Spaghetti Western Trivia - Eli Wallach’s Near-Death Experiences in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

 

During the filming of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Eli Wallach nearly died three times. In the train scene, Tuco lies chained by the tracks as a locomotive passes; Wallach later revealed Sergio wanted to shoot the scene again and have Eli raise his head. The metal steps on each car were low enough that had he raised his head even slightly, he could have been decapitated. In another mishap, he accidentally drank from a bottle of acid left next to his soda; he spat it out quickly but still suffered painful mouth sores. Finally, during a hanging scene, the explosion that freed him spooked his horse, which bolted with his hands tied behind his back, carrying him for nearly a mile before stopping. Wallach survived all three ordeals.