Sam Peckinpah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sam Peckinpah
Peckinpah on the set of The Wild Bunch in 1968
Born	David Samuel Peckinpah (1925-02-21)February 21, 1925 Fresno, California, U.S.
Died	December 28, 1984(1984-12-28) (aged 59) Inglewood, California, U.S.
Alma mater	California State University, Fresno, B.A. 1948 University of Southern California, M.A. 1952
Occupation	Film director screenwriter
Years active	1957–1984
Spouse(s)	Marie Selland (1947–1960) Begoña Palacios (1964–1967; 1974–1984) Joie Gould (1971–1972)
Children	5

David Samuel Peckinpah (February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. He was known for his Western movies. His 1969 film The Wild Bunch was nominated for an Academy Award. It was also ranked as one of the top 100 American films ever made.

Peckinpah's movies often explored ideas about right and wrong. They showed how people might struggle to be good in a difficult world. His characters were often outsiders. They tried to be honorable, but sometimes had to make tough choices to survive.

Some of Peckinpah's other famous films include Ride the High Country (1962) and Straw Dogs (1971). He also directed The Getaway (1972) and Convoy (1978). Convoy was his most successful movie financially.

Family Background

The Peckinpah family came from the Frisian Islands in Europe. Both sides of Sam Peckinpah's family moved to the American West in the mid-1800s. They traveled by covered wagon. Sam Peckinpah's great-grandfather, Rice Peckinpaugh, was a merchant and farmer. He moved to Humboldt County, California, in the 1850s. He worked in the logging business there. He also changed the family name to "Peckinpah."

Places like Peckinpah Meadow and Peckinpah Creek are named after his family. They had a lumber mill on a mountain in the High Sierra. Peckinpah's grandfather on his mother's side was Denver S. Church. He was a cattle rancher, a judge, and a United States Congressman.

Sam Peckinpah's nephew, David Peckinpah, became a TV producer and director. He was also a screenwriter.

His Life Story

David Samuel Peckinpah was born on February 21, 1925, in Fresno, California. His parents were David Edward and Fern Louise Peckinpah. He had an older brother named Denver Charles. Sam spent a lot of time with his brother. They often skipped school to do cowboy activities on their grandfather's ranch. These activities included trapping animals and branding cattle.

The area where he grew up was very rural. It was changing a lot during the 1930s and 1940s. This experience is thought to have influenced his later Western films.

He played football at Fresno High School. Later, his parents sent him to San Rafael Military Academy.

In 1943, he joined the United States Marine Corps. After two years, his group went to China. Their job was to disarm Japanese soldiers after World War II. They also helped them return home.

After leaving the Marines, he went to California State University, Fresno. He studied history there. In 1947, he met and married his first wife, Marie Selland. She was studying drama. She helped him discover his interest in directing. In his last year of college, he directed a play called The Glass Menagerie.

After graduating in 1948, Peckinpah went to University of Southern California. He studied drama there. He worked as a director at a theater near Los Angeles. Then he started working as a stagehand at a TV station. He hoped this would lead to work in movies.

In 1954, Peckinpah became a dialogue coach for the film Riot in Cell Block 11. He helped the director, Don Siegel. The movie was filmed at Folsom Prison. The warden was helpful because he knew Peckinpah's family. Siegel's way of filming and using real prisoners impressed Peckinpah. He worked on four more of Siegel's films.

Peckinpah spent a lot of time in Mexico later in his life. He even bought property there. He loved Mexican culture and often showed it in his films. Four of his movies were filmed entirely in Mexico. These include Major Dundee (1965) and The Wild Bunch (1969).

From 1979 until he passed away, Peckinpah lived in Livingston, Montana. He continued to work in film until his last months. He died on December 28, 1984, in Inglewood, California. He was 59 years old.

Television Work

In the late 1950s, Peckinpah became a scriptwriter for Western TV shows. He wrote for shows like Gunsmoke and Have Gun – Will Travel. He also wrote for The Rifleman.

His writing led to directing. He directed an episode of Broken Arrow in 1958. This is often seen as his first official directing job. He also directed episodes of Klondike in 1960.

In 1958, Peckinpah wrote a script for Gunsmoke. It was not accepted, so he rewrote it. This script became the TV series The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors. Peckinpah directed four episodes of the show. The Rifleman became very popular.

The Westerner

Brian Keith with Spike in The Westerner (1960)

Peckinpah also created a TV series called The Westerner. It starred Brian Keith. Peckinpah wrote and directed a pilot episode for the show. He also produced the series and directed five episodes. The show was praised by critics. It ran for 13 episodes. The Westerner helped establish Peckinpah as a talented director.

In 1962, Peckinpah directed two episodes for The Dick Powell Theater. In one episode, The Losers, he used special filming techniques. He mixed slow motion and fast motion to show action. He used this technique more famously in The Wild Bunch.

Early Film Career

The Deadly Companions

After The Westerner ended, Brian Keith was cast in the 1961 Western film The Deadly Companions. He suggested Peckinpah as the director. The film was made on a small budget in Arizona. Peckinpah had some disagreements during filming. He decided he would only direct films if he had control over the script. The Deadly Companions is not as well-known as his other films.

Ride the High Country

His second film was Ride the High Country (1962). Peckinpah rewrote the script for this movie. It starred older Western actors Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott. The film was not very popular in the United States at first. But it was a huge success in Europe. It won first prize at the Belgium Film Festival. Critics called it a brilliant Western. Some critics consider it one of Peckinpah's best works.

Major Dundee

Peckinpah's next film was Major Dundee (1965). This was one of his first difficult experiences with big film studios. Charlton Heston starred in the movie. Peckinpah was hired after Heston saw Ride the High Country.

Filming started without a finished script. Peckinpah chose remote locations in Mexico. This caused the film to go over budget. The movie was taken away from him and re-edited. Major Dundee did not do well at the box office. However, its reputation has improved over the years. Peckinpah always believed his original version was one of his best films.

Noon Wine

In 1966, Peckinpah got a chance to adapt a short novel called Noon Wine for television. The producer, Daniel Melnick, admired Peckinpah's earlier work. He hired Peckinpah and gave him creative freedom. Peckinpah finished the script, and the author loved it. The project became a TV special for ABC Stage 67.

The film starred Jason Robards and Olivia de Havilland. It was a big success with critics. Peckinpah was nominated for awards for his writing and directing.

International Fame

The Wild Bunch

The success of Noon Wine helped Peckinpah make a big comeback. In 1967, producers at Warner Bros.-Seven Arts were interested in a Western script called The Wild Bunch. They wanted Peckinpah to rewrite and direct it.

Peckinpah rewrote the script in late 1967. The film was shot in Mexico. Peckinpah wanted to show the reality of the West. He was also influenced by the Vietnam War.

The film was an instant success. Critics praised its unique fast editing style. This style became a trademark for Peckinpah. The Wild Bunch made Peckinpah famous around the world. It is ranked among the greatest American films ever made. Peckinpah received his only Academy Award nomination for this film.

The Ballad of Cable Hogue

After The Wild Bunch, Peckinpah made a different kind of Western. The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) was mostly non-violent and funny. It used many of the same actors and crew members from The Wild Bunch. The film tells the story of Cable Hogue (Jason Robards). He finds water in the desert and starts a business. But his dreams end when the first automobile appears.

The filming had many problems, including bad weather. The movie went over budget. This ended his time with Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. The film was largely ignored at first. But in recent years, critics have praised it. They say it shows Peckinpah's ability to make original films without a lot of violence. Peckinpah himself said it was one of his favorite films.

Straw Dogs

Because of his problems with Warner Brothers, Peckinpah had fewer directing jobs. He went to England to direct Straw Dogs (1971). This was one of his most intense films. It starred Dustin Hoffman as David Sumner. He is an American mathematician who moves to England with his wife Amy (Susan George). The local people resent him. This leads to a shocking ending where David has to defend his home.

Straw Dogs divided critics. Some praised its artistic quality. Others found it very disturbing.

Junior Bonner

Peckinpah was very busy during this time. In May 1971, he started working on Junior Bonner. This film was a quieter, more dramatic story. It was his attempt to make a film like Noon Wine.

The film was shot in Prescott, Arizona. It tells the story of an aging rodeo rider, Junior "JR" Bonner (Steve McQueen). He returns to his hometown for a rodeo competition. The film did not do well at the box office. Peckinpah said, "I made a film where nobody got shot and nobody went to see it." However, many critics now see Junior Bonner as one of Peckinpah's most heartfelt films.

The Getaway

Steve McQueen wanted to work with Peckinpah again. He gave him the script for The Getaway. Both Peckinpah and McQueen needed a successful movie. They started working on it in February 1972. Peckinpah wanted to make a thrilling action film. McQueen played Doc McCoy, a robber. He gets out of prison and plans a bank heist.

The film has many exciting scenes, including car chases and shootouts. It became Peckinpah's biggest financial success. It earned over $25 million. The film is still popular today. It was even remade in 1994.

Later Career

The year 1973 was a difficult time for Peckinpah. While filming The Getaway, he married Joie Gould. But four months later, she filed for divorce. This made Peckinpah very sad.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

In this difficult time, Peckinpah agreed to make Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973). He wanted to make his best Western film. The story was about two former friends, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. They are forced to be on opposite sides of the law. The film was shot in Durango, Mexico. It starred James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson. Bob Dylan composed the music for the film.

Peckinpah had many problems with the studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The filming also had difficulties. The studio cut the film shorter. Critics said the film was confusing. This experience made Peckinpah unhappy with Hollywood. However, a longer version of the film was released later. Many critics now praise it as a classic. Filmmakers like Martin Scorsese have called it one of the greatest modern Westerns.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

For many of his fans, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) was Peckinpah's "last true film." Peckinpah himself said it was the only film released exactly as he wanted. Most critics did not like it at first. But today, the film has a strong fan base.

The Killer Elite

Peckinpah needed another hit movie. For his next film, he chose The Killer Elite (1975). This was an action-packed spy thriller. It starred James Caan and Robert Duvall. The film did reasonably well at the box office.

Cross of Iron

In 1975, Peckinpah was offered to direct big movies like King Kong. But he chose to direct Cross of Iron (1977) instead. This was a serious World War II drama. It was about German soldiers in 1943. The film was made in Yugoslavia.

Peckinpah worked on the script. He also watched many old documentaries to prepare. The film had a low budget. Peckinpah even spent his own money to hire experienced crew members. The film ran out of money at the end. Peckinpah had to film the last scene very quickly. The movie starred James Mason and Maximilian Schell. Cross of Iron was known for its intense battle scenes. It was a huge success in Europe. It is now considered a highly regarded film.

Convoy

Peckinpah wanted to make a blockbuster movie. He decided to direct Convoy (1978). This film was based on a popular song. It tried to build on the success of other truck-themed movies. Peckinpah was not happy with the script. He encouraged the actors to change their lines. He also added new characters.

The film was shot in New Mexico. It starred Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw. Convoy had many problems during filming. Peckinpah's health was also an issue. His friend, actor James Coburn, helped direct many scenes. Surprisingly, Convoy was Peckinpah's highest-grossing film ever. It earned $46.5 million. However, many critics did not like it.

Second Unit Work on Jinxed!

For three years, Peckinpah did not direct any films. But in 1981, his old mentor Don Siegel gave him a chance. Siegel was directing Jinxed!. He asked Peckinpah to direct some scenes as a second unit director. Peckinpah accepted. His work, though not officially credited, was noticed. This helped him get back into directing.

The Osterman Weekend

By 1982, Peckinpah's health was not good. But producers wanted his name attached to The Osterman Weekend (1983). They thought it would make the suspense thriller more respected. Peckinpah took the job. Many famous actors wanted to work with him. They even took less money to be in the film. These included John Hurt and Burt Lancaster.

Peckinpah finished the film on time and within budget. He delivered his own version of the film to the producers. The film was not liked by critics. But it did well in Europe and on home video.

Julian Lennon Music Videos

Peckinpah's last work was two months before he passed away. He directed two music videos for Julian Lennon. These were for the songs "Valotte" and "Too Late For Goodbyes." The videos were praised by critics. They led to Lennon being nominated for an award.

Filmography

Films

Other film work

See also

In Spanish: Sam Peckinpah para niños