ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Today marks the 50^th Anniversary of one of the greatest, not only Euro-westerns, but films of all-time. “Once Upon a Time in the West” was directed by Sergio Leone and starred Hnery Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale. Jill (Cardinale) is a new bride who arrives in the fictional town of Flagstone, Arizona, to find her new husband and his children murdered by a gunman named Frank (Fonda). Frank is in the employ of a railroad baron named Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti), who wants the land Jill has now inherited. Into this mix comes a man called Harmonica (Bronson), who says little but proves himself adept against gunmen sent by Frank to kill him. Harmonica is on a personal mission of revenge against Frank, who forced him to kill his own brother when he was a child. Another character involved in these power struggles is Cheyenne (Robards), an outlaw framed by Frank for various crimes. The complex relationships between these disparate individuals all become tied together in an intricate tale of lust, greed, and revenge.

Filmed on a budget of 5 million dollars it barely made a profit with an international gross of 5.5 million return. Yet with TV, revival showings, video, DVD and Blu-ray it’s made much much more and can be seen monthly on most cable networks. The film was written by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone as a homage to the western genre with actual scenes and references to classic American westerns seen throughout the film. An all-star cast of American and Euopean actors adds to its popularity. The score is one of Morricone’s greatest feats and a 50^th anniversary CD has recently been released. Today we celebrate a true gem in film history.

C’era un a volta il west – Italian title

Once Upon a Time in the West – U.S.A. title

Érase una vez en el Oeste – Argentinian title

Era uma vez no Oeste – Brazilain title

Hasta que llegó su hora – Columbian title

Vestens hårde hales – Danish title

Het gebeurde in het westen – Dutch title

Huuliharppukostaja – Finnish title

Harmonika - en hämnare – Finnish title

Il etait une fois dans l’Ouest – French title

Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod – German title

Kapote sti Dysi – Greek title

Volt egyszer egy vadnyugat – Hungarian title

C’era un a volta il west – Italian title

Uesutan – Japanese title

Erase una vez en el oeste – Mexican title

Ondt blod i Vesten – Norwegian title

Pewnego razu na Dzikim Zachodzie – Polish title

Aconteceu no Oeste – Portuguese title

Undeva, candva in Vest – Romanian title

Однажды на Диком Западе – Russian title

Hasta que llego su hora – Spanish title

Fins que li va arribar l'hora – Spanish title

Harmonica - En hämnare – Swedish title

Batida Kan Var – Turkish title

Bir Zamanlar Batida – Turkish title

Bilo jednom na divljem zapadu – Yugoslavian title

Play Me the Song of Death – English title

There Was Once the West – English title

Once Upon a Time in the West – English title

A 1968 Italian, U.S.A. co-production [Rafran Productions, San Marco Productions (Rome),

     Paramount (Hollywood)]

Producer: Fulvio Morsella

Director: Sergio Leone

Story: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone

Screenplay: Sergio Donati, Sergio Leone

English Dialogue: Mickey Knox (Abraham Knox)

Cinematography: Tonino Delli Colli (Antonio Delli Colli) [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Ennio Morricone

Running time: 171 minutes

Cast:

Frank – Henry Fonda

Harmonica – Charles Bronson (Charles Buchinsky)

Jill McBain – Claudia Cardinale (Claud Cardinale)

Manuel ‘Cheyenne’ Gutierrez – Jason Robards (Jason Robards, Jr.)

Mr. Morton – Gabriele Ferzetti (Pasquale Ferzetti)

Sam – Paolo Stoppa

Stony – Woody Strode (Woodrow Strode)

Snaky – Jack Elam (William Elam)

Knuckles – Al Mulock (Alfred Rogers)

Sheriff of Flagstone – Keenan Wynn (Francis Wynn)

Sheriff’s deputy - Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia (Ivan Scratuglia)

Brett McBain – Frank Wolff (Frank Herman)

Maureen McBain – Simonetta Santaniello

Patrick McBain – Stefano Imparato

Timmy McBain – Enzo Santaniello

Wobbles – Marco Zuanelli

Barman – Lionel Stander

Flagstone Deputy Sheriff – Luigi Ciavarro

Jim – John Frederick (Frederick Stiffler, Jr.)

Neighbor – Conrado San Martin (Conrado Prieto)

Franks’ henchmen – Spartaco Conversi, Aldo Berti, Michael Harvey, Antonio Molino Rojo, Benito Stefanelli, Fabio Testi, Frank Braña (Francisco Pérez), Saturnino Cerra (Saturnino Pendás), Paolo Figlia

Cheyenne henchmen – Aldo Sambrell (Alfredo Brell), Salvo Basile (Salvatore Basile), Bruno Corazzari, Claudio Scarchilli

Harmonica’s brother – Claudio Mancini

Young Frank’s henchmen at arch – Don Galloway, Enrico Morsella, Umberto Morsella, Frank Leslie, Robert Hossein (Robert Hosseinoff)

Cattle Crossing station master – Ulrich Müller

Indian squaw – Luana Strode (Luukialuana Kalaeloa)

Carpenter – Tulio Palmieri

1st auction bidder – Renato Pinciroli

Engineer – Ricardo Palacios (Ricardo Diez)

Railroad foreman – Bill Crawley (William Crawley)

Construction yard owner – Robert Spafford

Girls at Flagstone station – Francesca Leone, Raffaella Leone

Posse member – John Landis

Women at McBain Funeral - Marilù Carteny, Sandra Salvatori

Men at way station - Dino Zamboni, Federico Boido

With: Livio Andronico, Luigi Magnani, Alessandro Alessandroni