A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.

Director:

Sergio Leone

Writers:

Adriano Bolzoni (story) (as A. Bonzzoni), Víctor Andrés Catena (story)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volontè, Marianne Koch

Top Rated Movies #243 | 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Clint Eastwood	...	Joe
Marianne Koch	...	Marisol
Gian Maria Volontè	...	Ramón Rojo (as John Wells) (as Johnny Wels)
Wolfgang Lukschy	...	John Baxter (as W. Lukschy)
Sieghardt Rupp	...	Esteban Rojo (as S. Rupp)
Joseph Egger	...	Piripero (as Joe Edger)
Antonio Prieto	...	Don Miguel Benito Rojo
José Calvo	...	Silvanito (as Jose Calvo)
Margarita Lozano	...	Consuelo Baxter (as Margherita Lozano)
Daniel Martín	...	Julián (as Daniel Martin)
Benito Stefanelli	...	Rubio (as Benny Reeves)
Mario Brega	...	Chico (as Richard Stuyvesant)
Bruno Carotenuto	...	Antonio Baxter (as Carol Brown)
Aldo Sambrell	...	Rojo gang member (as Aldo Sambreli)

Storyline

An anonymous, but deadly man rides into a town torn by war between two factions, the Baxters and the Rojo's. Instead of fleeing or dying, as most other would do, the man schemes to play the two sides off each other, getting rich in the bargain.

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Plot Keywords:

bar | revenge | drifter | mexican | balladeer | 

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Taglines:

This is the man with no name. Danger fits him like a glove.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Details

Country:

Italy Spain West Germany

Language:

Italian Spanish

Release Date:

18 January 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Fist Full of Dollars

Filming Locations:

Aldea del Fresno, Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$3,500,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jolly Film, Constantin Film Produktion, Ocean Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After considering Henry Fonda, director Sergio Leone offered the role of the Man With No Name to James Coburn, who proved too expensive. Charles Bronson then turned it down after describing it as the "worst script I have ever seen". Third choice Richard Harrison also declined the role but pointed Leone in the direction of Rawhide (1959). Leone then offered the part to "Rawhide" star Eric Fleming, who turned it down but suggested his co-star Clint Eastwood for the part. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Goofs

Mules have long ears, no hair at the base of the tail and low withers. Joe's mount has short ears, hair on the whole tail and normal withers. i.e., it's not a mule but a horse.

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Quotes

Joe: Get three coffins ready.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: I Spit on Your Grave: Part 1 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Sweet Betsy from Pike
(uncredited)
Written by John A. Stone
Performed by Clint Eastwood

User Reviews

The first of the three

'A Fistful of Dollars' is the first from Sergio Leone's trilogy about "The Man with No Name". The other two movies are 'For a Few Dollars More' and the famous 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'. Although 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' is considered the best this one comes pretty close. It is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo' and it comes also pretty close to that movie. It was also the first real Spaghetti Western.

Clint Eastwood is "The Man with No Name" who comes to a small town where two families run the place. Both families hate each other and he thinks he can make a lot of money with playing both parties against each other. This is basically the main story. There are some sub-plots, one of them involves Marisol (Marianne Koch) who is taken by a leader of one of the families. Her husband and child still live in the town.

For me it was not the story that made this movie interesting. It was the whole atmosphere. I like all Leone's westerns for that reason. Of course some are better than others, but they are never boring. The way we see Eastwood kill four man early in the movie is simply spectacular.

This no 'Once Upon a Time in the West' or even 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' but we have the same atmosphere, the same kind of score by Ennio Morricone and a Clint Eastwood at the beginning of a great career.