Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

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)

Stars:

Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale

Top Rated Movies #48 | 4 wins & 5 nominations.

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

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

harmonica | woman in bathtub | widow | former prostitute | railway station | 

---

Taglines:

There were three men in her life. One to take her... one to love her... and one to kill her.

---

Genres:

Western

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for western violence and brief sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The story was concocted between Sergio Leone, Dario Argento, and Bernardo Bertolucci over sessions at Leone's house where they would screen Western classics like The Searchers (1956), The Iron Horse (1924), The Comancheros (1961), and High Noon (1952).

---

Goofs

As the speed of rotation of the wind-pump sails varies, the sound of the squeak does not. At no point does it match the period of rotation.

---

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?

---

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.

---

Alternate Versions

The Italian DVD contains an extended version of the movie with the running time 171 minutes. (The standard version used in other countries running time are between 155 to 165 mins.) The principal differences are the opening sequence, which is much longer, - Jack Elem game with the fly - and the closing sequence, as well (the panoramic shoot is complete before the title appears). Another missing scene, which has disappeared from all the European edits, is in it: after the station scene, Harmonica take his arm because he has a terrible pain in it, and return on his horse.

---

Connections

Referenced in Gunless (2010)

---

Soundtracks

L'America Di Jill
Choir: Cantori Moderni Di Alessandroni
Composed By, Orchestrated and Conducted by Ennio Morricone
Published by Universal Music Publishing Ricordi srl
(P) 1969 Sergio Leone Productions

User Reviews

It doesn't get any better than this: this is movie history

This one only gets better with each viewing. Leone's masterful storytelling and Morricone's crazy, beautiful, epic soundtrack; desperate, haunted faces which look like the barren landscapes the story is set in and a plot that unfolds with impeccable pacing to culminate in THE ultimate western finale.

As in Leone's previous films, music isn't just used to add to the atmosphere but is essential to the story, or perhaps even more: Morricone's main musical theme plays the actual role of a (or rather: the) protagonist in the film.

Anyone who thought that the so called "Spaghetti westerns" were nothing but cheap, violent B-movies had to reconsider after seeing this film. It doesn't get any better than this: this is movie history; iconic, classic, unforgettable, epic. For this film, I just run out of superlatives.

My vote: 10 out of 10

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

English Italian Spanish

Release Date:

4 July 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

There Was Once the West

Filming Locations:

Bavispe, Sonora, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$5,321,508

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,415,645

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rafran Cinematografica, San Marco, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

165 min 177 min (extended) 137 min (1970) 145 min (theatrical) 145 min (U.S. theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby Digital (2003 DVD release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1