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The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Director: John Sturges
Screen Writer: William Roberts, Walter Bernstein (uncredited)
Cast: Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, RobertVaughn, Brad Dexter,
James Coburn, Horst Buchholz, Eli Wallach
Length: 128 minutes
Filming Location: Morelos state, Mexico
A poor Mexican farming village is terrorized by bandidos, so the poor villagers decide to fight back with the help of seven American gunslingers, that are 'hired guns'.
Based on the Japanese masterpiece, Seven Samurai. The Magnificent Seven is Hollywood's version of that classic film. Both Yul Brynner and Charles Coburn were big fans of Seven Samurai. Yul Brynner acquired the rights to the story and set out to remake it as a western.
Numerous problems plagued the production. Filming was done on location in Morelos, Mexico. The problem was the Mexican censors demanded script changes so that Mexican farmers would only be seen in a positive way. They even demanded the farmer's clothes couldn't show dirt.
A young upstart actor, Steve McQueen, took every opportunity to upstage his fellow actors. If you watch McQueen carefully he's always fidgeting or adjusting his hat, etc. Yul Brynner was upset that many of his lines were given to the director's favorites in the movie: Steve McQueen and the German actor Horst Buchholz.
The first script writer was so upset about charges to his work that he demanded his name be removed from the movie. Yul Brynner went so far as to make mounds of dirt to stand on so he would appear taller than McQueen and he hired an assistant to count how many times McQueen touched his hat.
When it was finally finished it was a good western with big star names, but lacking in character development. Many of the big name stars have limited screen time. The Magnificent Seven marks the arrival of a new style of western movie, where the bad guys are the heroes and despite being cold blooded gunslingers they do have their own set of morals.
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Director: John Sturges
Screen Writer: William Roberts, Walter Bernstein (uncredited)
Cast: Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, RobertVaughn, Brad Dexter,
James Coburn, Horst Buchholz, Eli Wallach
Length: 128 minutes
Filming Location: Morelos state, Mexico
A poor Mexican farming village is terrorized by bandidos, so the poor villagers decide to fight back with the help of seven American gunslingers, that are 'hired guns'.
Based on the Japanese masterpiece, Seven Samurai. The Magnificent Seven is Hollywood's version of that classic film. Both Yul Brynner and Charles Coburn were big fans of Seven Samurai. Yul Brynner acquired the rights to the story and set out to remake it as a western.
Numerous problems plagued the production. Filming was done on location in Morelos, Mexico. The problem was the Mexican censors demanded script changes so that Mexican farmers would only be seen in a positive way. They even demanded the farmer's clothes couldn't show dirt.
A young upstart actor, Steve McQueen, took every opportunity to upstage his fellow actors. If you watch McQueen carefully he's always fidgeting or adjusting his hat, etc. Yul Brynner was upset that many of his lines were given to the director's favorites in the movie: Steve McQueen and the German actor Horst Buchholz.
The first script writer was so upset about charges to his work that he demanded his name be removed from the movie. Yul Brynner went so far as to make mounds of dirt to stand on so he would appear taller than McQueen and he hired an assistant to count how many times McQueen touched his hat.
When it was finally finished it was a good western with big star names, but lacking in character development. Many of the big name stars have limited screen time. The Magnificent Seven marks the arrival of a new style of western movie, where the bad guys are the heroes and despite being cold blooded gunslingers they do have their own set of morals.