Un genio, due compari, un pollo (1975)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Damiano Damiani

Writers:

Damiano Damiani (screenplay)
Ernesto Gastaldi (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 December 1975 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Major | Sequel | Spaghetti Western | Cult Western | Priest

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Terence Hill	...	Joe Thanks / Nobody
Miou-Miou	...	Lucy (as Miou Miou)
Robert Charlebois	...	Bill Locomotiva / Steamengine Bill
Patrick McGoohan	...	Major Cabot
Raimund Harmstorf	...	Sergeant Milton
Piero Vida	...	Jacky Roll
Rik Battaglia	...	Captain
Mario Valgoi	...	Thomas Trader
Mario Brega	...	Coach driver
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Don Felipe, the priest (as Frederick von Ledebur)
Jean Martin	...	Colonel Pembroke
Klaus Kinski	...	Doc Foster
Clara Colosimo	...	La ruffiana
Fernando Cerulli	...	Her husband (as Ferdinando Cerulli)
Benito Stefanelli	...	Mortimer

Also Known As:

A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot (USA)
A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe
Nobody ist der Größte (West Germany)
Nobody's the Greatest (video title)
The Genius
Trinity Is Back Again (USA)
Un génie, deux associés, une cloche (France)
Egy zseni, két haver, egy balek (Hungary) [hu]
El genio (Spain) [es]
Ett geni, två polare och en höna (Sweden) [sv]
Ingen är som Nobody (Sweden) [sv]
Mit navn er stadigt Nobody (Denmark) [da]
Mitt namn är fortfarande Nobody (Sweden) [sv]
Nobody - den smartaste (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Nobody on nerokkain (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

UK:117 min | Spain:114 min | Italy:126 min

Country:

Italy | France | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Monument Valley, Utah, USA

Company:

AMLF

Trivia:

The film was released in West Germany under the title "Nobody ist der Größte", and in Denmark under the name "Jeg hedder stadigvæk Nobody", to create the illusion that it was a sequel to Il mio nome è Nessuno (1973) (aka "Mein Name ist Nobody"/"Mit navn er Nobody").

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: 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.

Quotes:

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

Easily the poorest spaghetti western I've ever seen. Avoid.

I'd never heard of this one until I stumbled across it on DVD (under the title 'A Genius, Two Partners And A Dupe'). I was intrigued because it was directed by Damiano Damiani who made one of the very best non-Leone spaghetti westerns 'A Bullet For The General', and was produced (and many say co-directed) by Sergio Leone himself. I believe this was the last western Leone was involved with, and one of the very last spaghetti westerns ever made. The eclectic cast was another attraction. Terence "My Name Is Nobody" Hill, Miou-Miou, Patrick "The Prisoner" McGoohan and the legendary Klaus Kinski... Mmmm, very interesting! Well after sitting through this crap I now know why it's so obscure. It sucks. In almost every way. I have no idea of Leone's involvement, but the striking opening sequence looks like it might have been directed by him. Too bad it's all downhill from there! This was retitled to try and sell it as a sequel to 'My Name Is Nobody'. Hill actually plays a different character and the connection between the two is tenuous at best. BUT it is in a similar vein to many of Hill's comedy westerns, or should I say "so-called comedy" westerns? I didn't get one laugh out of it. It's really hard to imagine a serious director like Damiani making slapstick rubbish like this. The awful dubbing doesn't help things either. Regarding the supporting cast, the bad news is Kinski. He only had a small role in 'A Bullet For The General', but in this one it's even less. Basically Kinski has a two scene cameo at the beginning of the movie, and that's it. I love watching Kinski but anyone renting this movie just to see him should be warned. The good news is McGoohan. He has a much more substantial role and is quite good. Unfortunately he's surrounded by actors hamming it up and a lousy script. If the movie hadn't have played it for laughs, had someone other than Hill as the star (say Franco Nero) and more Kinski it might have been good. As it is only rabid Leone fans will want to bother watching it. Easily the poorest spaghetti western I've ever seen. Avoid.