Yes Silver’s copy does look like it has stronger colours. Solved this by increasing the colour a little on my T.V.
I know of a Spanish VHS of this, but nothing of the quality or ratio.
Just won the Spanish tape on Ebay ;D.
As you all seem to have been over everything years ago, we who are new to the Forum are often left with cold threads. But I should really like to join in the praise of this one. It’s a really beautiful film.
I notice from the thread that some of the Forum members are puzzled, even a little bit offended, by this elderly man having a love affair with a younger woman. It might be because of young age, lack of experience, or both.
Reckon I’m one of the ol’ members (‘ere stop messin’ about) who had some stuff to say about this one back in the day. Like you, Brother Morgan, I found it a goody then, and have been wonderin’ about a spag to get me back from a recent hiatus from the genre.
This had been dug out a while back since, and has been gathering dust beside my rocking chair for quite a while, so on your recommendation/review I’m gonna dust it off and stick it on now.
I’m sorta wonderin’ how it will stand up again, but I reckon this is a good one to revisit - and I’m gonna try and see the old man/younger woman relationship through my old, tired, religion-weary eyes, and try to empathise with Sir John about this.
I’ll let ya know… 
Duly watched - and it stood up well to a third viewing over a 7 year-ish period.
Well - she certainly ain’t lacking experience of men - Maggie is the outwardly cynically cash-hungry and shrewd seller of booze n’ ladies - but as Phil says is also the “whore with the heart of gold” - particularly in relationship to Jones, and him having stood up for the hung suitor of Barbara - both of whom were respected by Maggie.
She sees in him something noble and maybe that is what she wants. After telling him he’ll have to pay like all the rest she changes her mind. But she’s already espoused her philosophy on love earlier on - basically “falling in love is like being hit with a bullet - you don’t know what’s happening 'til you’re dead”.
The poetry is interesting - some observatioins…
It is Maggie that owns the poetry book that Jones reads Wild West Wind from, (whilst in the bath), and Jones finds it surprising that she should like poetry.
It is when she doubts that they should be about to do the do, that Jones gives her the Hound Of Heaven quote and surprises her right back (and gets his poetic payoff).
(I don’t know when this somewhat unusual spag is set historically - and although Shelley was certainly published by now, Thompson’s wasn’t about 'til 1893… not that this is really an issue though.)
The first time Jones uses the “I fled him down the nights and down the days” stuff was certainly not poetic panty-play, as it was to Don Diego, and it was meglomaniac Don that throws in the “I was created in his (God’s) image” line that Jones elaborates on later when he uses the “I’m a human being, made in the image of God - I can kill anything” in relation to his love-life.
Enough of this, as poesy-ishly thought provoking as it may be. This is a rare spag to makes a study of love and power (from both ladies perspectives) a central motif, and for it to work so well in this genre. And it does work - because the acting is really rather good around it. The emotionally nuerotic Chris is wonderfully hammed-up by Woods, and Maggie is an unusually strong character (and maybe because I’m the same-ish age as Jones) I do believe in his ability to get the younger woman in this instance. :
There’s some great one-liners to chuckle at as well.
In terms of action - there’s just enough to glue the sharp dialogue, witty one-liners, and gritty melodrama together, and keep it flowing well - and I just love the bit when Squinty Ken misses the wagon he’s meant to jump onto.
And I also wonder how much Woods’ manipulation with Mulargia had into the direction of this. It ain’t an El Puro - but it is another unusually offbeat outing that surprises (still).
The copy I saw was the pretty grainy and washed out Badlands Drifter copy that many seem to have … and this is crying out for a better print.
Still 4 poetic points on the Reverend scale… it’s a goody.
Well why not? She surely had her fill of other things, then along comes a guy who reads poetry!
Yes, it would be nice with a good release of this one. I have only the same as the one currently on YouTube named Challenge of McKenna.
A couple of days ago, I was shocked - and at the same time relieved - by this message on Robert Woods’s Facebook page:
"(Robert Woods:) I am joyfully recovering from spinal cancer and I am certain the thoughts and prayers you so generously sent were part of the beneficial solution I am experiencing and I thank you all with all my heart for your concern and healing effort…God bless you all…
I thought it was time to re-watch, and re-evaluate and re-view some of his best movies, starting with this one:
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Challenge_of_the_McKennas_Film_Review
1 Like
Spinal Cancer, never heard of that one before, sounds nasty.
For some years I have an WS version of about 92 Minutes in Italian/English and a FS version of about 95 Minutes in English. Both with medium picture quality.
Is there a better version around in meantime…Italien or Spanish language and in WS?
I appreciate your help 
Watched my Swedish tape of this one yesterday, it ran for about 84 minutes which tells me that it’s probably cut.
Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Ireland does an amazing job as an troubled ex-preacher turned into a gunfighter against his own moral values. A great deal of depth to the characters, as mentioned before, makes this one a winner. This one deserves a proper release! Oh… I also much prefer the Swedish title “TheMan Without A Past” over “Challenge of the MacKennas”
3 Likes
I just put this on my “Watch list” waiting for an official DVD or bluray release, since I have decided to expand my “web based” chronological search for very good SWs with the year 1970 as well…
1 Like
After three for me new revenge SWs, Challenge Of The Mckennas/A Dollar and a Grave (León Klimovsky) was something different.
A sort of family tragedy and (psychology?) drama, but probably not in the Forgotten Pistolero (7/10) caliber, but still interesting with the charcters of Annabella Incontrera, Robert Woods as the most entertaining for different reasons.
The antihero John Ireland whose former priest character had left the church (with its hypocracy, my interpretation) to become a drifter and gunman was OK but maybe not so plausible as a lover. The love story was not so believable
Roberto Camardiel’s Don Diego slightly reminded me of his character Sorro in Django Kill (8/10). Maybe they could have used Daniela Giordano more to explain here situation better.
The music by Francesco De Masi was mostly good.
After this first time view I must confess that I didn’t exactly understand all the reasons behind the state of the relations between the main 5 characters, but this SW felt rather good especially the last half hour when the plot reached several climaxes.
I could also compare this with John The Bastard which has a more simple drama/tragedy theme in its ending but also sometimes is a bit more lighthearted, and which I rate 6/10 with rank 60. Challenge Of The Mckennas preliminary today gets a slightly stronger 6/10 and rank 56 on my SW Top 67 which I update in another thread.
For me to rank it higher probably means that I must be able to understand and appreciate more of the possible logic/feelings involved in the McKenna’s family matters…
Here’s a widescreen version as free-download:
https://rarelust.com/challenge-of-the-mckennas-1970/#more-83308
Runtime seems a bit short with 92:46 min.
Anybody here who has it, or has a better version?
1 Like
As usual, the correct AR makes a big difference.
Unfortunately censorship cuts are present in the Spanish version
A large part of the bathtube scene
1 minute
The closing part of the love scene
about 30 sec
Assault on Barbara (Daniela Giordano)
about 30 sec
1 Like
Thanks for the detailed answer.
Is there a similar good uncut version available somewhere?
Actually I think I have an uncut version but only in full-screen.
Now I have watched it 4-5 times in less than 4 months, It has become a 7/10 and advanced to rank 41 on my SWs. I can’t resist the slightly classical theatre feeling, the serious mood and atmosphere nor the lovely music which underlies that.
Those who like The Forgotten Pistolero (8/10) might like
Challenge of the MacKennas, which definitely deserves an offiical DVD/Bluray release.
39 Fury Of Johnny Kid/Ride For A Massacre (Gianni Puccini) 1967
x40 Pistoleros/Ballad Of A Gunman (Alfio Caltabiano) music Marcello Giombini 1967
x41 Challenge Of The Mckennas/A Dollar and a Grave (León Klimovsky) music Francesco De Masi 1970
42 One After Another/Day After Tomorrow (Nick Nostro) music Fred Bongusto, Berto Pisano 1968
43. Hate Thy Neighbor (Ferdinando Baldi) 1968
1 Like