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The Magnificent Seven (1960)

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri May 27, 2016 3:31 pm    Post subject: The Magnificent Seven (1960) Reply with quote



It was inspired by the legendary Japanese action film Seven Samurai, and it inspired a sci-fi version itself, Battle Beyond the Stars.





I regret the fact that the Japanese classic has never moved me like so many other folks have been, and the Roger Corman space adventure was done on such a low budget that it just didn't get the treatment such a great idea deserves.





But this flawless Western is an all-time favorite of mine, and John Sturges put together all the cinematic elements needed to make 128 minutes in a dark movie theater feel like an unforgettable adventure in the Old West.





The cast is a match made in heaven, the cinematography by Charles Lang is a moving work of art, the script by William Roberts and Walter Newman (the later of which wrote most of the script, but chose not to share credit and wanted his name removed) is brilliant, and the music by Elmer Bernstein is so stunning that it stands shoulder to shoulder with anything written by the great John Williams.





If you love Westerns, you've got to love this one. If you don't love Westerns, you'll probably like this one anyway. And if you hate Westerns then I suggest you watch this one with your analyst and have him explain what unfortunate experience in your childhood traumatized you so badly. Sad



_________ The Magnificent Seven (1960) - trailer

___________

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:29 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sat May 28, 2016 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of my all time favorites too, Bud.

Watched some interesting documentaries on the making of TMS.

From the start McQueen was fiercely jealous of Yul & did everything he could to steal the picture away from him.

Steve was a faster draw than Yul, so that helped.

Steve would kick away at the mounds of dirt that Yul would stand on in some scenes in order to make him appear taller.

James Coburn laughingly tells of how Steve attempted to round up the other six actors in order to have them all try to upstage Yul.

Charles Bronson wanted nothing to do with it because he did not trust McQueen...or anyone else in the cast.


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Pow
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some Fun Facts about TMS } Natividad Vacio (1912~1996) who portrays Miguel one of the villagers who recruits the gunslingers was close friends with George Reeves of Superman fame.

Famed composer John Williams played the piano in Elmer Bernstein's orchestra for the recording of the wonderful theme for TMS.

George Peppard (Banacek, The A-Team) was considered for the role of Vin.

Brad Dexter(Harry Luck) once saved the life of Frank Sinatra & Ruth Koch, wife of film producer Howard Koch.

While in Kauai, Hawaii shooting the movie None But The Brave, Sinatra & Koch went for a swim in the ocean but became caught up by a tide and swept out to sea. Brad was able to hold up both from sinking until some surfers came to help out.

Dexter had been an amateur boxer and had been married to singer Peggy Lee. Always liked him in TMS and was surprised his career did not become bigger than it did.

Sinatra ended the friendship with Dexter when Brad advised Frank not to marry the much younger Mia Farrow.

Robert J. Wilke (Wallace) was the pugnacious cattle drover that pushes Jame Coburn into the knife/gun fight. Bob was well known for the many villainous roles he played in film and television.

Bob's buddy Claude Akins said that Bob was an expert level golfer and made more money on golf bets than he did as an actor.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eli Wallach's problems with holstering a gun is the reason why he didn't use a holster in "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly".

Another reason to use a cross-draw holster is that it allows you to access the firearm with either hand.

Blanks are very dangerous, not just because of the gas pressure. They use wadding to produce the pressure. People have been seriously injured and killed with blanks because of this. For that reason when actors shoot at each other, they are actually aiming to the side of the other actor. Now they use CGI and flash paper guns for closeup shooting scenes in modern TV shows and movies.

In "The Getaway", Sam Peckinpah instructed Bo Hopkins to do little bits with his comb, because of what Steve McQueen did in "The Magnificent Seven". Steven McQueen wasn't on script, and wasn't acting when he snapped at Bo Hopkins to stop it.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Thanks, Pow! Very Happy

I spotted a few of the IMDB items which addressed the facts you mentioned, but I didn't want my post to get too long, so I reluctantly passed them up. Sad

However, I'm glad you added them to the thread, because they're certainly worthy additions, along with your items that weren't offered by IMDB!

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Eadie
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
Robert J. Wilke (Wallace) was the pugnacious cattle drover that pushes Jame Coburn into the knife/gun fight. Bob was well known for the many villainous roles he played in film and television.

Robert J. Wilke (May 18, 1914 – March 28, 1989) was also the 1st mate of The Nautilus in Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954):


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The Spike
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:25 pm    Post subject: I have been offered a lot for my work, but never everything. Reply with quote

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

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2022 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has 87 trivia items for this movie. Here’s a few of the ones I found the most interesting, in the blue text. Very Happy
________________________________

~ Although the film received only mixed reviews, John Sturges got a rave from the one source that really mattered to him. After seeing the picture, Akira Kurosawa was so impressed, he sent the American director a ceremonial sword as a gift.

Note from me: I've watched Seven Samuri and frankly it doesn't thrill me. But hey, that's just me . . .

~ Yul Brynner had a major say in casting decisions, including the decision to cast Steve McQueen. He specifically requested that McQueen be cast as Vin Tanner. Brynner later regretted the move since he and McQueen developed a disastrous relationship on set.

Note from me: DVD commentary has a hystrical comment concerning the scene in which Steve and Yul are about to drive the hearse up to Boot Hill. Yul hated to be upstaged, and in that scene Steve goes through a series of "preparations" that make him look cool and professional . . . but they draw the attention away from Yul, who resented Steve's little show.

Steve pulls out two shotgun shells shakes and each one next to his ear — to make sure they really had pellets in them, I guess. Then he takes off his hat and holds it up in front of the sun — studying it carefully for reasons unknown.

That funny moment is at the 3:00 mark in the clip below.


_______________ The Magnificent Seven 2/13


__________



~ The "bandit gang" hired for Calvera adopted Eli Wallach as one of their own. In the mornings before shooting started, but after Wallach was in costume, he and the group would go riding together for an hour. Additionally, members of the gang insisted on doing the final checks for Wallach's horse tack and prop gun before he was allowed to use either.

Note from me:This just tickles me to death, amigos! Just knowing that many of those guys weren't just actors is cool, but the way they made Eli Wallach their honorary leader is . . . well . . . magnífico! Very Happy






~ In later years, Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen reconciled. McQueen, dying of cancer, called Brynner to thank him. "What for?" queried Brynner. "You coulda had me kicked off the movie when I rattled you," replied McQueen, "but you let me stay and that picture made me, so thanks". Brynner told him, "I am the king and you are the rebel prince: every bit as royal . . . and dangerous to cross." McQueen said, "I had to make it up with Yul 'cause without him I wouldn't have been in that picture."

Note from me: It's nice to know that these two Hollywood legends reconciled . . . instead of shooting it out at high noon. Shocked

~ James Coburn was a big fan of Seven Samurai (1954) and his favorite role in that film was the character that he ended up playing in the Americanized version. He deliberately incorporated Seiji Miyaguchi's performance as Kyuzo into his performance.

Note from me: Coburn's "knife vs gun" scene is almolst as cool as anything Derek Flint ever did. Cool


______________ The Magnificent Seven (6/12)


__________


Here's a bit more about that rivalry between the two.

~ According to Eli Wallach's autobiography, Yul Brynner had a major problem with what he perceived as Steve McQueen's trying to upstage him. According to Wallach, McQueen would do things when on screen with Brynner to draw attention to his character. Examples were his shaking of the shotgun shells and taking off his hat to check the sun during the hearse scene and leaning off his horse to dip his hat in the river when the Seven cross into Mexico. Brynner was supposedly so worried about McQueen stealing his limelight in scenes that he hired an assistant to count the number of times McQueen touched his own hat when he [Brynner] was speaking.

Note from me: I wonder if the guy ask for a screen credit. "Assistant to Mr. Brynner, in charge of the hat-touching count".






~ The oneupmanship between Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen spread to the other actors, and they all started pulling stunts of their own in order to get the audience's attention. While a lot of the attention-hogging did make it into the finished film, John Sturges was terrified by how quickly he lost control of his cast.

Note from me: And yet, all those flamboyant gestures are part of why the characters seem so charismatic and interesting!

~ The horse that Yul Brynner was riding was Pie, the same one that James Stewart rode in all or most of his westerns. It was found while researching Stewart's horse.

Note from me: I just had a funny idea for a biography, with me as the ghost writer, presenting clever anecdotes about Stewart's Westerns — as told from the viewpoint of Pie. The title would be "The Real Jimmy Steward; Straight from the Horse's Mouth". Laughing

~ Pay close attention to Eli Wallach whenever he handles his gun. Whenever he puts the gun back into his holster, he always looks down at it. That was because Wallach wasn't used to drawing the weapon and didn't want to look foolish by missing the holster while putting his gun back, as Wallach would admit in the DVD Documentary.

Note from me: Compare this to the manual gymnastics which The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) did almost every time he holstered his gun.

He would spin it forward a half-turn until it was held upside down by the trigger guard, then he'd lower it partway into the holster backwards, and finally he'd twist it around forward, still holding the trigger guard.

All done in under two seconds. It's beautiful to behold, partners!

~ Steve McQueen wanted to act in this film but couldn't at first because the schedule of his TV series, Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958), wouldn't allow it. He crashed a car and while he was "out sick", he shot this film.

Note from me: Ah-HA! That explains all the bandages and casts Steve wore during this movie! Very Happy

~ Sterling Hayden was originally supposed to play the knife expert, Britt. Hayden dropped out for unknown reasons, so John Sturges sent out an extensive casting call. Robert Vaughn (Lee) recommended his old schoolmate and friend James Coburn for the role. Vaughn and Coburn helped each other get roles throughout the rest of Coburn's life.

Note from me: "Napoleon Solo and Derek Flint, together again . . . for the first time!" Laughing

~ Horst Buchholz (Chico) accidentally shot himself in the leg on set. Though his gun was loaded with blanks, the shot raised a welt.

Note from me: This, of course, is why there's nothing but the sound effect whenever Barney Fife's gun goes off in his holster. Blanks might not have slugs, but the force of the blast packs a punch Confused

~ Steve McQueen tried to draw attention from Yul Brynner by taking off his hat to shade his eyes as he looks around just before they drive the hearse to the graveyard and bending down from his saddle to dip water with his hat as the whole crew crosses a stream. Finally Brynner said to him, "If you don't stop that I'm going to take off my hat, and then no one will look at you for the rest of the film."

Note from me: That's very amusing. I'm sure there's no truth to the rumor that Yul put a sticky note under his hat atop his bald head which said, "McQueen sucks!" . . . just to really drive his point home! Laughing

~ When filming began in Mexico, problems arose with the local censors, who demanded changes to the ways that the Mexican villagers would be portrayed. Walter Newman, who had written the screenplay, was asked to travel to the location to make the necessary script revisions, but refused. The changes written in by William Roberts were deemed significant enough to merit him a co-writing credit. Newman refused to share the credit, though, and had his name removed from the film entirely.

Note from me: "And the Oscar for Biggest Drama Queen goes to . . . Walter Newman! Accepting the award for Mr. Newman is William Roberts." Wink

~ Chico's "bullfight" scene was improvised. Someone found a cow and the filmmakers decided to put it in a scene with Horst Buchholz to see if he would take it and run with it.

Note from me: I never would have guessed this scene was note scripted. It's just right for Horst Buchholz character!






~ The film was a box-office failure in the United States, but went on to be a smash hit in Europe, and ultimately turned a profit.

Note from me: If this movie could flop at the box office, it's no wonder that Hollywood desperately clings to remakes and reboots of successful films. The public can certainly be very fickle and witless! Shocked

~ The movie appears to be set sometime in the mid- to late 1880s. However, all of the main characters wear low-slung, Buscadero-style holsters, which were basically unknown before the early 1900s. Actual belt guns in the "Wild West" era were worn at the belt line, usually in cross-draw holsters as they were both more comfortable to wear and easier to draw from while mounted on a horse.

Note from me: It sets my teeth on edge when I see a character in a Western movie or TV series wearing his gun belt so low it's six inches below his pants belt. And when he wears it at an extreme angle, with the holster way down the side of their leg, I start shouting at the TV — "Pull up your gun belt, you idiot! That looks ridiculous!" Mad

The great Tim Holt knew how to wear his gun rig! Sad




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Pow
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And another historically inaccurate thing they do in western films and movies all the time is to wear their pant leg over their boots.

Frontier cowboys, Texas Rangers, farmers, miners, and soldiers would tuck their pants---called blousing--- inside their boots.

This was a very practical thing to do. It would keep the pants bottoms free of debris such as mud, muck, and good ole' manure.

It would prevent their pants from collecting burrs, cactus and spines along with other vegetation.

It also reduced the chances that their pant legs could get caught on under brush, or the such, which could result in entanglements, serious injury, or even death.

Snakes and insects could be kept from crawling up an exposed pant leg.

Blousing one pant leg only would indicate the wearer's employability, or interest in buying or selling cattle.

Finally, depending how the pant leg was bloused, it could indicate the owner's regional roots.

The western films and television shows that we grew up on would rarely have the men of the west wear their pant legs tucked inside their boots.

I can see how impractical it would have been in the days of the wild and wooly west to have your pants worn over your boots.

That said, it always looks cooler, if not realistic, to see our western heroes have their pant legs covering their boots.

Guess we've all been contaminated by Hollywood, amigos.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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I haven't thought of this in decades, but when I was in the Air Force we were required to tuck the fatigue pants into our combat boots.

The problem was that it was a pain in the ass trying to keep them tucked in! Rolling Eyes

The solution we all used involved short lengths of elastic fabric with metal hooks on the ends. We wrapped the elastic around our lower calves just above the boot tops and fastened the hooks.

Then the bottoms of the pants were folded under and slipped beneath the encircling elastic fabric.

Presto! The fatigues appeared to be tucked into the boots, even though they weren't! Very Happy

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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did you ever notice that the film THREE AMIGOS was almost a remake of TM7?
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2022 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Well, yes . . . but it was more of a spoof. However, it had some very funny moments.

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