The Magnificent Seven Ride! ** (1972, Lee Van Cleef, Stefanie Powers, Michael Callan, Mariette Hartley, Pedro Armendáriz Jr) – Classic Movie Review 6575

Director George McCowan’s welcome enough 1972 Western film The Magnificent Seven Ride! is the fourth and last in the series, following The Magnificent Seven (1960), Return of the Seven, and Guns of the Magnificent Seven. And there is wit on the poster – ‘A Brand New Seven – Doing Their Number!’

Lee Van Cleef stars effectively enough in Yul Brynner’s – and then George Kennedy’s – old role of Chris Adams, making a more than acceptable replacement, and the film is topped off with a rousing climax.

There is a town full of widows who need to be defended from marauding Mexican bandits. So hired gun-turned-Marshal Chris Adams recruits a writer and five prisoners to help him to try to end the gang’s reign of terror, in this cut-price but efficient and enjoyable variation on the 1960 classic Western The Magnificent Seven, which plays like a virtual re-run of its plot.

The Magnificent Seven are Lee Van Cleef as US Marshal Chris Adams, Michael Callan as Noah Forbes, Luke Askew as Mark Skinner, James B Sikking as Captain Andy Hayes, Pedro Armendáriz Jr as Pepe Carrall, William Lucking as Walt Drummond and Ed Lauter as Scott Elliott.

Also in the cast are Stefanie Powers as Laurie Gunn, Mariette Hartley as Arilla Adams, Melissa Murphy as Madge Buchanan, Ralph Waite as Jim Mackay, Allyn Ann McLerie as Mrs Donavan, Gary Busey as Hank Allan, Robert Jaffe, Darrell Larson, Elizabeth Thompson, Carolyn Conwell, Ron Stein, Rita Rogers and Jason Wingreen.

The Magnificent Seven Ride! is written by Arthur Rowe, shot by Fred J Koenekamp, produced for Mirisch/ United Artists by William A Caliham, scored by Elmer Bernstein and designed by John T McCormack.

The only movie in the series filmed entirely in the United States, it was shot in Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park.

The Magnificent Seven remake followed in 2016.

RIP William Lucking, who died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 18 October 2021, at the age of 80. His death was not announced till 3 November.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6575

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