Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)

A Mexican revolutionary hires an American gunslinger to organize the rescue of their leader from a brutal Army prison.

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writer:

Herman Hoffman

Stars:

George Kennedy, James Whitmore, Monte Markham

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Kennedy	...	Chris
James Whitmore	...	Levi
Monte Markham	...	Keno
Reni Santoni	...	Max
Bernie Casey	...	Cassie
Scott Thomas	...	P.J.
Joe Don Baker	...	Slater
Tony Davis	...	Emil
Michael Ansara	...	Col. Diego
Frank Silvera	...	Lobero
Wende Wagner	...	Tina
Sancho Gracia	...	Miguel
Luis Rivera	...	Lt. Prensa
George Rigaud	...	Gabriel (as Jorge Rigaud)
Fernando Rey	...	Quintero

Storyline

A Mexican revolutionary hires an American gunslinger to organize the rescue of their leader from a brutal Army prison.

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Plot Keywords:

sonora mexico | one armed gunfighter | two gun holster | gun holster | double gun holster | 

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Taglines:

The Magnificent Seven are back - and they don't aim to please.

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Genres:

Action | Western

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

1 August 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Revolveri sedmorice veličastvenih

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Production Company, The Mirisch Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite bearing no resemblance to Yul Brynner, including a full head of hair, George Kennedy took over the role of Chris Adams, played by Brynner in the first two films. Even Adams' trademark dark clothing is gone. What remains is the steel resolve, and affinity for cigars.

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Goofs

Playing cards in the bar scene where the Seven are gambling with one another have numbers. The playing cards of the Old West did not have the number printed on them, only the symbols.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Col. Diego: Where is the meeting?
Tortured Prisoner: In the church.
Col. Diego: Is Quintero with them?
Tortured Prisoner: Yes.

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Connections

Follows The Magnificent Seven (1960)

User Reviews

Best of the "Seven" sequels

Guns of the Magnificent Seven is by far the best of the sequels to the classic original. The cast is definitely the second best in terms of "up and coming" actors at that time, and viewers will probably recognize most of them. The plot of this one has Chris (George Kennedy) and a new gang being hired to free a Mexican revolutionary from a prison known as "The Rat Hole". Of course, the prison is run by a highly ruthless colonel, who frowns on dissidents, and tortures and kills for pleasure.

The gang here is an eclectic bunch, each with their own specialty. Although considering more than half the gang gets wiped out in every film, it's beyond me why anyone would still be crazy or desperate enough to join! I guess news doesn't travel over the border much. It's a shame that Yul Brynner didn't do this one (no insult to Kennedy), as it seems more dimension has been added to this character than we've seen before. The character of Keno (Monte Markham) is suspiciously similar to Vin from the previous two movies, but the rest of the gang are wholly original for the series: there's a black explosives expert; a one-armed sharp shooter (who happens to be a Civil War veteran - think of the word play between these two!); an old, fatherly-figure knife thrower; and finally a quiet rope expert who seems to have either cancer or tuberculosis.

What the film lacks in originality is made up for by the characters (and the actors who play them), great action, music and cinematography. The climactic action scene is definitely the second best of the series (although a couple of the gang die way too soon), and the movie moves along at a faster pace then the previous entries. Another interesting note on this entry is that there are parallels within the story to what was happening in the real world at the time of it's release. Racial prejudice, talk of revolution, overly harsh and abusive authority figures, etc. I don't believe any of the other entries touched on modern themes so directly. Yet they don't date the film, and are surprisingly still relevant today.

A couple small complaints: when did Chris's "price" go up to $600 a job??? It was only $100 in the first film and I can't imagine inflation rose that high in a few short years! Although each member is seemingly recruited for their individual expertise, there's no evidence showing any of these skills being used, except as an occasional afterthought. Strangest of all is when Chris says something in Spanish at the end, prompting one of the Mexican children to ask `What did he say?'. I don't know if it's just me, but why wouldn't a child of about 10 understand what was said in his own language?

While the overall execution of this film is standard as both a western and entry in this franchise, it still holds up better than the other two sequels, the earlier "Return of the Seven" and later "The Magnificent Seven Ride". Fans of the `Seven' series, or westerns in general, should find enough excitement here to hold their interest. Just don't go looking for a masterpiece, and accept it as one of the few decent sequels churned out by Hollywood.

**1/2 out of ****