{{Short description|1966 film by Sidney J. Furie}} {{About|the 1966 film directed by Sidney J. Furie|the unrelated 2008 film|Appaloosa (film)}} {{Other uses|Appaloosa (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Use American English|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox film | name = The Appaloosa | image = The Appaloosa66.jpg | caption = Theatrical poster | director = Sidney J. Furie | producer = Alan Miller | writer = James Bridges<br>Roland Kibbee | based_on = {{based on|''The Appaloosa''|Robert MacLeod}} | starring = Marlon Brando<br>Anjanette Comer<br>John Saxon<br>Emilio Fernández<br>Míriam Colón | music = Frank Skinner | cinematography = Russell Metty | editing = Ted J. Kent | color_process = Technicolor | studio = Universal Pictures | distributor = Universal Pictures | released = {{Film date|1966|09|15|New York City}} | runtime = 99 minutes | country = United States | language = English | gross = $1 million (US/ Canada rentals)<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Big Rental Pictures of 1966|magazine=Variety|date=4 January 1967|page=8}}</ref> }}
'''''The Appaloosa''''' (also known as '''''Southwest to Sonora''''') is a 1966 American Western film starring Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer, and John Saxon, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a Mexican bandit. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie, and shot in Techniscope in California, Utah, and Arizona.
==Plot== Based on the 1963 book by Robert MacLeod, the title character is a beautiful horse (a breed, the Appaloosa) belonging to Matt Fletcher (Marlon Brando), a Mexican-American buffalo hunter who returns home, only to have his beloved horse stolen by a powerful bandit, Chuy Medina (John Saxon) with the help of the bandit's girlfriend, Trini (Anjanette Comer) in the border town of Ojo Prieto. Trini was sold to Chuy at the age of 15, but has been brutalized and effectively discarded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mysticmoviereviews.com/2008/07/18/the-appaloosa-1966/ |title=The Appaloosa (1966) |accessdate=2008-12-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119133731/http://mysticmoviereviews.com/2008/07/18/the-appaloosa-1966/ |archivedate=2008-11-19 }}</ref>
Fletcher begins to hunt down the bandit to recapture the horse, but finds matters more complicated than expected when he meets the bandit's girlfriend. Fletcher is subjected to torture and humiliation by Chuy and his minions.
A later foray into Medina's camp results in a brutal arm wrestling match in a bar between Fletcher and the bandido. Fletcher loses and is stung on the arm by a scorpion. Again left to die, Fletcher is rescued by Trini, who despises her "lover", Chuy, and prefers Fletcher's company. She gets him assistance from a kindly old peasant, which later costs the old man his life.
During the violence-laden climax, Fletcher is forced to choose between Trini and his beloved Appaloosa. Fletcher, realizing that Trini means more to him than the horse, sends out the Appaloosa to draw Chuy's fire. As the bandit prepares to aim for the horse, sunlight glints on his gun barrel, revealing his position. Fletcher fires and kills him. Fletcher and Trini then cross the border with the Appaloosa to start a new life.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100811040619/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/2685/The-Appaloosa/overview The New York Times Movies]</ref>
==Cast== * Marlon Brando as Matt 'Mateo' Fletcher * Anjanette Comer as Trini * John Saxon as Chuy * Emilio Fernández as Lazaro * Alex Montoya as Squint Eye * Míriam Colón as Ana * Rafael Campos as Paco * Frank Silvera as Ramos * Larry D. Mann as Priest
==Production== The film was shot in shot in Wrightwood, Antelope Valley, and Lake Los Angeles, California; St. George, Utah; and Colorado City, Arizona.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Appaloosa Filming Locations|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060120/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt|website=IMDB}}</ref> Parts of the film were also shot in Hurricane and at the Virgin River in Utah.<ref>{{cite book|last1=D'Arc|first1=James V.|title=When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah|date=2010|publisher=Gibbs Smith|location=Layton, Utah|isbn=9781423605874|edition=1st}}</ref>
The film was John Saxon's favorite among his movies.<ref name="filmink">{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|title=The Top Twelve Stages of Saxon|date=July 29, 2020}}</ref>
==Awards== The film was awarded the Bronze Wrangler by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for outstanding Western motion picture of 1966.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|date=April 12, 1967|page=22|title=New York Sound Track}}</ref>
==See also== * List of films about horses * List of American films of 1966
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|0060120|title=The Appaloosa}} * {{AFI film|22970|title=The Appaloosa}} * {{TCMDb title|id=67526|title=The Appaloosa}}
{{Sidney J. Furie}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Appaloosa, The}} Category:1966 films Category:1966 English-language films Category:1966 Western (genre) films Category:Films about horses Category:Films directed by Sidney J. Furie Category:Films set in Mexico Category:Films based on American Western (genre) novels Category:American Western (genre) films Category:Films set in the 1870s Category:Films shot in California Category:Universal Pictures films Category:Films shot in Arizona Category:Films shot in Utah Category:Films scored by Frank Skinner Category:1966 American films Category:English-language Western (genre) films