The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Good lord.  What kind of Westerns message board doesn't have a thread dedicated to the greatest Western of all time?

Well, this one apparently, but I'm hear to fix that right now.

First, let me step on a few toes by saying that the inspiration for this great movie, Seven Samurai, is completely unendurable.  I can't get through that alleged classic.  I'm not trying to talk anybody out of liking it -- but nobody will every convince me it's a pimple on the face of this excellent American movie.

Having said that, I'm sure nobody will argue with me that the merits of The Magnificent Seven include the stellar cast, the flawless direction, the artful cinematography, the precise editing, and the entertaining performances by a cast that works together like a well-oiled machine.

This is the super-Western which is watched and loved by people who don't usually like Westerns!  And no wonder.  What's NOT to like about a movie which stars Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, and Eli Wallach.

The music which enhances this great Western is so good you could hum the title theme while standing in a public place and offer $100 to the first person who could identify it.  If you did that you'd be trampled by the people rushing forward with the right answer.

In addition to the on-screen virtues of this masterpiece, there's a wealth of behind-the-scene treasures as well.  Yul Brenner and Steve McQueen were two alpha males in the same small room, and their efforts to come out one top created several memorable Hollywood stories.

Go to the IMDB link below to read the story-behind-the-story concerning The Magnificent Seven.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054047/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv

This movie is the Western that makes the West look so good we all wished the 20th Century had never happened.  Horses were more dependable than cars, guns were standard equipment for manly men, and justice was always served by the honest Marshal of the town.

Man . . . those were sure the good old days.

Right on Bud!
I never get tired of it,
I watched it this past week.
Great.