Tonight's Movie: Seven Men From Now (1956)

SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (1956) is a tremendously effective Western starring Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, and Lee Marvin. Produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions and directed by Budd Boetticher, the movie tells the story of an ex-sheriff on the hunt for the gang of outlaws who murdered his wife during a robbery. Along the way he meets a struggling pioneer woman (Russell) and her ineffectual husband (Walter Reed), as well as an old nemesis (Marvin, who comes close to stealing the movie).

The movie grabs the attention from the opening credits sequence and the rainy campfire scene that follows. Burt Kennedy's dialogue is concise and amusing, every word carefully chosen. The title song is used effectively as background music throughout the film. The Alabama Hills landscapes, filmed outside Lone Pine, California, are breathtaking. About my only complaint was the last line of the script could have been a little more decisive.

In short, it's a pretty perfect little Western. It was a treat to see it for the first time.

This widescreen movie was filmed in color and runs a brief 78 minutes.

SEVEN MEN FROM NOW is available in a superb print on DVD, in a Collector's Edition filled with extras, including a commentary, a documentary on director Budd Boetticher, and shorter featurettes on actress Gail Russell and the Lone Pine location. Well worth the investment if you like classic Westerns.

July 2012 Update: There's a little more on this film in my review of DECISION AT SUNDOWN (1957).