Once Upon a Time in the West Overview:

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) was a Western - Epic Film directed by Sergio Leone and produced by Bino Cicogna and Fulvio Morsella.

Once Upon a Time in the West was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2009.

Once Upon a Time in the West BlogHub Articles:

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) – Updated

By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 1, 2015 From 4 Star Films

I’m not well versed in Spaghetti Westerns, but I certainly do not need someone to tell me that Sergio Leone’s film is a sprawling epic. That’s an understatement if there every was one. The cast, the score, the visuals. Everything about it fits together so marvelously. All the movin... Read full article


Review: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 1, 2015 From 4 Star Films

I’m not well versed in Spaghetti Westerns, but I certainly do not need someone to tell me that Sergio Leone’s film is a sprawling epic. That’s an understatement if there every was one. The cast, the score, the visuals. Everything about it fits together so marvelously. All the movin... Read full article


Review: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 1, 2015 From 4 Star Films

I’m not well versed in Spaghetti Westerns, but I certainly do not need someone to tell me that Sergio Leone’s film is a sprawling epic. That’s an understatement if there ever was one. The cast, the score, the visuals. Everything about it fits together so marvelously. All the moving... Read full article


Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Aug 25, 2014 From 4 Star Films

Starring Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards with director Sergio Leone, this is another memorable Italian western. The film follows a recently widowed beauty (Cardinale), the villainous killer who is after her (Fonda), a anti-hero bandit (Robards), and of course the m... Read full article


Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Aug 25, 2014 From 4 Star Films

Starring Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards with director Sergio Leone, this is another memorable Italian western. The film follows a recently widowed beauty (Cardinale), the villainous killer who is after her (Fonda), a anti-hero bandit (Robards), and of course the m... Read full article


See all Once Upon a Time in the West articles

Quotes from Once Upon a Time in the West

Cheyenne: They wanna hang me. The big, black crows. Idiots. What the hell? I'll kill anything. Never a kid. Be like killin' a priest. Catholic priest, that is.


Jill: But... but those were his men.
Harmonica: Yeah.
Jill: And they tried to kill him.
Harmonica: They must've found someone who pays better.
Jill: And you... You saved his life!
Harmonica: I didn't let them kill him, and that's not the same thing.


Frank: Who are you?
Harmonica: Jim Cooper, Chuck Youngblood.
Frank: More dead men.
Harmonica: They were all alive until they met you, Frank.


read more quotes from Once Upon a Time in the West...

Facts about Once Upon a Time in the West

The original intent for the opening scene was to use music already composed by composer Ennio Morricone. However, the attempted blend didn't seem to fit well. The decision was made to drop Morricone's score from the opening train station sequence and record the ambient sounds relating to the scenes (including the squeaking windmill and individual footsteps) after Morricone experienced a musical performance created by using only the sounds of a metal ladder. This created an exaggerated version of what had come to be known as "spaghetti sound".
After completing the Dollars trilogy (Per un pugno di dollari, Per qualche dollaro in più, and Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo.), Sergio Leone didn't want to do another western and began working on Once Upon a Time in America. However, after the huge success of the Dollars Trilogy in the States in 1967 Leone wanted to produce films in the United States and he began selling the idea for Once Upon a Time in America, but studios wouldn't let him do it until he made another Western for them. After thinking about it, Leone concluded that he should do another trilogy which begins with C'era una volta il West, develops into Giù la testa, and ends with Once Upon a Time in America (1984). "Three historical periods which toughened America."
Leone originally intended to reunite the three stars of Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach) in cameo roles as the three gunmen waiting for Harmonica at the start of the film, but when Eastwood was unavailable the idea was scrapped.
read more facts about Once Upon a Time in the West...
Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
National Film Registry

Once Upon a Time in the West

Released 1968
Inducted 2009
(Sound)




See All Films in National Registry >>
Also directed by Sergio Leone




More about Sergio Leone >>
Also released in 1968




See All 1968 films >>
More "Spaghetti Western" films



See All "Spaghetti Western" films >>
More "Wild West" films



See All "Wild West" films >>