People: Aug. 18, 1986

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Mexico, 1916. After a gang of bandits terrorizes the village of Santa Poco, a lovely senorita telegraphs three cowboy heroes she saw in a movie. To the rescue ride "Lucky Day" (Steve Martin), "Dusty Bottoms" (Chevy Chase) and "Ned Nederlander" (Martin Short), three bumbling actors who have just been fired by their Hollywood studio. They think they have been invited south of the border to sing, not shoot, but in the end they rally the villagers to throw out the desperadoes. The Magnificent Seven it is not; it is The Three Amigos, a comedy adventure due for Christmas that also features Martin in other roles: co-writer (with Singer-Songwriter Randy Newman, who provides four songs for the three sometime mariachis), executive producer and even fancy rope twirler. Which one gets the senorita? Chase, for one, would say only, "I think I get a peck on the cheek."