While many remember Sam Peckinpah for the violent apsects of some of his films, his work can also be viewed as deeply personal and often romantic. While his shootouts and battle scenes may have been groundbreaking, his knack for developing characters and telling intricate stories was equally remarkable.

 What I have done here is briefly given my opinions and interpretations of Sam Peckinpah's films. There are many sources available for those who wish further in-depth analysis on these films or for those who seek biographical information on Sam Peckinpah (see the "sources" link). 

The Films

• The Deadly Companions (1961)
• Ride the High Country (1962)
• Major Dundee (1965)
• The Wild Bunch (1969)
• The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
• Straw Dogs (1971)
• Junior Bonner (1972)
• The Getaway (1972)
• Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
• Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
• The Killer Elite (1975)
• Cross of Iron (1977)
• Convoy (1978)
• The Osterman Weekend (1983)

Images

• The Wild Bunch newspaper advertisements
• Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia newspaper advertisements
• A 1969 Warner Brothers audience response card (for the film The Arrangement) with The Wild Bunch postage mark
• French poster for The Getaway
• Japanese poster for The Getaway
• Japanese poster for Junior Bonner
• One-sheet poster for Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
• Lobby poster for Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
• Lobby poster for The Ballad of Cable Hogue
• UK poster for Cross of Iron
• Autographed Ballad of Cable Hogue lobby card
• Major Dundee U.S. LP and Japanese single album covers
• The Wild Bunch original soundtrack album cover
• Major Dundee 8mm souveneir film
• Major Dundee original novelization
• Photos from my visit to filming locations of The Ballad of Cable Hogue

References & Sources

The sources and references used in compiling this site are listed here.

Links

• Kelly's Wild Bunch page (images, sounds, etc.)
• An excellent Wild Bunch review
• The Internet Movie Database (An outstanding source for cast and credits information)
• The Director's Cut (Contains numerous director biographies)
• A brief biography of Sam
• Don Bruce's Peckinpah Gallery (Several autographed stills & lobby cards)
• Giles Wright's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia review
• Review of the recent laserdisc releases of Straw Dogs, and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
• Grupo Salvaje (A Wild Bunch page in Spanish)
• "The High Country"; A short story about a conversation with Sam

News & Updates

The latest news and updates to this page will be recorded here.

Last updated: March 18, 1998.

Please e-mail me (Steve Mason) here with comments, suggestions, or just to say hello.