| Photos (see all 47 | slideshow) | Videos |
| Yul Brynner | ... | Chris Adams | |
| Eli Wallach | ... | Calvera | |
| Steve McQueen | ... | Vin | |
| Charles Bronson | ... | Bernardo O'Reilly | |
| Robert Vaughn | ... | Lee | |
| Brad Dexter | ... | Harry Luck | |
| James Coburn | ... | Britt | |
| Horst Buchholz | ... | Chico | |
| Jorge Martínez de Hoyos | ... | Hilario (as Jorge Martinez de Hoyas) | |
| Vladimir Sokoloff | ... | Old man | |
| Rosenda Monteros | ... | Petra | |
| Rico Alaniz | ... | Sotero | |
| Pepe Hern | |||
| Natividad Vacío | ... | Miguel (as Natividad Vacio) | |
| Mario Navarro | ... | Boy with O'Reilly | |
| Danny Bravo | |||
| John A. Alonzo | ... | Tomas (as John Alonso) | |
| Enrique Lucero | ... | Villager | |
| Alex Montoya | |||
| Robert J. Wilke | ... | Wallace (as Robert Wilke) | |
| Val Avery | ... | Henry (corset salesman) | |
| Whit Bissell | ... | Chamlee (undertaker) | |
| Bing Russell | ... | Robert, (Henry's traveling companion) | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Henry Amargo | ... | Villager (uncredited) | |
| José Chávez | ... | Rafael (uncredited) (unconfirmed) | |
| Roberto Contreras | ... | Villager (uncredited) | |
| Valentin de Vargas | ... | Calvera henchman (uncredited) | |
| Larry Duran | ... | Calvera henchman (uncredited) | |
| Victor French | ... | Front office clerk (uncredited) | |
| Joseph Ruskin | ... | Flynn (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| John Sturges | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Akira Kurosawa | (screenplay "Shichinin no samurai") uncredited & | |
| Shinobu Hashimoto | (screenplay "Shichinin no samurai") uncredited & | |
| Hideo Oguni | (screenplay "Shichinin no samurai") uncredited | |
| William Roberts | (screenplay) | |
| Walter Bernstein | uncredited and | |
| Walter Newman | uncredited | |
Produced by | |||
| Walter Mirisch | .... | executive producer | |
| Lou Morheim | .... | associate producer | |
| John Sturges | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Elmer Bernstein | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Charles Lang | (as Charles Lang Jr.) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Ferris Webster | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Edward Fitzgerald | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Rafael Suárez | (as Rafael Suarez) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Emile LaVigne | .... | makeup artist (as Emile Lavigne) | |
| Daniel C. Striepeke | .... | makeup artist (as Daniel Striepke) | |
Production Management | |||
| Francisco Day | .... | production manager (as Chico Day) | |
| Allen K. Wood | .... | production supervisor | |
| Hubert Fröhlich | .... | production manager (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Jaime Contreras | .... | assistant director | |
| Robert E. Relyea | .... | assistant director | |
| Emilio Fernández | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Sam Gordon | .... | property | |
Sound Department | |||
| Del Harris | .... | sound effects editor | |
| Rafael Ruiz Esparza | .... | sound (as Rafael Esparza) | |
| Jack Solomon | .... | sound | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Milt Rice | .... | special effects | |
Stunts | |||
| Larry Duran | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jerry Gatlin | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Loren Janes | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jack Williams | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Henry Wills | .... | stunt coordinator (uncredited) | |
| Henry Wills | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Don Stott | .... | gaffer (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Bob Bain | .... | musician: guitar (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Thom Conroy | .... | dialogue director | |
| John Franco | .... | continuity | |
| 'Chema' Hernandez | .... | head wrangler (uncredited) | |
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| Ride the High Country | Shichinin no samurai | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre | Major Dundee | The Outlaw Josey Wales |
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Western section | IMDb USA section |
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Based somewhat faithfully on the Akira Kurosawa classic Shichinin no samurai, The Magnificent Seven could be mistaken for just another of the many Westerns that were turned out in Hollywood during this era. But there is a certain something that keeps The Magnificent Seven unique. Part of it is the concept borrowed from the earlier Japanese film, but some of it lies in the attitude of the seven mercenaries referred to in the title.
Much is made here of the difference between fighting for money, fighting for justice, or fighting for a future. While this version of Kurosawa's epic contains all the philosophical leanings of the original, it isn't nearly as long-winded or languid. The downside to this is that it isn't nearly as moody or powerful. In fact, one can easily see the difference between American and foreign cinema simply by comparing Shichinin no samurai with The Magnificent Seven. One is incredibly dark and downbeat most of the time. The other mostly has a score that is so major it wouldn't sound out of place in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.
Differences in feeling aside, the ultimate question is whether this version of the story manages to entertain. The hardest challenge any film faces is keeping the audience amused while all the exposition is laid out. Here, the exposition is kept to a minimum while carefully inserted between some fast-paced, albeit very mild action sequences.
Sometimes, the dialogue ("We deal in lead, friend.") gets incredibly stilted. Sometimes, it seems incredibly wise. Well, since we have examples of films where it's all stilted, all the time, we can forgive this one. The film also includes several textbook examples of how to include a sudden plot element without seeming contrived. When we learn why Calvera's men just won't go away, it needs no setup simply because it is consistent with their behaviour throughout the rest of the film.
In the end, The Magnificent Seven comes off as an excellent remake of a masterpiece. There are better Westerns out there, and there are better action films, but there aren't many. I gave it a nine out of ten. Go in expecting to be entertained, but little more, and you cannot go wrong.