MovieChat Forums > Macho Callahan (1970) Discussion > Good adult Western, except the ending; h...

Good adult Western, except the ending; here's my ALTERNATIVE ENDING


The only thing I don't like about this impressive adult Western is the unnecessarily depressive ending. The scriptwriter should've went the direction of, say, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" regardless of how the book the movie was based on ended.

My preferable alternative ending is this:

Alexandra (Jean Seberg) approaches the remaining posse at daybreak and explains that she has decided to stay with Macho Callahan (David Janssen) because she loves him and agrees to pay the men for their time & trouble. She consents to travel back to town with them to make sure this is done. Callahan meanwhile travels to that paradisal home region he & Juan hail from and awaits Alexandra's coming, perhaps he even ventures into town to pick her up once her banking business is completed. Before departing, though, Macho & Alexandra check on Juan's body and discover that he's injured, but still alive. As Macho & Juan travel back home they find the bear cub and bring the animal with them.

The closing scene depicts Macho, Alexandra, the recovering Juan & the cub together at their blissful home. The credits roll.

For details on this brutal, but tenderhearted Western, see this thread: https://moviechat.org/tt0066033/Macho-Callahan/5c47fbca9229e7509fdf3265/An-atypical-realistic-Westerns-thats-dark-brutal-and-ugly-as-well-as-warm-and-beautiful.

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