"Mackenna's Gold" is based on the novel of the same name by Heck Allen using the pen name Will Henry, telling the story of how the lure of gold corrupts a diverse group of people. The novel was loosely based on the legend of the Lost Adams Diggings, crediting the Frank Dobie account of the legend ("Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver") in the author's note. The film was a box-office failure in North America, but went on to become a major overseas success, in regions such as the Soviet Union, Central Asia and Indian subcontinent.