The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)

Forced by personal circumstances, Marshal Chris Adams recruits a writer and five prisoners to help him eliminate a gang of Mexican bandits.

Director:

George McCowan

Writer:

Arthur Rowe

Stars:

Lee Van Cleef, Stefanie Powers, Michael Callan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lee Van Cleef	...	Chris
Stefanie Powers	...	Laurie Gunn
Michael Callan	...	Noah Forbes
Mariette Hartley	...	Arrila
Luke Askew	...	Mark Skinner
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Pepe Carral (as Pedro Armendariz Jr.)
Ralph Waite	...	Jim Mackay
Melissa Murphy	...	Madge Buchanan
William Lucking	...	Walt Drummond
James Sikking	...	Andy Hayes
Ed Lauter	...	Scott Elliot
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Mrs. Donavan
Gary Busey	...	Hank Allen
Robert Jaffe	...	Bob Allen
Darrell Larson	...	Shelly

Storyline

Marshal Chris Adams turns down a friend's request to help stop the depredations of a gang of Mexican bandits. When his wife is killed by bank robbers and his friend is killed capturing the last thief, Chris feels obligated to take up his friend's cause and recruits a writer and five prisoners to destroy the desperadoes.

---

Plot Keywords:

arizona | arizona territory | tucson territorial prison | tucson arizona | seven | 

---

Taglines:

A Brand New Seven -- Doing Their Number! They put their lives on the line and let it ride!

---

Genres:

Action | Western

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

1 August 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

La furia de los siete magníficos

Filming Locations:

Joshua Tree, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,050,000, 31 December 1972

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mirisch Production Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Noah is interviewing Chris for a biography, he asks Chris about a clash that he participated in called The Battle of Adobe Walls, and Chris replies that it was a fight between 28 buffalo hunters and 600 Comanche Indians led by Quanah Parker, and among the white participants was William Barclay 'Bat' Masterson. The Battle of Adobe Walls was a real-life siege by approximately 700 Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne warriors of the small trading settlement of Adobe Walls, TX, on June 27, 1874, in which Masterson did indeed participate (this was the only time in the "Magnificent Seven" film series that a real-life gunfighter was mentioned). The siege lasted almost three days, and the Indians attacked the post several times but were driven back each time. The battle ended when one of the buffalo hunters, a man named Billy Dixon, used his long-range rifle and shot and killed a Cheyenne warrior sitting atop his horse at a distance of approximately 1500 yards; it so unnerved the Indians--whose medicine man had promised that they would be immune from bullets--that they turned around and left. Total casualties were four whites dead (one of whom accidentally shot himself in the head) and approximately 20 Indian warriors killed and at least that many wounded.

---

Goofs

The movie takes place in Mexico, but throughout the movie, Joshua trees are shown in the background as well as the main scene. Joshua trees are indigenous to the Mohave desert areas of Calif, Nevada and Arizona only, there are none in Mexico.

---

Quotes

Noah Forbes, Writer: Well, should we bury 'em?
Marshall Chris Adams: The living need us more.

---

Connections

Referenced in Guns for Hire: The Making of 'The Magnificent Seven' (2000)

User Reviews

"Seven has always been my lucky number."

The final chapter of the original series (as there was a short-lived TV series that came out decades later), but despite the recurring Chris character (this time portrayed by the steely Lee Van Cleef) and the Mexican bandits. "The Magnificent Seven Ride!" didn't feel like a magnificent seven film but more a western take on "The Dirty Dozen". Well when it starts it plays on a more personal, if adventurous note (Chris now a town Marshall seeking vengeance on a couple of bank robbers) before settling on the winsome, but safe story mechanics of the previous entries. A village (of women) in need of rescue from Mexican bandits. After chasing one of the bank robbers over the border, he finds himself accidentally getting involved as originally he knocked down the offer from an old friend to help in some shape. "He did my job. I'll do his." A team is hand-picked by Chris… this time it's criminals not bounty hunters. The same shtick, but still rather diverting. Arthur Rowe's story moves by quick enough, never becoming overly preachy but held together by some engaging dialogue passages and solid performances (Michael Callan, Luke Askew, Stefanie Powers, Pedro Armendáriz Jr. and Ralph Waite) that share a good rapport on screen. Also some familiar faces (James Sikking, Ed Lauter and Gary Busey) show up. Director George McCowan takes time to set it up with moments of reflection and humour, but there are well pieced shootouts with violence bursts and red sauce going around. The efficient direction stays grounded, even though it had that made for TV back-lot feel. The music score is recycled but still feels at home with the action. "Ride" won't blow you away, but I found it a slightly better effort over the last two instalments; "Return" and "Guns".