BB17-047 — ZACHARIAH
Shop Now YEAR: 1971
FILM STUDIO / PRODUCTION: ABC Pictures Corp. / George Englund Productions
TAGLINE: “A head of his time” / “The First Electric Western”
DIRECTOR: George Englund
CAST: John Rubinstein, Pat Quinn, Don Johnson, Elvin Jones, Doug Kershaw, Dick Van Patten, Country Joe and the Fish, The James Gang
MUSIC: Jimmie Haskell
GENRE: Acid Western / Musical / Comedy-Drama / Psychedelic Western
POSTER PRINTER: M.A.P.S. Litho Pty. Ltd.
FORMAT: Australian Daybill
Released in 1971, Zachariah is an unconventional rock musical Western starring John Rubinstein, Pat Quinn and a very young Don Johnson. Its unusual musical line-up includes The James Gang, Country Joe and the Fish, jazz drummer Elvin Jones and fiddler Doug Kershaw. AFI confirms George Englund as director and producer and ABC Pictures as a production company.
POSTER DESIGN FEATURES: A strikingly unconventional Australian Daybill dominated by a large psychedelic photographic portrait of John Rubinstein wearing mirrored glasses, a futuristic helmet and breathing apparatus. The reflected figure within one lens, rainbow-toned photographic treatment and minimalist white background strongly reflect the counterculture aesthetic of the early 1970s. “A head of his time” appears above the portrait, while the orange Zachariah title and “The First Electric Western” sit beneath. This is a very different visual treatment from a conventional Western poster.
COLLECTOR'S NOTE: Zachariah has developed cult appeal because it deliberately combines the Western with psychedelic counterculture and contemporary rock music. The musical credentials are particularly strong: The James Gang line-up included Joe Walsh, while Country Joe and the Fish had become closely associated with the late-1960s counterculture. Jazz great Elvin Jones, best known for his work in John Coltrane's classic quartet, also appears. The film additionally provides an early screen role for Don Johnson, years before Miami Vice. The unusual “First Electric Western” concept and highly distinctive psychedelic artwork give the Australian Daybill good crossover potential with music and counterculture collectors.
