THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN has become a classic for all time. This collection is a tribute to that.GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1969) can be adequately described as the third entry out of a group of four films that may or may not be described as a "series" of westerns based on the concept of gallantry and redemption for the mythological and eternal "seven" gunmen. Its direct predecessor RETURN OF THE SEVEN was certainly a true sequel to the now legendary and classic THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. I found RETURN OF THE SEVEN to be a great complement to the original. Dark and labyrinth-like it examined and analyzed the central character Chris, the leader of the hired gunmen brilliantly portrayed by Yul Brynner, and his ability to ferret out the motivations of all the other important characters and bring each to terms with themselves.In GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN we start over fresh with Chris now portrayed by George Kennedy. Physically and in a histrionic sense he bears little resemblance to the character of the first two films. As Yul Brynner commented on his character: there are only two things clean about him - his gun and his soul. And these are the two qualities that Kennedy brings to the role.Thematically GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is much closer to the original. However, its plot manages to be innovative and it contains some refreshing dialogue. Not only does it take the notion of "seven" gunmen seeking redemption for past transgressions but also it even touches on director Sam Peckinpah's familiar theme of the demise of a noble way of life in the face of a modern world. Our seven heroes in this film are indeed noble. Instead of protecting Mexican farmers against hordes of marauding bandits, they are now recruited to free a revolutionary leader, Quintero (Fernando Rey) from the prison fortress "cave of the rats," commanded by the evil Colonel Diego (Michael Ansara). The oppressed Mexican people need their leader.A real highlight of this film is the recruitment of the seven. After Max (Reni Santoni) witnesses Chris save Keno (Monte Markham) from the gallows in a very entertaining scene he requests his help. Chris agrees and Keno signs on first. Max also signs on "not for the money, but because seven is your lucky number" so he tells Chris. Next Chris recruits Cassie (Bernie Casey), the dynamite expert for "one hundred dollars and not many laughs." Chris and Keno next visit Levi Morgan (James Whitmore) who is now married and retired from the profession. Whitmore demonstrates just how fine an actor he is in this film playing his part with restrained wit and charm. He's brilliant. Onto a traveling sideshow Chris and Keno next meet Slater (Joe Don Baker) the one-armed gunman who wears a ragged Confederate tunic. "I can't whip a six year old girl in a fair fight but I can blow a man's eyeballs out at a 100 yards, in a sandstorm!" Chris finally signs on P.J. (Scott Thomas) apparently as a favor to the sick and coughing gunman who is also an expert with rifle and rope.As all seven sit around a table playing cards Chris holds up the seven of spades and the scene cuts to the seven riding majestically across the landscape on their way to help the downtrodden to the familiar strains of Elmer Bernstein's theme. This one scene really defines what The Magnificent Seven are all about. Elmer Bernstein not only reworked quite a bit of his earlier music but he composed a good deal of original music for this film. However, `The Magnificent Seven' theme remains central to the film and goes through many brilliant interpretations. This was another highlight of this film. The producers spared no money when it came to the music and it makes a significant difference.There is a great relationship in this film between the ex-slave (Casey) and the ex-Confederate (Joe Don Baker). They start out hating each other but in the end respect each other for what life's deck of cards has dealt them. Another interesting character is the young boy Emiliano Zapata (Tony Davis) who is temporarily orphaned while his father is held prisoner in the "cave of the rats." In the mean time James Whitmore adopts him. The boy asks many simple yet philosophical questions on the meaning of life, which gives the film real substance. Also there is the adversarial relationship between Chris and Colonel Diego, which grows darker as the film progresses. This is good against evil and there are no pretensions here.This film visually looks quite different from its two predecessors. Though filmed in Spain we never see any signs of the desert as we did in RETURN OF THE SEVEN. Instead it is mostly filmed against vibrant green hills and meadows, uprooted gray rock formations and blue skies with billowing white clouds by cinematographer Antonio Macasoli. Director Paul Wendkos wanted to show us that the era of the gunman was coming to an end. The horses, not the guns fit the landscape. The claustrophobic images of gunmen gambling and drinking in smoke filled saloons and lurking in dark streets are gone. As the seven come closer to their date with destiny the landscape mirrors their final resting-place in the great beyond.I always liked this film. It has a certain "Saturday matinee" quality about it that makes it very entertaining and uplifting. However, that very quality has seemed to diminish its very importance to some. All I know is that when Max (Reni Santoni) delivers the final line of this film (...the Cowards Die Many Deaths but the Brave Only One) I got a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. Like one of the Mexican farmers in the original THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN told Steve McQueen, "That's a feeling worth dying for."When THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE! was released in 1972 it became apparent that this was the end of an era. I grew up with the original THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN to the extent that it became an integral part of my youth. I greeted RETURN OF THE SEVEN, six years later with open arms and grew to endear truly endear GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN because it captured the spirit of the seven and embraced it. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE! seems much less like the fourth film in a movie series but rather a half-hearted effort to turn out one more story that may have looked more effective on television than on the big screen. Yet, It has its moments and I endear those.