Once Upon a Time in the West

Original title: C'era una volta il West

1968
12
2h 46m

IMDb RATING

8.5/10

366K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer3:02

Desert Adventure Epic Spaghetti Western Western Epic Drama Western

A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.5/10

366K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

788

223

See production info at IMDbPro

Top rated movie #52

Awards
- 6 wins & 5 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 3:02

Once Upon A Time In The West

Photos379

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Henry Fonda originally turned down the role of Frank. Director Sergio Leone flew to the United States and met with Fonda, who asked why he was wanted for the film. Leone replied, "Picture this: the camera shows a gunman from the waist down pulling his gun and shooting a running child. The camera pans up to the gunman's face and...it's Henry Fonda" (until then, with one exception, Fonda had only been cast in "good guy" roles. Leone wanted the audience to be shocked).

Goofs
As Frank and his gang ride away from the train, tire tracks are visible in the dirt.

Quotes
Harmonica: [facing three men] And Frank?
Snaky: Frank sent us.
Harmonica: Did you bring a horse for me?
Snaky: Well... looks like we're...
[snickers]
Snaky: ...looks like we're shy one horse.
Harmonica: [shaking head] You brought two too many.

Crazy credits
The opening credits appear over the three gunmen waiting at the train station.

The film title itself appears at the end of the film.

Alternate versions
Frank's line upon giving Harmonica his namesake varies from version to version. The Italian translates to "play something for your brother," but the most common English version is "keep your loving brother happy," and the German translates to "play me the song of death." The German movie title was inspired by this line.

Connections
Edited into The Clock (2010)

Soundtracks
Danny Boy
(1913) (uncredited)
Written by by Frederick Edward Weatherly
Hummed and sung a cappella a bit by Simonetta Santaniello

User reviews906

Featured review

9/10

I Never Get Tired Of Watching...

I won't go into the story, but it's true, I never tire of this movie---At first i thought Charles Bronson wouldn't be able to keep up with acting heavyweights Henry Fonda and Jason Robards, but Bronson's physical abilities, combined with his minimalist close-ups practically steal the show---His goodness came through in the close-ups toward the movie's end, I thought it was Charles Bronson's greatest screen work.