For a Few Dollars More
Director Sergio Leone knew he’d struck gold. He scripted For a Few Dollars More in nine days.
Notorious killer and bank robber El Indio makes a bloody break out of jail with a plan to rob a bank in El Paso. The killer carries a musical pocket watch, a souvenir taken from a woman who committed suicide as he raped her after killing her husband. A bounty hunter known as Manco (Eastwood) gets wind of the plot and shows up in town. He encounters Colonel Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) also a bounty hunter. The two, form a ‘shotgun’ alliance.
Manco joins Indio’s gang over the killer’s suspicions. Indio plans to rob a bank in Santa Cruz. He sends Manco and three men to create a diversion to get the sheriff out of town. Manco kills the bandits and sends for the sheriff. The bank is blown and the safe stolen; but the gang is unable to open it. Manco returns and convinces Indio to hide out Agua Caliente. Mortimer, having anticipated Manco’s double cross is already there. Mortimer offers to crack the stolen safe. He does. Indio locks the loot in a strong box awaiting the split.
Mortimer and Manco crack the strong box, relock it and hide the money before they are caught and beaten. Indio releases them, claiming to know they are bounty hunters. He sends his men after them, reckoning there will be fewer to share in the bank money. One of the gang recognizes the treachery and forces Indio to open the strong box, only to find it empty. Manco and Mortimer return after killing Indio’s gang. Mortimer calls out Indio. Indio challenges him to draw at the end of his musical pocket watch song. As the music ends, it begins again, played by an identical watch Manco has taken from Mortimer. Mortimer kills Indio and reveals himself as the raped woman’s brother. Vengeance complete, he leaves the bounty to Manco, who loads the bodies in a wagon along with the stolen money and drives off.
Apart from Eastwood’s initial reluctance to do the film, Charles Bronson once again turned Leone down for the lead. That left Eastwood back in the top bill, putting Lee Van Cleef’s career on the map. One interesting production aspect of the Dollars Trilogy, the films were shot silently. Dialog and sound effects were dubbed in post-production.
Next Week: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
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Ride easy,
Paul
Notorious killer and bank robber El Indio makes a bloody break out of jail with a plan to rob a bank in El Paso. The killer carries a musical pocket watch, a souvenir taken from a woman who committed suicide as he raped her after killing her husband. A bounty hunter known as Manco (Eastwood) gets wind of the plot and shows up in town. He encounters Colonel Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) also a bounty hunter. The two, form a ‘shotgun’ alliance.
Manco joins Indio’s gang over the killer’s suspicions. Indio plans to rob a bank in Santa Cruz. He sends Manco and three men to create a diversion to get the sheriff out of town. Manco kills the bandits and sends for the sheriff. The bank is blown and the safe stolen; but the gang is unable to open it. Manco returns and convinces Indio to hide out Agua Caliente. Mortimer, having anticipated Manco’s double cross is already there. Mortimer offers to crack the stolen safe. He does. Indio locks the loot in a strong box awaiting the split.
Mortimer and Manco crack the strong box, relock it and hide the money before they are caught and beaten. Indio releases them, claiming to know they are bounty hunters. He sends his men after them, reckoning there will be fewer to share in the bank money. One of the gang recognizes the treachery and forces Indio to open the strong box, only to find it empty. Manco and Mortimer return after killing Indio’s gang. Mortimer calls out Indio. Indio challenges him to draw at the end of his musical pocket watch song. As the music ends, it begins again, played by an identical watch Manco has taken from Mortimer. Mortimer kills Indio and reveals himself as the raped woman’s brother. Vengeance complete, he leaves the bounty to Manco, who loads the bodies in a wagon along with the stolen money and drives off.
Apart from Eastwood’s initial reluctance to do the film, Charles Bronson once again turned Leone down for the lead. That left Eastwood back in the top bill, putting Lee Van Cleef’s career on the map. One interesting production aspect of the Dollars Trilogy, the films were shot silently. Dialog and sound effects were dubbed in post-production.
Next Week: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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