'Seven Men from Now' is a solid revenge western, beautifully shot in color. A former sheriff hunts down the seven men responsible for the hold up that killed his wife. The lead part was written for John Wayne, whose Batjack Pictures produced it. However come shooting time Wayne was busy making 'The Searchers', so his part went to an aging Randolph Scott. Scott got his best notices in some time for this, and it lead to a mini career revival making B+ Westerns for director Budd Boetticher.
Gail Russell, reputedly a former mistress of Wayne's plays the female lead. This was the alcoholic actresses first film in five years, but it's a fine performance, you'd never know what a wreck her personal life was by what shows up on screen. Russell would appear in three more films before being found dead in her in apartment, an empty vodka bottle at her side, at the age 36. Lee Marvin plays Scott's frienemie.
This is what I will sometimes call a 'four star, three star movie', there is nothing deep or original to it, but it's just executed so finely that there is a deep satisfaction to watching it. I was so pleased with the ending I had a big grin on my face. ***
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