Some stories are universal. There is a genre of modern ‘talkie’ filmmaking that has its origins in a much older story. Younger readers may well remember the modern 1960 motion picture The Magnificent Seven, directed by Mr. Sturges and starring among others the Arkwright-a-like Mr. Yul Brynner. This film was in itself a remake of Mr. Kurosawa’s 1954 film Shichinin No Samurai or The Seven Samurai. You know the plot: A ragtag bunch of misfits must come together to protect their village, which is under attack from a gang of scurrilous bandits. None of your fellows know how to fight, so one must leave to hire a group of mercenaries who are willing to defend the village for the pittance...
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