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)
För en handfull dollar (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
Por Um Punhado de Dólares (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Pour une poignée de dollars (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
En nævefuld dollars (Denmark) [da]
Für eine Handvoll Dollar (Austria) [de]
For en neve dollar (Norway) [no]
Gia mia houfta dollaria (Greece) [el]
Kourallinen dollareita (Finland) [fi]
Koya no yojimbo (Japan) [ja]
Pentru un pumn de dolari (Romania) [ro]
Za saku dolara (Yugoslavia: Serbian title) [sr]

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 (re-rating) (cut) (1977) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1967) | 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:

This has been described as the first "spaghetti western", but when this film was made, there had already been about 25 such westerns produced in Italy. This was, however, the first to receive a major international release.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the Baxters and the Rojos are shooting at each other at the cemetery, Ramón Rojos runs over the tops of the rocks to get a better shot. As the Baxters fire at him, there is one bullet that hits the rocks under Ramón that had no sound of a rifle being fired nor any ricochet sound.

Quotes:

Baxter gunman #1: [to Joe] Well, I suppose you could try getting a job as a scarecrow.
Baxter Gunman 2: No, the crows are liable to scare him maybe.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

The first of the three

'A Fistful of Dollars' is the first from Sergio Leone's trilogy about "The Man with No Name". The other two movies are 'For a Few Dollars More' and the famous 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'. Although 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' is considered the best this one comes pretty close. It is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo' and it comes also pretty close to that movie. It was also the first real Spaghetti Western.

Clint Eastwood is "The Man with No Name" who comes to a small town where two families run the place. Both families hate each other and he thinks he can make a lot of money with playing both parties against each other. This is basically the main story. There are some sub-plots, one of them involves Marisol (Marianne Koch) who is taken by a leader of one of the families. Her husband and child still live in the town.

For me it was not the story that made this movie interesting. It was the whole atmosphere. I like all Leone's westerns for that reason. Of course some are better than others, but they are never boring. The way we see Eastwood kill four man early in the movie is simply spectacular.

This no 'Once Upon a Time in the West' or even 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' but we have the same atmosphere, the same kind of score by Ennio Morricone and a Clint Eastwood at the beginning of a great career.