An oppressed Mexican peasant village hires seven gunfighters to help defend their homes.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Chris Adams: Yul Brynner
- Calvera: Eli Wallach
- Vin: Steve McQueen
- Bernardo O’Reilly: Charles Bronson
- Lee: Robert Vaughn
- Harry Luck: Brad Dexter
- Britt: James Coburn
- Chico: Horst Buchholz
- Hilario: Jorge Martínez de Hoyos
- Old man: Vladimir Sokoloff
- Petra: Rosenda Monteros
- Sotero: Rico Alaniz
- Tomas: Pepe Hern
- Tomas: Natividad Vacío
- Boy with O’Reilly: Mario Navarro
- (uncredited): Danny Bravo
- Miguel: John A. Alonzo
- Villager: Enrique Lucero
- (uncredited): Alex Montoya
- Wallace: Robert J. Wilke
- Henry: Val Avery
- Chamlee: Whit Bissell
- Robert: Bing Russell
- Flynn: Joseph Ruskin
- Front Office Clerk: Victor French
- Gunman at Boot Hill: Jim Davis
- Rafael: José Chávez
- Calvera Henchman (uncredited): Valentin de Vargas
- Calvera Henchman (uncredited): Larry Duran
- Villager (uncredited): Roberto Contreras
Film Crew:
- Sound Designer: Jack Solomon
- Director of Photography: Charles Lang
- Editor: Ferris Webster
- Production Supervisor: Allen K. Wood
- Special Effects: Milt Rice
- Gaffer: Don Stott
- Writer: Akira Kurosawa
- Screenplay: Walter Bernstein
- Original Music Composer: Elmer Bernstein
- Screenplay: Walter Newman
- Assistant Director: Emilio Fernández
- Art Direction: Edward Fitzgerald
- Assistant Director: Robert E. Relyea
- Makeup Artist: Emile LaVigne
- Producer: John Sturges
- Screenplay: William Roberts
- Associate Producer: Lou Morheim
- Executive Producer: Walter Mirisch
- Set Decoration: Rafael Suárez
- Makeup Artist: Daniel C. Striepeke
- Sound Designer: Rafael Ruiz Esparza
- Stunt Coordinator: Henry Wills
- Unit Production Manager: John Veitch
- Orchestrator: Leo Shuken
- Assistant Director: Jaime Contreras
- Property Master: Sam Gordon
- Stunts: Jack Williams
- Production Manager: Francisco Day
- Stunts: Leroy Johnson
- Script: John Franco
- Costume Design: Bert Henrikson
- Orchestrator: Jack Hayes
- Sound Effects Editor: Del Harris
- Camera Operator: Kyme Meade
- Music: Robert Bain
- Dialect Coach: Thom Conroy
Movie Reviews:
- John Chard: I have been offered a lot for my work, but never everything
A vile bandit constantly raids a small Mexican village and pilfers what he so wants. Finally having enough, and not wanting to relocate, the villagers set about recruiting some hired guns to finally rid themselves of the dastardly Calvera.
As most people now know, The Magnificent Seven is of course a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s immense and hugely influential picture, Shichinin no samurai. Adhering closely to Kurosawa’s themes, director John Sturges has crafted a classic in its own right, one that has become something of a Bank Holiday staple for TV schedulers. When you break it down for scrutiny, the story is purely a very ordinary one, but as each archetype character and set up arrives, it becomes evident that it’s a story rich in texture, all framed marvellously in a Western setting.
Sturges for sure knew how to direct ensemble casts, he would after all go on to direct the fantastic 1963, ultimate holiday movie, The Great Escape. Here he is excellently served by a faultless cast, though Yul Brynner was the only major name of note, the likes of Steve McQueen (owning the movie), Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn and James Coburn would go on to become part of cinematic macho culture, with each actor vying for the right to own the movie proving to be a bonus trump card for this rousing and much loved picture. Even the score has slipped nicely into popular culture, Elmer Bernstein’s music having now become recognisable to even the most youthful of movie fans ears.
Unashamedly macho, but certainly delightful for the female viewers as well, The Magnificent Seven is an across the board delight for almost everyone who enjoys the escapism of film. Perhaps the last word should rest with Kurosawa himself, who after viewing John Sturges’ picture was moved to present him with a Samurai Sword in recognition of the great film he had crafted, enough said there I feel. 9/10