MovieChat Forums > C'era una volta il West (1969) Discussion > Your Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach ope...

Your Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach opening

posted 7 years ago by Gonsaro
4 replies | jump to latest

It says in the Trivia that Sergio Leone intended to open the film by having Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach playing the three waiting gunmen. So who should have played who according to you? The gunmen are named:
-Snaky, the one with the fly.
-Stony, the one with the water in his hat.
-Knuckles, the one cracking his knuckles.

Here's my take:
-Snaky: Eastwood. He should be the leader according to me.
-Stony: Van Cleef.
-Knuckles: Wallach. He's always busy with his hands anyway.

[–] crxbrett 7 years ago

I agree with your choices. I think you could flip-flop Clint and Lee and it would have probably worked just as well.

[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 4 years ago

Yeah I agree, what and amazing addition to the movie that would be if Leone had talked those three actors into making such a memorable cameo, and he could always have used Gian Maria Volontè too, if Eli Wallach was busy.

[–] WrepDrep (322) 2 years ago

Eastwood's ego would never allow that.
He even felt threatened by Wallach's prominence in TGTB&TU.

[–] pjl69 (2425) 2 years ago

I'm glad these cameos didn't happen. The film works better without such obvious reference to Leone's previous work.