Paint Your Wagon is a musical film released in 1969, adapted by Paddy Chayefsky from the 1951 stage musical by Lerner and Lowe, set in a mining camp in Gold Rush-era California. Chayefsky provided a significantly changed storyline from the stage musical version. In the film "Rumson" is simply called "No Name City", and Ben Rumson has no daughter. The former "Julio" is now an American (Clint Eastwood) and Ben's (Lee Marvin) partner (he is called "Pardner") in the gold claim.

Synopsis

The film begins with a wagon crashing into a ravine. Prospector Ben Rumson finds that of the two adult male occupants, one is dead and his brother injured with a broken arm and leg. As the man is about to be buried, gold dust is discovered at the graveside. Ben stakes a claim on the land and the surviving brother is adopted as his "Pardner" while he recuperates. They then share the spoils of Ben's prospecting on the condition that Pardner takes care of Ben in his moments of drunkenness and melancholy. Pardner pines for a non-existent girl ("I Still See Elisa").