'Major Dundee' Screens at the 2018 Summer KCET Cinema Series in Honor of James Coburn Film Night
Prior to a screening of “Major Dundee,” film historian Michael Schlesinger attended a Q&A hosted by Cinema Series host Pete Hammond in honor of James Coburn Film Night. Directed by Sam Peckinpah, the motion picture is loosely based on an actual incident during the American Civil War. Union Army Major Amos Dundee leads a contingent of Union troops, Confederate prisoners and Indian scouts on an illegal expedition into Mexico to track down and destroy a band of Apaches that has been raiding the New Mexico Territory. This special presentation at the KCET Cinema Series is a 2013 digital restoration of the original 1965 film, starring Charlton Heston as Major Dundee, James Coburn as Dundee’s scout Samuel Potts and Richard Harris as Captain Tyreen, a Confederate POW.
Special guest Michael Schlesinger is the former Vice President of Sony Pictures Repertory Sales and Acquisitions, and during his tenure at the studio he instituted the 2005 restoration of “Major Dundee.”
He is widely acknowledged as the dean of classic film distributors, having worked for more than 25 years at MGM, Paramount and Sony. He has kept hundreds of vintage movies in theatrical release (and later on DVD) and instigated the restoration of many more, including Major Dundee and the award-winning completion of Orson Welles’ 1942 documentary "It’s All True" some 50 years later. He has also recorded several DVD commentaries, is a “Trailers From Hell” guru and has appeared in numerous documentaries, notably the HBO special "If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast." Behind the camera he wrote and produced the American version of "Godzilla 2000" and co-produced such Larry Blamire parodies as "The Lost Skeleton Returns Again" and "Dark and Stormy Night." His maiden effort as a writer/director "The Misadventures of Biffle and Shooster" has been released on DVD by Kino Lorber.
ABOUT THE JAMES AND PAULA COBURN FOUNDATION: The James and Paula Coburn Foundation (JPCF) is a tax-exempt private foundation that supports charitable organizations devoted to the arts and sciences. The mission of the JPCF is to sustain and develop the Coburns’ legacy, as bequeathed to the LA Philharmonic, the LA County Museum of Art, the Clairbourn School, the Motion Picture & Television Fund, Operation Smile and of course, KCET. In addition JPCF supports, charities involved in the conduct of treatments or cures for cancer and the care of indigent cancer patients. The foundation is committed to upholding the Coburns’ dedication to local and international advancement through music, art, and education, as well as, physical and spiritual health. Visit jamesandpaulacoburnfoundation.org for more information.
Listen to the Q&A and browse photos from the screening below.
