Per un pugno di dollari (1964)

Director:

Sergio Leone
(more)

Writers:

A. Bonzzoni (story) &
Víctor Andrés Catena (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 January 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Western

Tagline:

This short cigar belongs to a man with no name. This long gun belongs to a man with no name. This poncho belongs to a man with no name. He's going to trigger a whole new style in adventure.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Mexican | Animal Cruelty | Revolver | Good Versus Evil | Warrior

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Joe
Marianne Koch	...	Marisol
Gian Maria Volonté	...	Ramón Rojo (as Johnny Wells)
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
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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raf Baldassarre	...	Juan De Dios (uncredited)
Luis Barboo	...	Baxter Gunman 2 (uncredited)
Frank Braña	...	Baxter gang member (uncredited)
José Canalejas	...	Rojo gang member (uncredited)
Juan Cortés	...	(uncredited)
Nino Del Arco	...	Jesus (uncredited)
Jose Halufi	...	Rojo gang member (uncredited)
Frank Kalvow	...	(uncredited)
Joe Kamel	...	Baxter gang member (uncredited)
Lee Miller	...	Man at Bar (uncredited)
Antonio Molino Rojo	...	Baxter gang member (uncredited)
Antonio Moreno	...	(uncredited)
Nazzareno Natale	...	Rojo gang member (uncredited)
José Orjas	...	(uncredited)
Manuel Peña	...	(uncredited)
Julio Pérez Tabernero	...	Baxter Gunman 4 (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
José Riesgo	...	Mexican Cavalry Captain (uncredited)
Lorenzo Robledo	...	Baxter gunman #1 (uncredited)
Enrico Maria Salerno	...	Joe (uncredited) (voice: Italian version)
Fernando Sánchez Polack	...	Rojo gang member crushed by wine cask (uncredited)
Umberto Spadaro	...	Miguel, a Rojo Gunman (uncredited)
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Prison Warden in U.S. Tv footage (uncredited)
William R. Thompkins	...	Baxter gang member (uncredited)

Directed by
Sergio Leone
Monte Hellman		(new footage shot for American TV) (uncredited)

Writing credits
Ryûzô Kikushima		(screenplay "Yojimbo") uncredited &
Akira Kurosawa		(screenplay "Yojimbo") uncredited
A. Bonzzoni		(story) &
Víctor Andrés Catena		(story) &
Sergio Leone		(story)
Víctor Andrés Catena		(screenplay) &
Jaime Comas Gil		(screenplay) (as Jaime Comas) &
Sergio Leone		(screenplay)
Fernando Di Leo		uncredited
Clint Eastwood		uncredited
Mark Lowell		uncredited
Duccio Tessari		uncredited
Tonino Valerii		uncredited

Produced by
Arrigo Colombo	....	producer (as Harry Colombo)
Giorgio Papi	....	producer (as George Papi)
Piero Santini	....	assistant producer (as Peter Saint)

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone		(as Dan Savio)

Cinematography by
Massimo Dallamano		(as Jack Dalmas)
Federico G. Larraya

Film Editing by
Roberto Cinquini		(as Bob Quintle)
Alfonso Santacana

Art Direction by
Carlo Simi		(as Charles Simons)

Set Decoration by
Sigfrido Burmann
Francisco Rodríguez Asensio		(setting) (as Asensio)
Carlo Simi		(as Charles Simons)

Costume Design by
Carlo Simi		(as Charles Simons)

Makeup Department
Dolores Clavel	....	hair stylist
Alberto Gutiérrez	....	makeup artist
Sam Watkins	....	makeup artist
José Luis Pérez	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
José María Sánchez	....	makeup department head (uncredited)

Production Management
Jaime Comas Gil	....	production manager
Ramón Crespo	....	production manager
Franco Palaggi	....	production manager (as Frank Palance)
Günter Raguse	....	production manager
Fernando Rossi	....	unit manager (as Fred Ross)
Anselmo Zabala	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Giraldi	....	second unit director (as Frank Prestland)
Julio Sempere	....	assistant director
Tonino Valerii	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Adolfo Cofiño	....	assistant set decorator
Luis Ocaña	....	property master
Rafael Pérez Murcia	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Elio Pacella	....	sound (as Edy Simson)

Special Effects by
Manuel Baquero	....	special effects
Giovanni Corridori	....	special effects (as John Speed)

Stunts
Benito Stefanelli	....	stunt coordinator
Benito Stefanelli	....	stunts
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
William R. Thompkins	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stelvio Massi	....	camera operator (as Steve Rock)
Eduardo Noé	....	second assistant camera
José Sánchez	....	camera operator
José María Sánchez	....	camera operator
Ramón Sempere	....	first assistant camera
Julio Wizuete	....	still photographer

Animation Department
Eugenio Lardani	....	animator: title animation (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
María Casado	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Alicia Castillo	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ennio Morricone	....	conductor
Alessandro Alessandroni	....	music arranger: choral (uncredited)
Michele Lacerenza	....	musician: trumpet (uncredited)

Other crew
Clint Eastwood	....	western advisor: Italian prints only
Jerónimo Montoro	....	production assistant
Marta Pons	....	production assistant
María Antonia Puerta	....	script supervisor
Piero Santini	....	production secretary (as Peter Saint)
William R. Thompkins	....	technical advisor (as W.R. Thompkins)
Marisol de Villanueva	....	direction secretary
Eugenio Villar	....	production assistant
Tilde Watson	....	script girl
Ferruccio Amendola	....	voice dubbing: Antonio Molino Rojo (uncredited)
Giorgio Capecchi	....	voice dubbing: Wolfgang Lukschy (uncredited)
Elena Dressler	....	interpreter (uncredited)
Lauro Gazzolo	....	voice dubbing: Josef Egger (uncredited)
Nando Gazzolo	....	voice dubbing: Gian Maria Volonté (uncredited)
Sergio Graziani	....	voice dubbing: Benito Stefanelli (uncredited)
Oreste Lionello	....	voice dubbing: Raf Baldassarre (uncredited)
Anna Miserocchi	....	voice dubbing: Margarita Lozano (uncredited)
Luigi Pavese	....	voice dubbing: José Calvo (uncredited)
Nino Pavese	....	voice dubbing: Daniel Martin (uncredited)
Bruno Persa	....	voice dubbing: Sieghardt Rupp (uncredited)
Mario Pisu	....	voice dubbing: Antonio Prieto (uncredited)
Enrico Maria Salerno	....	voice dubbing: Clint Eastwood (uncredited)
Rita Savagnone	....	voice dubbing: Marianne Koch (uncredited)
Renato Turi	....	voice dubbing: Mario Brega (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Constantin Film Produktion
• Jolly Film
• Ocean Films

Distributors

• Constantin Film (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Bison Film (1966) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Suomi-Filmi (1967) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1967) (UK) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• United Artists (1967) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• United Artists (1969) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV)
• Adams Filmi (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Astro Distribution (1994) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Tobis Filmkunst (????) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Unidis (????) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Ízaro Films (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (France) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Ripley's Home Video (2009) (Italy) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (????) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• marketing-film (????) (West Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Andrea Leone Films  thanks (Italian version only)
• Cornejo  wardrobe
• Vázquez Hermanos  props

Also Known As:

A Fistful of Dollars (UK) (USA)
Für eine Handvoll Dollar (West Germany)
Il magnifico straniero (Italy) (working title)
Nur einer bleibt zurück (West Germany) (working title)
Por un puñado de dólares (Spain)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

Italy | Spain | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1967) | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) (cut) (1977) | Singapore:PG | Brazil:14 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | UK:X (original rating) | Australia:MA (re-rating) (2004) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (re-rating) (1981) | USA:M (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) (1993) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Constantin Film Produktion

Trivia:

The theme song was originally composed by Ennio Morricone as a lullaby. Sergio Leone insisted that he wanted the "deguello" trumpet dirge - played by Mexican troops before a battle to signify to the enemy that there will be no quarter given - that was used in Rio Bravo (1959), believing it was a "public domain" piece. Finally, he settled for a "Mexican trumpet" arrangement of the original Morricone piece.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Chico carries The Man With No Name back to his room after the party, the camera shows The Man With No Name has no facial hair. Also, when the Man With No Name enters his room after the massacre, Rubio is a different actor; Ramón's mustache is parted.

Quotes:

Joe: When a man's got money in his pocket he begins to appreciate peace.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I nuovi barbari (1982)

A pioneering Western

A classic. The first, or one of the first, films to introduce the concept of the Western antihero. Sergio Leone pioneered a lot of things here. The brightness, the oppressive sunlight. The ugly brutality of Western gunfights, that had always been cleaned up in Hollywood. I understand that Leone's occasional framing of the shooter and his victims in the same shot was not allowed at the time in American films. I thought, upon seeing this film years ago, that some characters (Eastwood) spoke in English, and other characters in Italian. Who knows, maybe some spoke Spanish or German. Must make for an interesting acting job. I rarely notice a movie's music, but the original score by Ennio Morricone was so fitting. Probably the best match of film and music up to that time, and only bested by Hugh Montenegro(?) in "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". A very good movie. Grade: A