The Appaloosa

The Appaloosa (also known as Southwest to Sonora) is a 1966 American Western film Technicolor (set in the 1870s) from Universal Pictures 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. 

The 2008 Appaloosa film (starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen) is not related to this film, although it has a similar title. 

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. 

Matt begins to hunt down the bandit to recapture the horse, but finds matters more complicated than expected when he meets the girlfriend of the bandit.  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 bandito.  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.  Matt, 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.  Matt fires and kills him.  Matt and Trini then cross the border with the Appaloosa to start a new life. 

Cast
Marlon Brando as Matt Fletcher
Anjanette Comer as Trini
John Saxon as Chuy Medina
Emilio Fernández as Lázaro
Alex Montoya as Squint Eye
Míriam Colón as Ana
Rafael Campos as Paco
Frank Silvera as Ramos
Larry D. Mann as Priest
Argentina Brunetti as Yaqui woman

Production
The film was shot in shot in Wrightwood, Antelope Valley, and Lake Los Angeles, California, St. George, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona.  Parts of the film were also shot in Hurricane and at the Virgin River in Utah. 

See also
 List of American films of 1966

References

External links
 
 
 
 

Category:1966 films
Category:American films
Category:English-language films
Category:1960s Western (genre) films
Category:Films about horses
Category:Films directed by Sidney J. Furie
Category:Films set in Mexico
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films based on Western (genre) novels
Category:American Western (genre) films
Category:Films set in the 1870s
Category:Films shot in California
Category:Films shot in Arizona
Category:Films shot in Utah
Category:Films scored by Frank Skinner