A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (1975)

Three rogues set out to rob $300,000 from an Indian-hating cavalry major.

Director:

Damiano Damiani

Writers:

Ernesto Gastaldi (story), Fulvio Morsella (story)

Stars:

Terence Hill, Miou-Miou, Robert Charlebois

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Terence Hill	...	Joe Thanks
Miou-Miou	...	Lucy (as Miou Miou)
Robert Charlebois	...	Steam Engine Bill
Patrick McGoohan	...	Major Cabot
Raimund Harmstorf	...	Sergeant Milton
Piero Vida	...	Jacky Roll
Rik Battaglia	...	Captain (as Rick Battaglia)
Mario Valgoi	...	Thomas Trader
Mario Brega	...	Officer at Fort
Jean Martin	...	Colonel Pembroke
Klaus Kinski	...	Doc Foster
Miriam Mahler	...	Pembroke's Daughter
Clara Colosimo	...	La ruffiana
Carla Cassola	...	Prostitute
Fernando Cerulli	...	Her husband (as Ferdinando Cerulli)

Storyline

Expert conman Joe Thanks teams up with half-breed Bill and naive Lucy to steal $300,000 from the Indian-hating Major Cabot. Their elaborate plan is full of disguises, double-crosses, and chases, but Joe always seems to know what he's doing.

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Plot Keywords:

stagecoach | stage | coach | navajo indian | arizona | 

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Taglines:

In the saddle... In the sack... In the sand

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Genres:

Comedy | Western

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Details

Country:

Italy France West Germany

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

19 December 1975 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe

Filming Locations:

Estación de Calahorra, Guadix, Granada, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

ITL 3,500,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rafran Cinematografica, AMLF, Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

German Import DVD has a Super-8mm Version (German language only), as a special feature on the disc.

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Goofs

When Major Cabot brings Bill and Lucy to the cell, they go through a room with flags which are supposed to be the state flags of the United States. If you watch closely you can see the flags of the European Union and of East Germany.

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Quotes

Doc Foster: [to Joe] In a few moments you'll be the deadest man that ever lived!

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Alternate Versions

Most DVD versions (including Paramount's German release) are missing the last shot of the opening scene directly before the credits as well as the final shot of Monument Valley. The credits roll over the shot of Monument Valley in the uncut version whereas the cut version shows the credits over a black screen. The Paramount DVD does however include a reference to a threesome that most other versions are missing.

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Connections

Referenced in A Christmas Eve Conversation with Quentin Tarantino & Paul Thomas Anderson (2015)

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Soundtracks

Glory, Glory, Glory
Composed by Ennio Morricone
Sung by Catherine Howe

User Reviews

Terence Hill show , here playing his customary role , but this time without Bud Spencer

"A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot" also titled "Trinity Is Back Again" is a Western satire with a bemusing premise , there is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing shootouts , fights or stunts every few minutes ; however , being regularly directed by Damiano Damiani . It's an improbable blending of standard Western , tongue-in-cheek , silly humor , Comic-book and realized in Spaghetti/Fagioli/Trinity(Terence Hill-Bud Spencer) style . It deals with an expert conman named Joe Thanks (Terence Hill) who remembers the character ¨Nobody¨ from ¨Il Mio Nome e Nessuno¨ or ¨My name is Nobody¨ by Tonino Valeri . Joe teams up with Mestizo Bill Locomotiva (Canadian singer , Robert Charlebois) and naive Lucy (Moiu Miou) to rob a lot of money from a nasty Army officer . Joe is a genius with several qualities as ubiquity , controlling space and time and fast gun . As three rogues set out to steal $300,000 from an Indian-hating cavalry major Cabot (miscast Patrick McGoohan) supported by his Sergeant Milton (Raimund Harmstorf) . Their elaborate scheme is full of disguises , treason , and pursuits , but Joe along with half-breed Steamengine Bill always seem to know what they are doing . The two gunmen using his wits , break all the rules and kicking virtually every cliché in the pants carry out their objectives .

Spaghetti/Schnitzel/Paté Western parody co-produced by Italy/Germany/France , it is packed with ridiculous situations , noisy action , exaggerated roles and lots of silly humor .This is a surprisingly low-key Spaghetti Western in which three diverse characters joining forces to rob a cache of money . This amusing as well as absurd picture contains a funny plot , action Western , shootouts and bits of campy and embarrassing humor . During filming took place a distress , parts of the original camera negative were stolen , so the film makers had no choice but to assemble many scenes from alternate takes , until today the original negative has not been found It displays an entertaining screenplay written by usual Ernesto Gastaldi , but shot by a filmmaker with no sense of humor . Amiable but sometimes lumbering Western satire goes on and on about the same premise , as a lot of minutes are superfluous ,it has half hour of excess , as it packs overblown jokes and antics and some moments turns out to be dull and tiring . This overlong film mingles slapdash, silly scenes , chases , double-crosses and it's fast moving and embarrassing .There appears customary Spaghetti actors such as Benito Stefanelli , Mario Brega , Raimund Harmstorf , Reno Girone , Rik Battaglia , and of course Klaus Kinski . The musician Ennio Morricone , composes a jolly soundtrack with catching leitmotif and well conducted. Colorful cinematography plenty of barren outdoors , sunny landscapes under a glimmer sun , stunningly photographed by Giuseppe Ruzzolini on location in Monument Valley , Utah , a favorite place habitually used by John Ford and also Sergio Leone , here producer . This was a failed farewell in Western genre from Sergio Leone , and ordinary secondary actors as Mario Brega and Klaus Kinski as a grumpy gunfighter who is ridiculed by the genius Terence Hill .

The motion picture was middlingly directed by Damiano Damiani and lavishly produced by Fulvio Morsella and Sergio Leone . Damiani's so-so direction is regularly crafted, here he's mostly cynical and humorous and less inclined toward violence and too much action especially on its ending part . Damiano is an expert on all kind of genres as Drama (¨Arthur's island¨ , ¨The Most Beautiful Wife" , ¨The witch¨ , and ¨Empty canvas¨ based on the Alberto Moravia novel) , Terror (Amytiville 2 : the possession) , Historical (¨The Inquiry¨) , Spaghetti Western (¨Trinity is back again¨and the prestigious ¨A bullet for the General¨ again with Klaus Kinski) . Damiani was specialized on crime-thriller-Subgenre or Italian cop thriller (¨Confessions of a Police captain¨ , ¨How to kill a judge¨, ¨The case is closed , forget it¨, "Goodbye e amen" , ¨Mafia¨, "I Am Afraid" and ¨Warning¨ starred by Martin Balsam) . Rating : Average , 5 . Only for Terence Hill fans .