Dollars Trilogy
| Dollars Trilogy | |
|---|---|
|
Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name. | |
| Directed by | Sergio Leone |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Ennio Morricone |
| Cinematography |
|
| Edited by |
|
Production company |
Constantin Film Jolly Film (1) Ocean Films (1) Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA) (2–3) Arturo González Producciones (2–3) |
| Distributed by |
Unidis (Italy, 1) PEA (Italy, 2–3) United Artists (US & UK, original) MGM/UA/20th Century Fox (US & UK, current) |
Release dates |
1: October 16, 1964 2: November 18, 1965 3: December 15, 1966 |
Running time | 409 minutes (1–3) |
| Country |
Italy West Germany Spain |
| Language |
English Italian |
| Budget |
Total (3 films): $2,000,000–$2,025,000 |
| Box office |
Total (3 films): $280,500,000 |
The Dollars Trilogy (Italian: Trilogia del dollaro), also known as the Man with No Name Trilogy, is a film series consisting of three Spaghetti Western films directed by Sergio Leone. The films are titled A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). They were distributed by United Artists.
The series has become known for establishing the Spaghetti Western genre, and inspiring the creation of many more Spaghetti Western films. The three films are consistently listed among the best rated Western films of all time.[1]
Although it was not Leone's intention, the three movies came to be considered a trilogy following the exploits of the same so-called "Man with No Name" (portrayed by Clint Eastwood, wearing the same clothes and acting with the same mannerisms). The "Man with No Name" concept was invented by the American distributor United Artists, looking for a strong angle to sell the movies as a trilogy. Eastwood's character does indeed have a name (albeit a nickname) and a different one in each film: "Joe", "Manco" and "Blondie", respectively.
Development
A Fistful of Dollars is an unofficial remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1961 film Yojimbo starring Toshiro Mifune, which resulted in a successful lawsuit by Toho.[2][3]
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is considered a prequel,[4] since it depicts Eastwood's character gradually acquiring the clothing he wears in the other two films and because it takes place during the American Civil War (1861–1865), whereas the other two films feature comparatively more modern firearms and other props. For example, Lee Van Cleef's character in For a Few Dollars More appears to be a Confederate veteran who has come down in the world, and a graveyard scene in A Fistful of Dollars features a gravestone dated 1873.
Cast
The only actors to appear in all three movies besides Eastwood are Mario Brega, Aldo Sambrell, Benito Stefanelli and Lorenzo Robledo. Four other actors each appear twice in the trilogy, playing different characters: Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volonté, Luigi Pistilli, and Joseph Egger.
"I think [the Leone films] changed the style, the approach to Westerns [in Hollywood]. ... They made the violence and the shooting aspect a little more larger than life, and they had great music and new types of scores. ... They were stories that hadn't been used in other Westerns. They just had a look and a style that was a little different at the time: I don't think any of them was a classic story—like [John Wayne's 1956] The Searchers or something like that—they were more fragmented, episodic, following the central character through various little episodes."
Music
Composer Ennio Morricone provided original music score for all three films, although in A Fistful of Dollars he was credited as "Dan Savio."[6][7]
Principal cast
| Actor | Character | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A Fistful of Dollars (1964) |
For a Few Dollars More (1965) |
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) | |
| Clint Eastwood | Joe | "Manco" | "Blondie" |
| Mario Brega | Chico | Niño | Corporal Wallace |
| Aldo Sambrell | Manolo | Cuchillo | Angel Eyes Gang Member |
| Benito Stefanelli | Rubio | Hughie (a.k.a. "Luke") | |
| Lorenzo Robledo | Baxter's member | Tomaso | Clem |
| Joseph Egger | Piripero | Old Prophet | |
| Gian Maria Volonté | Ramón Rojo | El Indio | |
| Lee Van Cleef | Colonel Douglas Mortimer | Angel Eyes | |
| Luigi Pistilli | Groggy | Father Pablo Ramirez | |
| Eli Wallach | Tuco | ||
Crew
| Role | Film | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A Fistful of Dollars (1964) |
For a Few Dollars More (1965) |
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) | |
| Director | Sergio Leone | ||
| Producer | Arrigo Colombo | Alberto Grimaldi | |
| Giorgia Papi | |||
| Writer | Sergio Leone (screenplay and story) | ||
| Víctor Andrés Catena (screenplay and story) | Luciano Vincenzoni (screenplay and story)[note 1] | ||
| Jamie Comas Gil (screenplay) | Fulvio Morsella (story) | Age & Scarpelli (screenplay) | |
| A. Bonzzoni (story) | |||
| Music | Ennio Morricone | ||
| Cinematographer | Massimo Dallamano | Tonino Delli Colli | |
| Federico G. Larraya | |||
| Editor | Roberto Cinquini | Eugenio Alabiso | |
| Alfonso Santacana | Giorgio Serrallonga | Nino Baragli | |
Reception
Critical reception
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| A Fistful of Dollars | 98% (43 reviews)[8] | N/A |
| For a Few Dollars More | 94% (34 reviews)[9] | N/A |
| The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | 97% (67 reviews)[10] | 90 (7 reviews)[11] |
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Revenue | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Fistful of Dollars | October 16, 1964 | $14,500,000[12] | $200,000-$225,000[13] |
| For a Few Dollars More | November 18, 1965 | $15,000,000[14] | $600,000[15] |
| The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | December 15, 1966 | $25,100,000[16] | $1.2 million[17] |
| Total | $54,600,000 | $2,000,000–$2,025,000 | |
Accolades
| Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Outcome | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Fistful of Dollars | ||||
| Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | Best Score | Ennio Morricone | Won | [18] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Gian Maria Volonté | Nominated | ||
| The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | ||||
| Laurel Awards | Action Performance | Clint Eastwood | Runner-Up | [19] |
| Grammy Awards | 2009 Grammy Hall of Fame Award | Ennio Morricone | Won | [20] |
Home media
Both the 1999 DVD and the 2010 and 2014 Blu-ray box set releases, both by MGM, make specific reference to the set of films as "The Man With No Name Trilogy."[21][22]
Notes
- ↑ Luciano Vincenzoni co-wrote the screenplay of For a Few Dollars More, whereas he co-wrote both the screenplay and the story of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
References
- ↑ "Top 100 Western Movies". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ Gelten, Simon. "FISTFUL - The Whole Story, part 2". The Spaghetti Western Database. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ↑ Alfreds, David (24 April 2009). "Cinema this week: The greatest director of all time". When Falls the Coliseum. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ↑ Anderson, Cal. "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly". Clint Eastwood.Net. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- ↑ Eliot (2009), p.114-115
- ↑ "Man With No Name Movies - Fun Facts, Questions, Answers, Information". FunTrivia. 7 January 2014.
- ↑ Anderson, Cal. "A Fistful of Dollars (1964)". Clint Eastwood.Net. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ "A Fistful of Dollars (Per un Pugno di Dollari)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ "For a Few Dollars More (Per Qualche Dollaro in Più)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo.)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ "A Fistful of Dollars (1967)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ Sources that refer to the budget of A Fistful of Dollars include:
- "Per un pugno di dollari - Box Office Data, DVD Sales, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- "Sergio Leone Factoids". Fistful of Leone. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- Hicks, Christopher (25 January 1990). "EASTWOOD REMEMBERS `FISTFUL OF DOLLARS' DIRECTOR". Deseret News. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ "For a Few Dollars More (1967)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- ↑ "Per qualche dollar in più - Box Office Data, DVD Sales, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1967)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ "Il buono, il burtto, il cattivo - Box Office Data, DVD Sales, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ↑ "Per un pugno di dollari - Awards". Internet Movie Database. Amazon. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ "Il buono, il burtto, il cattivo. - Awards". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ↑ "The Police, Queen, Morricone Honoured At Grammy Hall Of Fame". Uncut. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ↑ The Man with No Name Trilogy (DVD) (20 March 2008): "A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (1967)
- ↑ The Man with No Name Trilogy (Blu-ray) (1 June 2010): "A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (1967)
Bibliography
- Eliot, Marc (2009). American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood. Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-307-33688-0.
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