¡Three Amigos! (1986)

Three actors accept an invitation to a Mexican village to perform their onscreen bandit fighter roles, unaware that it is the real thing.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels

Stars:

Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Martin	...	Lucky Day
Chevy Chase	...	Dusty Bottoms
Martin Short	...	Ned Nederlander
Alfonso Arau	...	El Guapo
Tony Plana	...	Jefe
Patrice Martinez	...	Carmen
Jorge Cervera Jr.	...	Bandito #1 (as Jorge Cervera)
Kai Wulff	...	German
Abel Franco	...	Papa Sanchez
Fred Asparagus	...	Bartender
Jon Lovitz	...	Morty
Joe Mantegna	...	Harry Flugleman
Philip Gordon	...	Rodrigo
Michael Wren	...	Cowboy
Gene Hartline	...	Silent Movie Bandito

Storyline

Three out of work silent movie actors are accidentally drawn to a Mexican village that is being harassed by a gang of outlaws. The three, 'Ned', 'Lucky Day' and 'Dusty Bottoms' play 'Lone Ranger' types in their movies, but must play their parts for real now.

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Plot Keywords:

child with a gun | two gun holster | gun holster | holster | double gun holster | 

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Taglines:

They're Down On Their Luck And Up To Their Necks In Senoritas, Margaritas, Banditos And Bullets!

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Genres:

Comedy | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish German

Release Date:

12 December 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Three Amigos

Filming Locations:

Florence, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$39,246,734

Company Credits

Production Co:

L.A. Films, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the silent film actress that Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) had encountered was Dorothy Gish.

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Goofs

When the black & white "Three Amigos" film is being shown in church, we see from a distance a square projection. However, when we move in for close-up shots, the "square" screen becomes a widescreen.

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Quotes

Lucky Day: I'll come back one day
Carmen: Why?

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Alternate Versions

In the original version of the movie and in the original home video, the scene in Harry Flugelman's office normally concludes with Flugelman shouting, "Your asses have just been streamlined! The Three Amigos are history." For some reason this is missing from the 2011 DVD release and the Blu-ray version.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Martin Short/Isabella Rossellini/Gene Fleming (1989)

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Soundtracks

My Little Buttercup
Written by Randy Newman
Performed by Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short

User Reviews

Underrated, Underappreciated, and Misunderestimated

5 reasons to love this film: 1. The sight of Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) telling the incomprehensible, self-indulgent story of when he met Dorothy Gish ("you know, Lillian's sister") to a bunch of patient, albeit bored Mexican kids. 2. Lucky Day (Steve Martin) trying to get his buddies' attention as they break into the studio--progressing from an owl's soft "hoo" to a crowing "LOOKUPHERE...LOOKUPHERE" 3. The opening song and Elmer Bernstein's great score (he also scored the classic comedies "Animal House" and "Stripes") 4. The Three Amigos singing "My Little Buttercup" in a Mexican cantina 5. The Amigos fighting back tears as Lucky Day informs his buddies that, in fact, they have been summoned not to perform, but actually to fight the evil El Guapo--Martin Short's tearful line, "Why am I in Mexico?" is hilarious, almost as funny as Steve Martin's follow-up, "I've been shot already!"

This is an intelligent comedy, one that pokes fun not only at the mythology of the Hollywood western, but at Hollywood itself. The three Amigos is a delight to watch, and a great addition to any family's film collection.