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

Hannan, Brian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786496959 ISBN 13: 9780786496952

Publisher: McFarland & Co, 2015

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

Brian Hannan writes a regular column for Cinema Retro magazine and gives lectures on film at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland.

Edition details

• Publisher: McFarland & Co
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786496959
• ISBN 13: 9780786496952
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288