Sept. 12, 1964 - Opening today in Italian theaters is “A Fistful of Dollars” (“Per un pugno di dollari”), a Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood of “Rawhide” in his first leading role, alongside Gian Maria Volonté, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, Sieghardt Rupp, José Calvo, Antonio Prieto, and Joseph Egger. The film, an international co-production between Italy, West Germany, and Spain, was filmed on a low budget (reportedly $200,000), and Eastwood was paid $15,000 for his role.
“A Fistful of Dollars” was shot in Spain, mostly near Hoyo de Manzanares close to Madrid, but also in the Tabernas Desert and in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, both in the province of Almería. Iginio Lardani created the film’s distinctive title design. The film’s music was written by Ennio Morricone, credited as Dan Savio.
In the story, loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” (1961), a wandering gunfighter (Eastwood) plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.
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