The Making of The Magnificent Seven: Behind the Scenes of the Pivotal Western

By Brian Hannan

The story behind The Magnificent Seven could have been a movie in itself. It had everything--actors' strike, writers' strike, Mexican government interference and a row between the screenwriters that left one removing his name from the credits, all under the lingering gloom of post-McCarthy era Hollywood. A flop on release, it later became a box office hit.

This book tells the behind-the-scenes story: how Yul Brynner became the biggest independent producer in Hollywood; why John Sturges was not the first choice after Brynner surrendered the director's chair; why Sturges quit; the truth about the Mirisch Company (producers); the details of the film's botched release and unlikely redemption; the creation of Elmer Bernstein's classic score; and how internecine fighting prevented the making of the television series in 1963.

Myths about Steve McQueen, his feud with Brynner and the scene-stealing antics of the cast are debunked. A close examination of the various screenplay drafts and the writers' source material--Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai--shows who wrote what. Extensive analysis of Sturges' directorial work is provided.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786496959
• ISBN13: 9780786496952
• Release Date: May 2015
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.0" x 9.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher