# The Magnificent Seven--on right now. 50 years old, still holds up. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658 "2010-06-27T02:14:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/1 "2010-06-27T02:14:51Z")
Hopefully I searched enough before starting this. I’m watching _The Magnificent Seven_ for perhaps the 30th or so time. It still holds up. Magnificent score by Elmer Berstein. Everyone knows it’s the Marlboro theme. When I play trivia, I always ask them to name the actors in the movie. NO one ever gets Brad Dexter. Sorry to just blather on, but so many movies from the 1950’s-60’s just don’t hold up. This one does. I think it’s on AMC, which I hate for the commercials. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/2 "2010-06-27T02:49:48Z")
Just finished watching it. Still great. I’m bummed more of the seven didn’t survive wounded. Robert Vaughn …see ya Brad Dexter. didn’t like the way he bought it but didn’t miss him. I wanted James Coburn and Bronson to survive. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/3 "2010-06-27T03:17:21Z")
I’m still pissed off at those three little boys. “Bernardo! Sorry we got you shot.” ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/4 "2010-06-27T11:50:39Z")
I have to say, after finally seeing “Seven Samuri” it’s even better. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/5 "2010-06-27T17:35:49Z")
As opposed to say [Battle Beyond the Stars](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080421/), also starring Robert Vaughn. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/6 "2010-06-27T17:50:25Z")
You know, that’s one of those movies I’ve never seen. I’m almost as old as the movie and I’ve just never taken the time. I probably should see it just to see what all the fuss is about. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/7 "2010-06-27T20:54:42Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > As opposed to say [Battle Beyond the Stars](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080421/), also starring Robert Vaughn. I did not know that was a remake of SS and MS. Cool. It’s got John Saxon in it too who was a favorite of mine from that era. I’d wager the SS , the original, is still the best. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/8 "2010-06-28T03:57:33Z")
The original film from which this was remade, Akira Kurosawa’s _ **Seven Samurai** _, was recently ranked #1 in Empire Magazine’s [100 Best Films Of World Cinema](http://www.empireonline.com/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/default.asp?film=1). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/9 "2010-06-28T04:12:16Z")
And that’s why I like “The Magnificent Seven” - it’s not cinema, or film. It’s a movie. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/10 "2010-06-28T19:22:45Z")
Yeah, I was pleased to watch it again too. I was struck by an odd thought this time. For some reason, Yul Brynner’s performance was reminding me of someone else, and I couldn’t think of who it was. And then it hit me: Michael Dorn as Worf in _Star Trek: TNG._ I know, it’s bizarre, but… ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/11 "2010-06-28T20:00:02Z")
Great movie, great director. John Sturges, also responsible for Bad Day at Black Rock, Last Train from Gun Hill, The Great Escape and The Eagle Has Landed. Robert Vaughan used to tell some hilarious stories about the rivalry on the set of the Seven between Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen, as did Eli Wallach in his autobiography. These gems from [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054047/trivia): > [@](#): > > 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. > > Yul Brynner was concerned to make sure he always appeared substantially taller than Steve McQueen, to the point of making a little mound of earth and standing on it in all their shots together. McQueen, for his part, casually kicked at the mound every time he passed by it. ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/12 "2010-06-28T22:20:04Z")
I had never watched this movie until a couple of years ago. I was three years old when it came out, and even though I watched a lot of western movies in later life, I never got around to _the Magnificent Seven_ until recently. That’s a real test of how well a movie holds up, I had no fondness of it from when I saw it as a kid. Yeah, I’d always heard it was good, but I’m a super-critical movie watcher, so I judged it on its own merit. It’s now one of my favorite movies, and I think it’s one of the greatest western movies ever made. The scene of Brynner and McQueen riding the hearse is just incredible in the way it tells you so much about those characters without any exposition. Just the “Where you from?” “Where you headed?” conversation speaks volumes. **Alpha Twit** , I highly recommend that you see it. The movie sequels were pretty disappointing (especially the one where George Kennedy tries to step into the Yul Brynner role. Nothing against George, but who the hell thought that was good casting?). But anyone who likes the original movie should definitely check out the short-lived TV series from the late '90s starring Michael Biehn as Chris and Eric Close as Vin. The series did a great job of capturing the spirit and tone of the movie, staying reasonably close the characterizations while also expanding on them. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/13 "2010-06-29T00:13:45Z")
I think Seven Samurai and the original Magnificent Seven are both great movies. The storyline of a small force fending off superior numbers seems ageless, but this particular format of a group of specialists formed for the task is a subclass of the genre. Does anybody know of the use of this plot form prior to Samurai? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/14 "2010-06-29T00:17:09Z")
It’s a fun movie. A lot more light-hearted than SS, for sure, though I will always love SS best. As for the dead, I get the feeling almost that they got close to the end of the movie and thought “Wait! Only three samurai survived! Therefore more of you have to die!” ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/15 "2010-07-02T18:44:45Z")
> [@Roadfood](#): > > **Alpha Twit** , I highly recommend that you see it. Thanks to Netflix, I just did see it. My opinion - _meh_. I tend not to be much of a fan of westerns anyway so it’s neither very surprising nor very meaningful that I didn’t care for it. One way that movies often fail for me is that they fail the plausibility check. Too many scenes in the Magnificent Seven just struck me as being so wrong that I couldn’t really get into the movie. The blowhard that Coburn kills in his first scene is a good example. Would any rational person push a fatal confrontation for essentially no reason? Calvera’s casual brutality clashes with his choice to ‘pardon’ the seven so that they can come back and win the day. Yul Brynner’s dialogue was almost cringe worthy much of the time. I’m glad I did finally watch it but I see no reason to include it in my future viewing plans. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/16 "2010-07-02T18:55:17Z")
My beef with the Coburn scene is the same complaint I have with every knife fight on film: people dying too quickly. Hell, the guy he poked took maybe 3 inches of a narrow blade to his lower abdomen, and he falls down dead almost instantly. If that wound was mortal, it would be due to peritonitis, which would take days to kill. A tough cowboy like that should have been able to shrug off the poke and shoot Coburn dead. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnificent-seven-on-right-now-50-years-old-still-holds-up/544658/17 "2010-07-02T19:02:24Z")
**aldiboronti** , those are some trivia gems, especially the two you quoted. As a big McQueen fan it cracks me up to picture him doing that. I must say thinking of those will provide a bit of added charm the next time I see the movie.