My Weekend with the Magnificent Seven and Yul Brynner

"Spending" my weekend with Yul Brynner -- Friday was Anastasia, yesterday was the King and I and I'm starting today with The Magnificent Seven and later will watch the Return of the Seven. It seems fitting to me that I'm re-watching this Yul Brynner classic on the 31st anniversary of his passing—October 10, 1985.

I read an article recently on how westerns (books) are their own genre which is what led me to this weekend’s Brynner marathon.  Westerns aren’t romances, mysteries or historical fiction, but their own niche and are more widely read than you’d think.  The article spent some considerable time on Yul Brynner and how he is the epitome of what we think as the American cowboy.  He is in many ways for me, but the past few months I’ve been re-watching the original Wanted Dead or Alive starring Steve McQueen (also in the Magnificent Seven), Cheyenne starring Clint Walker (such a hottie), and the Rifleman starring Chuck Connors (another very sexy man in his younger days).  These are the television programs I grew up watching and loved.  The cowboy characters set the stage in many ways for the man I wanted to spend my life with.  Strong, brave, handsome. Today westerns are still among favorite viewing options. 

I had a rocking horse – which I still have today that sits in my home.  It’s a little worse for wear – more than 50 years old.  But it’s a part of my childhood, my love of horses and westerns. 

The cast of the Magnificent Seven has so many of my favorite actors – besides Brynner and McQueen among those who I’ve always felt were such hotties are Charles Bronson, and James Coburn.  Brynner and McQueen died too young.  Bronson and Coburn were with us a little longer…actually Coburn made it to 74. 

Robert Vaughn was also in the cast – I never found him sexy – not even as Napoleon Solo in the original Man from U.N.C.L.E. – I was definitely in the Ilya – David McCallum camp.   There was also a Brad Dexter – someone I never heard of but he had quite the filmography.

And let me not forget Eli Wallach – who seemed to regularly appear as the bad guy and not a hottie in my book.  But he did make the movie so good as much as the others.

So do you remember those westerns?  Which were your favorites?  What are the movies and TV shows that take you to a different time and place in your life?