Comments on: A Debt Repaid to an Extraordinary Man and Filmmaker: Kent Mackenzie’s “The Exiles”

By: Steve Gorelick

Steve Gorelick — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 01:25:25 +0000

What a lovely story. Sounds like the greaty man I knew…..oh so many years ago.

By: Marilyn T. Rutz

Marilyn T. Rutz — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 09:30:22 +0000

Enjoyed your recollection about Mr. Mackenzie as I use to call him. I was a 11 year old little girl when he chosed my parents and my 8 brothers and sisters to make a movie about our life with our Dad, A Skill For Molina.
It was an experience I will remember especially the crewl I still remember the experience we all had as poor project kids being able to swim in a hotel pool for the very first time. Mr. Mackenzie allowed us to go to his hotel room and go swimming. My mom would feed the crew and all our family tortillas and beans. Mr. Mackenzie was so impressed with my Mom’s tortilla’s that he made sure there was a shot of her making them. But I am glad that he edited out the part where he caught us kids stealing a tortilla from out Mom when one of us would distract her. And yes, I am of Native American ancestry. My grandma was half Apache raised in the Guadalupe Mts. of Texas.
My mom has the original film that Mr. Mackenzie gave a copy of. Marilyn T. Rutz

By: Hank Adams

Hank Adams — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:28:36 +0000

In 1963, Marlon Brando brought Kent Mackenzie and his film crew to the Ute Reservation at Fr. Duchesne, UT, for the August 1963 annual meeting of the National Indian Youth Council. Considerable filming was done. Then in early March 1964, Kent’s crew rejoined us in Olympia with Marlon for filming the Brando-NIYC protest activities at the state Capitol, sandwiched between fishing activities on the Puyallup and Quillayute Rivers (March 1,2,3, 1964l), possibly some at Franks Landing on the Nisqually River. ["The Exiles" was shown to NIYC at Ft. Duchesne.] NIYC affectionately had named (or continued the name) “Blue Mountain” for one of the camera men (cinematographer) – which may have been Erik Daarstad (I’m presuming Nordic features in guessing now).

I did have some limited correspondence with Kent Mackenzie in subsequent 60′s years.

I’m primarily interested in what became of the film shot in Utah and Washington. Did Kent maintain any possessory control? Was it handed over to Marlon? Was the film processed further – and by whom or what company?
The NIYC is approaching its 50th anniversary in 2011. And, if the 1963 and 1964 film still exists, there is great interest in this area for recovering it.

The Brando arrest on Puyallup was shot from shore and there is some other film sources for that. However, Kent Mackenzie’s camera was in a boat on the Quillayute and there were some moments that would still be of great historical significance to the Quileute Tribe at LaPush WA – particularly of Chairman Fred ‘Woody’ Woodruff speeding up the river, standing in the bow of his boat, to approach those of us fishing and filming from the other boats. [The Quileute are the Indian Tribe that are basis for the "Twilight" film series of current popularity.]

I am hopeful that Kent’s daughter Diane or cameramen Daarstad, Morrill or Kaufman might have some information for tracking down whatever happened to the Mackenzie/Brando film remains, if any, from 1963 and 1964.

Any information or response would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

By: The Exiles, and Los Angeles’ Bunker Hill | Sad or Happy Today?

The Exiles, and Los Angeles’ Bunker Hill | Sad or Happy Today? — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:33:46 +0000

[...] Kent Mackenzie ’s The Exiles took three years to make, and more to conceive, before it found its way to celluloid in 1961, using extra bits of film from used reels. He was a student at USC when he put the film down, and he only made one other movie before his untimely death in 1980. Today, he can be recognized for the talent that he was, and for the strength of his vision, which shows that sometimes the dream has to wait. [...]

By: Diane Mackenzie

Diane Mackenzie — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:57:05 +0000

Dear Steve,

Hello there. We’ve never met. I’m Kent’s oldest daughter. I was in elementary school when my father made “Saturday Morning.”

When I was in Junior High he came to my English class and showed a couple of the shorts that were produced for educational purposes from the material shot for “Saturday Morning.” And led a discussion based on the films.

Thank you for your statements about my Dad/Kent. I have the utmost of respect for my father’s talent as a film-maker. Though he was a Producer, Director and writer.

He obviously made excellent choices re: the other film-makers he collaborated with on all his films.

In the case of “The Exiles”: Eric Daarstad, John Morrill and Bob Kaufman are the principal cinematographers.

Kent also took still photographs. However, my firm belief is that he was a film-maker. And as with many artists, the medium choose him. His passion,dedication and integrity when it came to his work is beyond reproach.

I realize there are those who would doubt my objectivity. However, trust me: my father taught me to be critical artistically ,whatever my relationship to the artist.

I would love to talk to you if you wouldn’t mind.

My father and I were very close, more so when I was in my late teens and early 20′s.

I’m sure you can imagine given his absolute commitment and passion towards his work that I am/was aware even as a small child, that when he worked he wasn’t the man I knew as Daddy.

I’ve left you my e-mail address.

I would love to hear from you.

And again thank you for your comments. My father died way too young and made far too few films.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Diane Mackenzie