Seven Men From Now

Boetticher's Seven Men From Now has long been considered  a mere B-western , especially due to the presence of its laconic star , Randolph Scott .   This film was written by Burt Kennedy  and produced by John Wayne's productions. Ben Stride (Scott) plays a former sheriff  whose wife has been killed  and  he's going to get out and seek revenge.   Along the way, he helps a married couple  who are stuck in the mud ; who persuade Stride to ride west with them in case of further problems.  Along the trail  they meet up with Bill Masters (Lee Marvin) and  his pal Clete ( Donald Barry) . Stride only talks when its complete necessary or very important.  This film gave Scott a chance to show just what a fine actor he was.  His Ben Stride could so easily have been played  as corny and grumpy , but Scott  gives it the emotional depth that the script demanded.  The outstanding  performance, without qualification is Lee Marvin's.  He makes for an engaging villain  , who makes his sinister and untrustworthy character as likable as possible.  For a western, the economical script is impressively intelligent , witty and psychologically involving.