Based on Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven is a 1960 western film directed by John Sturges about a group of seven hired gunmen who come together to protect a Mexican village from bandits.
The Magnificent Seven Collection, along with the highly successful original film, includes the three sequels that it inspired: Return of the Seven (1966), Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969), and The Magnificent Seven Ride (1972).
The Magnificent Seven not only launched the series, but it also launched the careers of Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. Written by William Roberts and directed by John Sturges, it stars Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz. This story revolves around a small Mexican village that is raided by a group of bandits who regularly steal the food from the villagers.
The villagers go to town to buy guns where they meet Chris Adams (Brynner) who tells them that they are not fighters, but farmers. Reluctantly they convince Adams to help them even though they cannot afford to pay much. He then recruits six other fighters to help in the cause.
The Magnificent Seven is the reason for this collection and it is one of the best western films ever made. The acting is superb, and the story quality is classic. While there had been many westerns made before this film, The Magnificent Seven set the direction for the way westerns were made for the next decade.
Return of the Seven is the first sequel and was made in 1966. Yul Brynner is the only returning cast member; he reprises his role as Chris Adams. Robert Fuller takes the roll portrayed by Steve McQueen, and the rest of the cast includes Warren Oates, Claude Akins, and Julian Mateos (replacing Horst Buchholz). This film was written by Larry Cohen and directed by Burt Kennedy.
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