The Magnificent Seven Magnificent Memories And Memorabilia
By William J. Felchner - September 15, 2023
Theres nothing like a good western. In 1960, United Artists released one of the all-time classics in the genre. Titled The Magnificent Seven, the production proved to be nothing short of magnificent, featuring an all-star cast, a memorable music score and plenty of action that wowed movie audiences of the day. Although now over six decades old, The Magnificent Seven hasnt lost its luster. The film remains one of Hollywoods more popular westerns, with eager fans and collectors scooping up any and all memorabilia associated with the film. The Magnificent Seven is actually based on another movie, Akira Kurosawas 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai. United Artists simply updated the Japanese entry, shifting the locale from 16th century Japan to the 19th century American Southwest. The Magnificent Seven was produced and directed for the Mirisch Company and Alpha Productions by John Sturgis. Writing the screenplay was William Roberts with uncredited assistance from Walter Bernstein and Walter Newman. Serving as cinematographer was Charles Lang with Ferris Webster as film editor. Providing the music score, which included the films stirring title theme (later used in Marlboro cigarette commercials), was Elmer Bernstein. Playing the seven gunslingers in the film were Yul Brynner (Chris Adams), Steve McQueen (Vin Tanner), Horst Buchholz (Chico), Charles Bronson (Bernardo OReilly), Robert Vaughn (Lee), Brad Dexter (Harry Luck) and James Coburn (Britt). Appearing as the grizzled, menacing bandit chief Calvera was Eli Wallach. Budgeted at an estimated $2 million, The Magnificent Seven was shot on location in Mexico. One of the first orders of business was the construction of the Mexican village and the American border town. There was some tension on the set, most notably a rivalry between Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. The brash McQueen, who had been starring in the TV western series Wanted Dead or Alive (1958-61), routinely tried to upstage Brynner, flipping a coin during one of Brynners speeches, rattling shotgun shells and kicking away the mounds of dirt the 5-feet, 8-inch Brynner had built up in order to make himself look taller. The Magnificent Seven had a rather simple plot. A Mexican bandit named Calvera has chosen a poor Mexican village as his own fiefdom, conducting periodic raids where he and his men relieve the villagers of food and supplies. When a villager is killed during a raid, the elders decide that they have had enough and journey north to a U.S. border town where they attempt to buy weapons. Here they meet Cajun gunfighter Chris Adams, who suggests that the villagers hire American gunmen instead to rid their town of Calvera. Although he can only offer meager pay for their services, Chris eventually signs on six other American gunfighters and heads south, where he and his hired guns prepare to take on the murderous Calvera and his bandidos. The Magnificent Seven was released on Oct. 12, 1960, where it eventually became both a critical and financial success. Variety, the Hollywood trade paper, called the film a rip-roaring, rootin tootin western with lots of bite and tang and old-fashioned abandon. The Magnificent Seven generated three move sequels: Return of the Seven (1966), Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972), plus a movie remake, The Magnificent Seven (2016), with Denzel Washington as the leader of the seven. In addition, The Magnificent Seven TV series ran on CBS from 1998 to 2000 with Michael Biehn in the leading role. The Magnificent Seven, which earned one Oscar nomination, Elmer Bernstein, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Ernest Gold won for Exodus that year), still commands quite a following among collectors. Leading the way is the films standard one-sheet poster (27-by-41 inches), whose simple blurb declares, The Magnificent One! One restored example in very fine condition on linen sold at auction for $657.25. Always high on any collectors list is the eight-card lobby set, whose 11-by-14-inch color cards feature various scenes from the movie. One set in fine/very fine condition brought a top bid of $388.38 at auction. For those collectors with the display space, the films giant six-sheet poster (80-by-81 inches) constitutes a monster piece of cinema memorabilia. Printed in four sections, the six-sheet poster is quite attractive when assembled, with one example in folded very fine condition bringing a modest $131.45 at auction. On a smaller scale is the films insert poster (14-by-36 inches). One example in very fine- condition sold at auction for $262.90. The movies half-sheet style B poster (22-by-28 inches) is an attractive piece. One example in folded fine/very fine condition realized a top bid of $204 at auction. Foreign movie posters for The Magnificent Seven can be very desirable, often featuring different artwork than their American counterparts. One excellent example is the Italian foglio poster (26-by-36 inches), which is titled Magnifici Sette. One example in folded very good condition brought a reasonable $72 at auction. The French grande poster (47-by-62 inches) is another foreign beauty. Titled Les Mercenaires, one example in folded very fine- condition sold at auction for $77. The Belgian poster (14-by-21 inches) is yet another eye pleaser. One example, titled Les Sept Mercenaires, in rolled near mint+ condition brought a top bid of $47 at auction. The British quad poster (30-by-40 inches), which features the stirring blurb, They fought like seven hundred, is sure to attract collector interest. One example in very fine condition sold at auction for $418.25. Various Japanese posters are also available, which is quite appropriate as The Magnificent Seven, as previously noted, is based on the 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai. One Japanese B2 poster (20-by-29 inches) in restored fine/very fine condition on linen hit a top bid of $567.63 at auction. Auction results and images are courtesy of Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. William J. Felchner is a graduate of Illinois State University. His work has appeared in a number of periodicals, including True West, Hot Rod, Movie Collectors World, Big Reel, Old West, Corvette Quarterly, Goldmine, Illinois, Sports Collectors Digest, Frontier Times and Pennsylvania Magazine.
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