Seven Men from Now (1956)

A former sheriff blames himself for his wife's death during a Wells Fargo robbery and vows to track down and kill the seven men responsible.

Director:

Budd Boetticher

Writer:

Burt Kennedy (original story and screenplay)

Stars:

Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, Lee Marvin

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Randolph Scott	...	Ben Stride
Gail Russell	...	Annie Greer
Lee Marvin	...	Bill Masters
Walter Reed	...	John Greer
John Larch	...	Payte Bodeen
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Clete (as Donald Barry)
Fred Graham	...	Henchman
John Beradino	...	Clint
John Phillips	...	Jed
Chuck Roberson	...	Mason
Stuart Whitman	...	Cavalry Lt. Collins
Pamela Duncan	...	Señorita Nellie
Steve Mitchell	...	Fowler
Cliff Lyons	...	Henchman
Fred Sherman	...	The Prospector

Storyline

Ex-sheriff Ben Stride tracks the seven men who held up a Wells Fargo office and killed his wife. Stride is tormented by the fact that his own failure to keep his job was the cause of his wife's working in the express office and thus he is partly responsible for her death. Stride encounters a married couple heading west for California and helps them. Along the way they are joined by two n'er-do-wells, Masters and Clete, who know that Stride is after the express-office robbers. They plan to let Stride lead them to the bandits, then make away with the loot themselves. But they aren't the only ones carrying a secret.

---

Plot Keywords:

wells fargo | sheriff | outlaw | colt .45 | redemption | 

---

Genres:

Western

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

7 Men from Now

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Batjac Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fort Crittenden, named for a Civil War hero, was built in 1867 at the head of Davidson Canyon in Arizona specifically a base of operations against the Apaches and replaced Fort Buchanen, which was destroyed in 1865. The fort was closed in 1873, which means that "Seven Men from Now" takes place in the six year period 1867-1873. Mounds of dirt and decayed adobe walls mark the site today.

---

Goofs

The configuration of the mud changes on Gail Russell's face several times.

---

Quotes

Ben Stride: What happened up there?
Bill Masters: Payte Bodeen... I killed him.
Ben Stride: Why?
Bill Masters: Why not?

---

Connections

Featured in Budd Boetticher: An American Original (2005)

---

Soundtracks

"Good Love"
by 'By' Dunham (as By Dunham) and Henry Vars

User Reviews

Bud Boetticher and me

I have a story to tell about this one. I had never heard of Bud Boetticher or "7 Men from Now" when I set out with my mom (a cool old lady) to Berkeley to see what was going on (she's from out of town). We found a schedule for the Pacific Film Archive and it said they were showing 2 westerns by Bud Boetticher and that he would be there. Well, I'm a sucker for meeting directors (very few crawl out to bask in the sun, it must be bad for their complexion) especially if they directed lots of b movies. They were showing "Bullfighter and the Lady" (also excellent) and "7 Men From Now." 7 Men is one of the best westerns I have ever seen, Lee Marvin and Randolph Scott are just terrific and the direction is amazing. I thought the kinetic energy combined with the extreme tension in the fights at the end were excellent. Now, after the show Boetticher and his wife showed up and Boetticher had some illuminating words to say. After that he met some of us in the audience, and I happened to mention how much I liked the scene where Gail Russell is in the wagon and puts out the candle and has a brief but oddly touching dialogue with Randolph Scott, who is lying under the wagon. What Boetticher said was "Yes, that's a much better way to do a sex scene, now isn't it?". When I reflected on this statement later, I realized what seemed casual at first was in fact a profound statement on film expression: Boetticher was telling me that what he was showing WAS sex. Maybe, I think he suggested, throbbing bodies and dim lights aren't sex at all. Maybe what so many people in my generation (I'm 25) take as naivete in classic films was....... dare I say it, TASTE AND STYLE???!!! Yes is the answer. And Boetticher's got both of them, hats off to him and everyone else involved in this fine film I hope everyone sees (and I hope I get a chance to see again and again).