Seven Men From Now (1956)

Not many Westerns can claim to be original. Seven Men from Now can. Its making, for the B-picture arm of John Wayne's Batjac company, was a modest enterprise. The screenwriter, Burt Kennedy, was just starting out; the director, Budd Boetticher, was a matador-turned-filmmaker with only one film of distinction (The Bullfighter and the Lady) in a journeyman career; the star, Randolph Scott, was regarded as "over the hill." Yet the three men's talents blended uncannily, producing not just a terrific Western but a cinema masterpiece--an ironical, beautifully spare bit of storytelling that became the ideal showcase for Scott's sandy reticence.

You don't want anybody synopsizing the story for you; there's little of it, really, yet how it's told makes it complex and compelling. We know, from a memorable first scene, that Scott is hunting down seven men who did something terrible. He will be thrown together with several other characters, including Lee Marvin as an affable but deadly rascal with whom he shares some history. Everybody has private reasons to be traveling through Apache country. Savor every syllable of the laconic dialogue, what people say and what they don't quite say--what they think they understand about one another's motives, except that that understanding keeps getting rearranged.

Seven Men from Now went missing after Wayne's death in 1979 threw the Batjac library into limbo. (Its success had inspired Scott, Boetticher, and Kennedy to collaborate on three other remarkable Westerns--The Tall T (1957), Ride Lonesome (1959), and Comanche Station (1960)--which, because they weren't made for Batjac, we've had little trouble seeing over the years.) The movie became legendary, a Holy Grail for film buffs. Now, with a beautiful restoration on DVD, it gets to be a movie again. A great one. --Richard T. Jameson Amazon.com

Vengeance is mine

In August 2001 I had the great pleasure of attending a theater screening of "Seven Men From Now" at the Nickelodeon Theater in Santa Cruz, CA. Long-time supporting actor Walter Reed, the hapless husband making an ill-advised wagon train trek in this film, was the guest of honor. Mr. Reed, not in the best of health, was conveyed to the theater by horse and wagon and attended by the P.E. teacher and friend who had taken charge of his physical rehabilitation in recent years after WR had suffered the loss of his wife and some physical problems. Director Bud Boetticher was also invited but was too unwell to attend; he did sit for an interview about "Seven Men" at his home and this was recorded and played for the audience.

Special effort had been made to borrow the only projector in the county that could screen one of the original prints, and the color held up beautifully - I have to wonder if this print was used to make this DVD, given the favorable comments about the way it looks by those who've seen it in that format. Certainly everyone who attended this screening wanted to know when a DVD would be available, but at that time no one had an answer.

This is not only a good western of it period, its an interesting instance where Scott played a man almost unbalanced by his guilt and desire for bloody revenge. This is not the reflexively heroic Randolph Scott of so many of his films; its a more adult story altogether, and you really do feel its possible Scott will simply mow down all the men who've ruined his life without a thought for his own survival. He is a force of nature, an aging good man who sees only sorrow, grief, and loneliness in store for his remaining years.

It was, and will probably remain, my only instance of seeing Scott on the big screen, and it illustrated for me why my grandparents loved him so; he was an iconic figure in grand, beautiful landscapes, a sight burned into my memory. Well-mounted and a graceful horseman, he emanated a quiet but steely resolve that seemed to soften and bend to a woman in trouble but could quickly whiplash into vicious cruelty at the first sight of one of his intended targets.

The Q and A session with Mr. Reed after the film ended was a delight. He told stories about this particular movie, gave an overview of his career as a character actor under the old studio system, and related a story about a time when he and his wife and the Boettichers were all strapped for cash and work. Deciding to have a rare fling to lift their spirits by going out for a dinner they really couldn't afford, they made a night of it and spotted John Wayne in the same restaurant. He stopped by for a few polite greetings but it was Reed's opinion that Wayne knew they'd been out of work for too long; he left before they did and when they asked for their bill they were informed that Mr. Wayne had paid for all.

On arriving for this showing I was a little concerned that the crowd would be all people a couple of generations younger than Mr. Reed. And that it would seem to him looking out at the audience that he had outlived his own best movie fans. Instead arrangements had been made at a local retirement community to transport anyone who wanted to attend to the theater, and at least 1/3 of the audience were of Mr. Reed's generation. And they knew their movies too! Some great questions and comments came from that bunch, who certainly had far more in-depth things to say about his other film work than someone my age would have ever known to put forth. Topping off the ceremonies Walter Reed put his handprints in wet concrete outside of the Nickelodeon theater and wrote his name, the date, and, "Boy actor" beside it.

Its still there, but he's gone. Walter Reed died just 13 days after he attended this screening in his honor. His old friend and director Bud Boetticher died just three months later. Belated kudos to all who worked so hard to arrange this screening, and this last hurrah for a working actor and regular guy. For a few hours he was young again, he had an audience again, and that's not a bad way to go out. Moral of the story - a good western is always worth watching, and if you want to show appreciation for somebody, do it now. August 19, 2008

best western

the product and delivery were fine. this is one of the best westerns made. direction is superb and well written. great part for lee marvin. June 18, 2008

Overlooked Western Classic

Maybe Randolph Scott's best movie, 7 Men from Now is an overlooked classic of the western genre. Scott is a revenge minded former sheriff, who is gunning for the 7 outlaws that killed his wife in a hold up. This familiar storyline is sparked by great supporting characters. Great performances by Scott, a young Lee Marvin and Gail Russell. Highly recommended. May 13, 2008

must see

they don't make a really good western anymore so this is one that you need to see. October 9, 2007

MASTERPIECE

Wondrous special edition of this Budd Boetticher western. Boetticher, like Samuel Fuller, is an underrated American director and SEVEN MEN FROM NOW an undisputable masterpiece. The duel between Randolph Scott and Lee Marvin is a model of the genre. October 6, 2007

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