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Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

C'era una volta il West (original title)
PG-13 | | Western | 4 July 1969 (USA)
A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.

Director:

Sergio Leone

Writers:

Sergio Donati (screenplay by), Sergio Leone (screenplay by) | 3 more credits »
Reviews
Popularity
1,088 ( 440)
Top Rated Movies #48 | 4 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

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Photos

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Claudia Cardinale ... Jill McBain
Henry Fonda ... Frank
Jason Robards ... Manuel 'Cheyenne' Gutiérrez
Charles Bronson ... Harmonica
Gabriele Ferzetti ... Morton - Railroad Baron
Paolo Stoppa ... Sam
Woody Strode ... Stony - Member of Frank's Gang
Jack Elam ... Snaky - Member of Frank's Gang
Keenan Wynn ... Sheriff - Auctioneer
Frank Wolff ... Brett McBain
Lionel Stander ... Barman
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Storyline

Jill McBain travels to the wild frontier; Utah - where she and her new husband planned to settle down. Upon arrival, she finds him and his children dead. There's a lot of land, and potential, but there's those who want to take it - at any cost. Even if it means killing a man and his kids. Written by DrGoodBeat

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

There were three men in her life. One knew her past. One wanted her land. One wanted revenge. See more »

Genres:

Western

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for western violence and brief sensuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Harmonica does not blink even once during his final duel with Frank. See more »

Goofs

The shadows change direction between cuts throughout the gunfight scene between Frank and Harmonica. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Cattle Corner Station Agent: Hey. Hey-hey-hey-hey, if you want any tickets, you'll have to go around, eh, to, eh, the front of, eh, eh... oooh, well, I s'pose it'll be all right. The hell am *I* doin' around here if they walk in and can do as they damn please?
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Crazy Credits

Lionel Stander receives on screen credit in the original U.S. theatre release prints even though his part was completely cut out of this shortened version. See more »

Alternate Versions

The original 1969 UK cinema release was rated 'A' (the equivalent of today's PG certificate) by the BBFC after editing the bed scene between Frank and Jill and removing his line "You also like feeling a man's hand all over your body, even if they're the hands of the man that killed your husband". The line was restored for all later releases. See more »

Connections

Spoofed in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002) See more »

Soundtracks

Danny Boy
(1913) (uncredited)
Written by by Frederick Edward Weatherly
Hummed and sung a cappella a bit by Simonetta Santaniello
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User Reviews

 
A masterpiece
25 September 2019 | by bgkerfant-09664See all my reviews

It's hard to believe this movie is from 1968. Very modern way of filming for the time. Sergio Leone gave time to each scene... something that new directors seem afraid to do... Great story about the last days of an era. Amazing music and the originality of linking a specific melody to each main character. And all these close-up to character's eyes... Just a wonderful movie.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish

Release Date:

4 July 1969 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

There Was Once the West See more »

Filming Locations:

Bavispe, Sonora, Mexico See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$5,321,508

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,434,825
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (extended) | (1970) | (theatrical) | (U.S. theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Mono | Dolby Digital (2003 DVD release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »

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