Cardenas
    Ross
    Paul Harper
    Jess
    Bill Hart
    Buck
    Rayford Barnes
    Sergeant McHale
    Stephen Ferry
    Ignacio
    Enrique Lucero
    Rocio
    Elizabeth Dupeyron
    Yolis
    Yolanda Ponce
    Juan José
    José Chávez Trowe
    Juan
    René Dupeyron
    Benson
    Pedro Galvan
    Emma
    Graciela Doring
    Perez
    Major Perez
    Mohr
    Fernando Wagner
    Ernst
    Jorge Rado
    Margaret
    Señora Madero
    Luna
    Margarito de Luna
    Gonzalez
    Chalo González
    Lilia
    Lilia Castillo
    Carmen
    Elizabeth Unda
    Julio
    Julio Corona

    Director
    Sam Peckinpah

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Where's Jack? (1969)
      Where's Jack? (1969)
      In his first straight acting performance, old rocker Tommy Steele stars as Jack Sheppard, the notorious highwayman and jail-breaker who…
    • Charro! (1969)
      Charro! (1969)
      This abortive attempt at changing the lightweight movie image of Elvis Presley is a melodramatic and rather absurd Western featuring…
    • Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969)
      Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969)
      Ah . . . the sepia-tinted fantasy world of the old west, South American getaways and a bicycle made for…
    • Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The (1966)
      Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The (1966)
      Sergio Leone was the master craftsman of the Spaghetti Western, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is his masterpiece. His…
    • Westworld (1973)
      Westworld (1973)
      Bored Chicago businessmen John Blane (James Brolin) and Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) shell out $1000 a day for a holiday…
    • Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
      Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
      Henry Fonda makes a rare excursion into villainy in Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West. The man who…
    • Fistful of Dollars, A (1964)
      Fistful of Dollars, A (1964)
      After small parts in ten movies and seven years acting in TV's Rawhide, 34-year-old Clint Eastwood starred in this Italian/German co-production.…
    • For A Few Dollars More (1965)
      For A Few Dollars More (1965)
      Sergio Leone’s sequel to his ground-breaking A Fistful of Dollars (1964) is longer, more accomplished, and provides the first example of…

    1969
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleWrecking Crew, The (1969)
    Next Article Wildcats Of St Trinian’s, The (1980)

    Comments are closed.

    A Labour of Love

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love for me since 1998.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small – to help me with the running costs of the site and ensure I can keep Nostalgia Central running for your entertainment and education.

    Thank you so much, and please enjoy your trip in the time machine!
    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Green Berets, The (1968)
      One of the first Vietnam War action pictures presented […]
    • Night We Dropped a Clanger, The (1959)
      When German V1 rockets start to fall on England, Air Vice […]
    • People’s Court, The
      1 9 8 1 – 1 9 9 3 (USA) 30 minute episodes Retired judge […]
    • Pope Joan (1972)
      According to a legend of the ninth century, a nun called Joan […]
    • Waiting for Guffman (1996)  
      This film from Christopher Guest about a small-town theatre […]
    • Magic Mongo
      1 9 7 7 – 1 9 7 8 (USA) 16 x 15 minute episodes These […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65006801 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Terry Hall: Coventry scooter ride-out pays tribute to singer

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Hundreds of people ride through Coventry on what would have been the singer's 64th birthday.
    5 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 12
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    metro.co.uk/2023/03/13/the-whos-roger-daltrey-thinks-theres-no-point-releasing-an-album-18434779/ ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    The Who's Roger Daltrey thinks there's 'no point' releasing another album

    metro.co.uk

    Bad luck.
    6 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64963359 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Sir Michael Caine's first Rolls Royce sells at Duxford for £120K

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The Italian Job actor hired a chauffeur to drive the 1968 Silver Shadow, with its doors still intact.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 2
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64900348 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mystic Meg: Astrologer dies aged 80

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The TV star, whose real name was Margaret Lake, was a well-known TV figure in the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Do you think she know it eas going to happen

    PlayTalk Teletext (1976) | BFI Replay

    Talk Teletext (1976) | BFI Replay ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 7
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Gary Rossington: Lynyrd Skynyrd's last founding member dies aged 71.
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Gary Rossington: Lynyrd Skynyrd's last founding member dies aged 71

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Guitarist Gary Rossington had survived a 1977 air crash that killed several of his bandmates.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 2
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    What a talented man. Lucky enough to see original band in concert. BRILLIANT.

    Rest in peace Dickie Davies. An absolute giant of British sports broadcasting.

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Dickie Davies, World of Sport presenter, dies at 94

    www.theguardian.com

    The broadcaster became something of a cult figure after fronting the ITV show for 20 years
    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Yes, one of the great presenters. R.I.P.

    For fans of the radio series Round The Horne (1965 - 1968) - starring the inimitable Kenneth Williams - there are several full episodes on Spotify. Some of the humour is still pretty close to the edge, even by modern standards. Bona! 

https://open.spotify.com/show/7DIM1wfGKwDis0uzsjHeP7?si=pG0_U0TjRKGzVDvrePs4vA

    For fans of the radio series "Round The Horne" (1965 - 1968) - starring the inimitable Kenneth Williams - there are several full episodes on Spotify. Some of the humour is still pretty "close to the edge", even by modern standards. Bona!

    open.spotify.com/show/7DIM1wfGKwDis0uzsjHeP7?si=pG0_U0TjRKGzVDvrePs4vA
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 12
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    For those interested, the complete “Jules and Sandy” is available on Audible…

    Bona to vada your jolly old eek. Lovely riah....

    RIP the beautiful Stella Stevens, who has died at the age of 84.

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Stella Stevens: Nutty Professor and Poseidon Adventure star dies at 84

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The co-star of Elvis Presley also worked in TV on series such as Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I.
    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    A very young Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and friends. 

If they only knew what lay ahead . . .

    A very young Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and friends.

    If they only knew what lay ahead . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 18
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    I always hated the Beatles, and as it happens I still do.

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Tag Cloud
    1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games British Invasion Britpop Bubblegum music Canada Civil rights Cold War Computer games Crime Disc Jockeys Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Folk rock Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen James Bond JFK Kraütrock Labels Madchester Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave New Zealand Nixon Northern Soul NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Politics Power Pop Prog rock Pub rock Punk Radio Reggae Rolling Stones Scotland Ska Ska revival Skiffle Soul music Space Race Sport Surf music Video games Vietnam war
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.