CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

moonspinner55 Married couple from the east, traveling to California by horse-drawn wagon, seeks help from a mysterious man riding through Arizona with an agenda: he's a former-sheriff after the men who killed his wife. Western saga, with beautiful location shooting in Lone Pine, CA, was produced by John Wayne's company, Batjac, but seems a highly inappropriate vehicle for the Duke (one can't sense him displaying second-hand guilt over being unemployed which caused his working spouse to be killed on the job). Screenwriter Burt Kennedy brings in two sidewinders (Don Barry and a frothing-at-the-mouth Lee Marvin) to create tension between the couple and with Randolph Scott, but also throws in Apaches, bank robbers, as well as flirtations between the Mrs. (who has a 'soft' husband) and the ex-lawman. The constant clichés in Kennedy's writing--although probably a lot less stale in 1956 than today--are disheartening. Gail Russell is a lovely presence, but is given nothing to do beyond hanging laundry and offering everyone coffee; Scott is supposed to have feelings for her, but seems surprised every time she calls his name. Director Budd Boetticher has a good eye for composing action scenes, and he obviously enjoys setting up conflict between his characters (most preferably in tight quarters, to make the audience squirm), but he isn't very talented with actors. The picture revived Scott's career, but his handsomely-pained expression has no variance, and his Ben Stride is a dullard anyway. ** from ****

Scarecrow-88 Exceptional western from Budd Boetticher, with Randolph Scott's genre icon status enhanced considerably thanks to his association with it (and the director, it would turn out) is a real gem that was given a resurgence thanks to a DVD release and heavy emphasis on Turner Classic Movies (especially concerning Budd's renown as a great director of the American western). Revisiting it on the Encore Western Channel, it was once again a real pleasure.The story seems relatively simple, but it is the performances and direction that catapults it in quality. Scott is looking for revenge because a chest was robbed from a Wells Fargo bank residing in Silver Springs, his home town, leading to the murder of his wife (who worked at the bank because he was too full of pride to take a deputy position after losing his re-election as sheriff). Those seven men responsible are his targets, two killed right at the beginning of the film. Lee Marvin and Don 'Red' Barry are interested in recovering the loot if they can, tagging along with a stage being led to California by Scott (Walter Reed and Gail Russell, the married couple driving the stage, caught in a serious mud hole when Scott first meets them). Marvin spends time emasculating Reed (often referring to him as "half a man") while lustfully gazing and referring to Russell as a mighty fine ("full") lady he can't stop talking to Barry about. One scene, while it rains in the dark of the night, has Marvin mentioning a "yarn" about a tall man and a fine woman he took from her husband, obviously insinuating Scott's feelings for Russell (while also describing Russell in an intimate manner as Reed appears more than a bit uncomfortable).Marvin steals the film as this rather opinionated, blunt, confident gunfighter, not afraid to face down anyone that would stand in his way of securing a hefty profit from someone else's thievery. Marvin's addition of the showboating with his pistols, combined with all the needling of Scott, is just a brilliant piece of work. His showdown with Scott isn't performed as if both men hated each other, but instead it is viewed as an unfortunate event between two men over the acquiring of the Wells Fargo loot. For Scott, it should be returned to its rightful place in memory of his wife, while Marvin shoots his own traveling companion just so he can have it all to himself. Using the great outdoors and not depending entirely on sets was ideal for Budd to exploit the drama/suspense such surroundings (especially during Scott's gunfight with the opposing forces wanting the loot he holds in his possession, fully expecting them to try to come and get it) could provide, and Scott, while always an actor who preferred to use a more subtle, quiet intensity, has a part suited to his style of performance. There's good backstory to feed the dramatics that eventually unwind in the conclusion. The twist involving Reed fuels the aforementioned dramatics, while this turn of events forces him to disprove Marvin's claims that he is a gutless half-man, which inevitably leads to his demise when John Larch's Payte Bodeen shoots him in the back. Larch is the rather colorless swine holding up in a saloon, as his men arrive wondering when the stage will bring them their loot. Larch tries to exploit the greed of Marvin, perhaps hoping he'll go after Scott, saving him the trouble of a showdown. Larch, instead, gets it from Marvin while hiding in the cracks of a mountain with plans to shoot Scott at his nearest convenience. I like how Marvin respects Scott, mentioning how he would prefer just to take the loot and not engage in a gunfight with Scott, but one man will not be walking away from this fateful confrontation alive.I have always been drawn to westerns because often characters are given room to develop and evolve over the running time. My favorites, from Anthony Mann and actor Jimmy Stewart as an example, deal with facing your demons and frailties and emerging better than you once were, with a potential of a better life on the horizon as a result. Greed and avarice are bedfellows with the western, and these aspects find their way once again into the story of Seven Men from Now. The Wells Fargo loot brings out the worst in humanity; that lust for easy winnings leaves a lot of dead before Scott loads it on a wagon heading for where it rightfully belongs. Good work from Gail Russell (despite her issues with the drink), and she has plenty of chemistry with Scott; I love their quiet acknowledgment of their admiration/attraction for one another, and when conversations are shared, expressions are loaded with truth when dialogue is spare and kept at a minimum. Scott is gifted with the ability to say little and yet give us details with his face and eyes. Russell, it seemed, was just as talented and the story calls for her to relate how she (Reed and Scott, for that matter) feels even when not speaking. In fact, while I'm thinking about it, Budd seems intent on purposing his camera on faces and what they have to say, the dialogue giving us details from the past and outlining the developing story without encroaching on performance. This could eventually fall into my top five or so westerns…it is that damned impressive. The fact that this film remained relatively obscure for decades truly surprises me; of such quality storytelling and performance, you'd think those involved in its making would have pimped Seven Men from Now out as much as possible (especially considering Scott and Marvin's involvement).

Spikeopath Seven Men from Now is directed by Budd Boetticher and produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions. Written by Burt Kennedy it stars Randolph Scott, Gail Russell & Lee Marvin. Music is by Henry Vars & William H. Clothier photographs out of the Alabama Hills and Lone Pine, California.Former Sheriff Ben Stride is on the trail of the seven men; who whilst robbing a Wells Fargo office, killed his wife in the process. Mentally tortured by having lost his job that resulted in his wife having to work at Wells Fargo, Stride is totally driven by hurt and anger. But along the way he helps a married couple who are stuck in the mud; who persuade Stride to ride West with them in case of further problems. They are then joined by a couple of suspect characters who have their own private agenda for tagging along with Stride: all parties seemingly heading for the day when the truth will out.Director Budd Boetticher and leading Western star Randolph Scott made between 1956 and 1960, seven interesting and genre bending films. This was the first of their collaborations, and although it can be said they were merely honing their "Adult Western" bent here, all the traits that would make the upcoming The Tall T, Ride Loneome and Comanche Station so worthy of genre classic status is evident here in this film. Tho simple in plot; I mean man on a mission movies are not exactly rare are they? Seven Men From Now is boosted by a smartly ambiguous turn from Lee Marvin as Bill Masters, while Boetticher's ability to raise his complex and hungry characters above and beyond the standard tale further gives the piece some kudos. Incidents dot themselves throughout the story to keep the film from ever drifting to the mundane, while the location work at Lone Pine, Alabama Hills in California is gorgeous; where we should be thankful to cinematographer William H. Clothier for realising that Boetticher needs his vista to be another character.Originally intended as a vehicle for John Wayne, who took producing duties instead when his schedule wouldn't allow him the time to star, Seven Men From Now gave Randolph Scott a chance to show just what a fine actor he was. His Ben Stride could so easily have been played as corny and grumpy, but Scott gives it the emotional depth that Burt Kennedy's script demanded. Gail Russell (Annie Greer) is the lady of the piece, she ultimately led a sad real life, but at least here as the woman caught between two men, we get to see that she did have the ability when called upon - even if this didn't relaunch her career in the way that her friend John Wayne had originally hoped for. In fact Gail was to sadly succumb to the alcoholism that blighted her life just five years later, aged just 36. Thankfully this film stands up as a fine way to remember her beauty and for the efforts that she put into the Western genre.Lacking the heavy cloud of doom of Boetticher & Scott's best collaborations, this one, however, boasts richly interesting characters that are telling a cunning moral allegory tale. It be an Oater for those who like intelligence over yippee ki-yay like histrionics. 8/10

Jay Harris SEVEN MEN FROM NOW is a 78 minute typical 1956 film, that played as the lower half of a double feature. This review is probably close to what I said about it in 1956,The production company was BATJAC STUDIOS, which many of you may remember was the studio name of JOHN WAYNE's production company. The director was BUDD BOETTECHER who was a well known director at the time. & written by Burt Kennedy who wrote many very good screenplays as well as Tele-plays.Its star was Randolph Scott an actor similar in style to John Wayne,He was already a star (mostly westerns)for over 20 years & would continue for a few more years yet.Even though he basically played the same type of character (ala John Wayne),we always rooted for him.Co-starring is the lovely actress Gail Russell it was her first film in 5 years,( she had a tragic personal life).She still was radiant, even though she looked much older than her real age,.Lee Marvin in another one of his nice but nasty villain roles. It was no surprise to me that he would eventually get his well deserved Oscar.The rest of the cast was good. Even though this film had a small budget, the production was first rate.On the DVD there is way over an hour of extras & they are very good.Ratings; *** (out of 4)82 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)