Clint Eastwood's Most Famous Western Role Was Almost Named After His Biggest Hollywood Rival

Yahoo

Joe Roberts

April 19, 2026

To this day, Clint Eastwood's most recognizable role is arguably the Man with No Name from the "Dollars" trilogy. That very same trilogy helped bolster the then-burgeoning revisionist movement that would soon make the more simplistic Westerns of the John Wayne era obsolete. It's ironic, then, that Eastwood's nameless anti-hero was originally supposed to be named after one of the Duke's most important characters: Henry, the "Ringo Kid" from "Stagecoach."

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne's feud is well-established at this point. The two screen legends simply came from different generations with very different ideas of what constituted a hero and how Westerns should evolve (or, in the Duke's case, stay exactly the same). Wayne never held back when criticizing the new crop of Western filmmakers, reserving specific ire for Sam Peckinpah and his violent 1968 effort "The Wild Bunch." He also sent a letter to Eastwood decrying the actor's 1973 film "High Plains Drifter." For better or worse, the Duke simply couldn't abide the new guard's more cynical view of the Old West.

It's not really surprising considering the man came to prominence in the 1940s following his breakthrough role in John Ford's seminal 1939 Western "Stagecoach." Playing outlaw Henry the "Ringo Kid" not only made Wayne a star, it helped restore Westerns to prominence and re-establish the gunslinger as a popular heroic archetype. Much of that legacy was undermined by 1964's "A Fistful of Dollars." Eastwood's taciturn, often brutal Man with No Name was the opposite of Wayne's more obviously good-hearted heroes. Which is why it's probably for the best he wasn't named after the role that made Wayne a star.

Patrick McGilligan's "Clint: The Life and Legend," discusses how The Man with No Name — the role that helped shift Westerns away from the Black Hat vs. White Hat simplicity of the John Wayne era — was originally named Ringo after Wayne's legendary breakthrough performance.

Alongside Sergio Leone, Duccio Tessari was one of several scenarists credited with writing the original "A Fistful of Dollars" script. In McGilligan's book it's claimed that in an early draft, Tessari dubbed Eastwood's character "Ringo" as an "homage to John Wayne's character in John Ford's 'Stagecoach.'" According to McGilligan, it was only after Leone insisted that the character remain nameless that this original moniker was scrapped. "Not a name," Leone is quoted as saying. "Not a past, not a future, only the present."

Meanwhile, Eastwood fought to make The Man with No Name even more of a mystery, resulting in a protagonist unlike any that had come before. As such, naming Eastwood's character after a legendary figure in Western film history could have been seen less as an homage and more of a subversion. That's almost certainly how Wayne would have taken it. The demonstrably reactionary star never took kindly to the deconstruction of the myth of the Old West anyway. Seeing a character named after his breakthrough role killing indiscriminately would have ensured the Wayne/Eastwood rivalry flared up much earlier.

[Total bunk. In the original screenplay the Man With No Name was called RAY. The name Ringo or Ringo Kid was never a possibility. Check out this book for the real story. TB]

[compliments of Michael Ferguson]

RIP Adolfo Aristarian

 

Argentinian director Adolfo Aristarian died in Buenos Aires on April 26. He was 82. He won two Goya Awards and received the Gold Medal of the Film Academy in 2004. Born in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Paque Chas, cinema came into his life very early through the films he saw after school in the continuous session rooms. Aristarain lived for seven years in Spain, where he shot some of his most outstanding works, thus developing a link with Spanish cinema. This led him to win the Goya for Best Ibero-American Film for 'A Place in the World' and Best Adapted Screenplay for 'Common Places'. He assisted his great friend Mario Camus in directing, with whom he would also write scripts; as well as Vicente Aranda, Sergio Leone, Lewis Gilbert, Gordon Flemyng or Sergio Renán, among others. In addition, he worked with Kathy Saavedra, who has participated in almost all of his stories. Aristarian was an assistant director on three Spaghetti westerns “Once Upon a Time in the West” in 1968 and “Bad Man’s River” and “Captain Apache” both in 1971.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Fernando Di Leo

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Fernando Di Leo was born on January 11. 1932 iu San Ferdinando di Puglis, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia, Italy. He became an Italian film director but most of all one of the greatest Italian screenwriters. At nineteen he won the cup for the Murano drama in three acts “Lume del tuo corpo è l'occhio e”. He then worked for various magazines before making his directorial debut with a “Un posto in paradise” a surreal episode of “The Heroes of Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” a collective film directed by S. Tau, E. Eagle and F. Weisz. Fernando then pursued a career as a prolific writer (50 works), inaugurated by “For a Fistful of Dollars” (1964). He wrote mostly Westerns but is characterized by two thrillers “Murder by appointment” (1967) and “70's Gangster” (1968). He concentrated mainly on Euro-westerns for which he wrote 19 screenplays and crime films which he wrote 11 screenplays. He was also the author of several novels and left the cinema after the disastrous “Killer vs. Killers” (1985). Di Leo died on December 1, 2003, in Rome. Today we remember Fernando Di Leo on what would have been his 80^th birthday.

Fernando Di Leo appeared in two Spaghetti westerns, “Per qualche dollaro in piu” (For a Few Dollars More) as a poker player and “Il ritorno di Ringo” (The Return of Ringo) as a cantina patron both in 1965.

Di LEO, Fernando (Fernando DiLeo, Fernand Lion, Fernando Lion) [1/11/1932, San Ferdinando di Puglia, Puglia, Italy – 12/1/2003, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, assistant director, writer, songwriter, actor, married to actress Maria Pia Conte (Maria Pia Vaccarezza) [1944-    ] (19??-19??).

For a Few Dollars More – 1965 (poker player)

The Return of Ringo – 1965 (cantina patron)

Once Upon a Time in Europe (TV) – 2001 [himself]

Sergio Leone: Cinema, Cinema (TV) – 2001 [himself]

Rosalba Neri: The Italian Sphinx – 2002 [himself]

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ John Daumery

John Daumery is a Belgian film director known for his work in the early sound era, directing English- and French-language features primarily for Warner Brothers and British studios during the early 1930s.

Born Jean Nicolas Pierre Ysaÿe on May 17, 1898, in Brussels, Belgium, he was the son of composer Théo Ysaÿe and actress Carrie Daumery, and the nephew of renowned violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe. He served as a cameraman in the Belgian Army during World War I, where exposure to poison gas at the Battle of Ypres in 1915 caused lasting health damage that ultimately led to his death. Daumery died on May 3, 1934, in Lausanne, Switzerland, at age 35, just two months after marrying Beatrice Henriette Potter.

He began his film career in Hollywood as an assistant director and additional crew member on productions such as “Tenderloin” (1928) and “Noah's Ark” (1928), before directing his first features around 1930. Working initially for Warner Brothers/First National in Burbank, he later directed at their Teddington studios in England, focusing on films intended for French and British markets. In 1934, he left Warner Brothers to direct three final films for British Lion Corporation and British International Pictures, including “Over the Garden Wall”, “Meet My Sister”, and “Without You”. His career, though brief, spanned the transition to sound cinema across multiple countries and languages

In French-language productions, Daumery co-directed “Le masque d'Hollywood” (1930) with Clarence G. Badger; this version starred Suzy Vernon and Geymond Vital and was released to broaden Warner Bros.' European reach. He also directed “La foule hurle” (1932), the French adaptation of “The Crowd Roars”, produced as a co-production between Warner Bros. in the United States and France. These bilingual assignments highlighted his contributions to Warner Bros.' multilingual strategy in the initial years of synchronized sound filmmaking.

John Daumery directed one Euro-western, “Lopez, le bandit” in 1930.

DAUMERY, John (aka Jean Daumery) (Jean Nicolas Pierre Ysaÿe) [5/17/1898, Brussels, Belgium – 5/?/1934, Lausanne, Switzerland (gas poisoning)] – director, assistant director, son of composer Théo Ysaÿe [1865–1918] and actress Carrie Daumery (Frederica Carolina Mess) [1863-1938], nephew of violinist, composer, conductor, Eugéne -Auguste Ysaÿe [1858-1931], married to Beatrice Henriette Potter (1934-1934).

Lopez, le bandit – 1930

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Emil Burri

Emil Burri was born Emil Hesse on December 11, 1902. He was a German screenwriter known for his contributions to German cinema from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Born in Munich, Germany, Burri authored screenplays for approximately fifty films and directed one film (Geliebte Welt, 1942). His career spanned the Nazi era and post-war period, encompassing various genres including adventure, drama, and comedy. He also collaborated with Bertolt Brecht on theatrical works in the 1930s.

Among his notable screenwriting credits are “Water for Canitoga” (1939), “Geliebte Welt” (1942), “The Last Summer” (1954), “Kitty and the Great Big World” (1956), and “The Girl and the Legend” (1957).

 Burri died on August 29, 1966, in Munich, Bavaria, Germany at the age of 63..

“Wasser für Canitoga” (Water for Canitoga) with Peter Francke, Walter-Zerlett-Olfenius in 1939.

BURRI, Emil (aka Emil Burry) (Emil Hesse) [12/11/1902, Munich, Bavaria, Germany – 8/29/1966, Munich, Bavaria, West Germany] – director, assistant director, playwright, writer.

Water for Canitoga – 1939 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Romolo Garroni

Romolo Garroni was an Italian cinematographer known for his prolific work in Italian genre cinema, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, contributing to peplum epics, spy thrillers, gialli-influenced films, and erotic comedies.

Born in Rome on August 23, 1915, Garroni entered the film industry in the late 1930s as a camera operator and assistant, working on early titles such as Dora Nelson (1939) and Maddalena, Zero for “Conduct” (1940). He transitioned to the role of director of photography in the early 1950s and went on to serve as cinematographer on numerous productions, including “Libido” (1965), “Maciste il vendicatore dei Maya” (1965), “The Bloodstained Lawn” (1973), and several films directed by Guido Leoni in the mid-1970s. His career spanned over four decades, with credits extending into the early 1980s, reflecting his consistent presence in Italy's vibrant popular film industry.

Garroni died in Rome on August 5, 2006, at the age of 91.

Romolo Garroni was a cinematographer on two Spaghetti westerns: “Jim il primo” (The Last Gun) with Amerigo Gengarelli in 1964 and “La lunga cavalcata della vendetta” (The Long Ride of Revenge) in 1970.

GARRONI, Romolo (aka R. Garron, Romy Garron, Romolo Garrone) [8/23/1915, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 8/5/2006, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – cinematographer, cameraman.

The Last Gun – 1964 (co) [as R. Garron]

The Long Ride of Revenge – 1970

Spaghetti Western locations Then & Now – “ 7 cabalgan hacia la Muerte”

Here’s a scene from 1979’s "7 cabalgan hacia la muerte". The buildings seen in the film, like almost all buildings in the Spaghetti western genre was an actual home or business.

This building is located in Cortijo de las Zorreras, Pinos Puente, Granada, Spain.

Here’s the same location as seen in 2022.

European Western Comics – Collana della Prateria

 

Stories of the Prairie

This comic book series was a small format with volumes reprinting material drawn from Kid Colt, Kid Pistole, and Maschera Rosa from 1959. It featured artwork by Doug Wildey and Jack Kirby, covers were by Pini Segna.

Stories of the Prairie was published in 1962 by M&C under in Milan, Italy by editor Chief: G. Meroni. Issue #1 was released in January of that year and ended in June. Each issue contained 160 black and white pages with color covers.

 

Titles

01 (00.00.62) - “In trappola” (Trapped)

02 (00.00.62) - “L'uomo della legge” (The Lawman)

03 (00.00.62) - “La rapina” (The Robbery)

04 (00.00.62) - “L'Agguato!” (TheAmbush!)

05 (00.00.62) - “Grido di guerra” (War Cry)

06 (00.00.62) - “Pericolo!” (Danger!)

Special Birthdays

Helmut Heyne [voice actor] would have been 120 today but died in 2001.

Jan Rychlik (composer) would have been 110 today but died in 1964.

Konstantin Ryzhov [cinematographer] would have been 100 today but died in 2018.

Robert Donner (actor) would have been 95 today but died in 2006.