Clint Eastwood’s Revolutionary Western Was Almost Killed By A Lawsuit

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Clint Eastwood became a major star with the release of his famous Western film in January 1967, though it nearly wasn’t distributed in the United States. After appearing on the TV show Rawhide, Eastwood was given the opportunity to lead Western movies in theaters. He negotiated specific conditions that ultimately led to his role in the film that made him famous.

The film A Fistful of Dollars actually premiered in Italy three years before it reached American audiences. The delay stemmed from a dispute with Akira Kurosawa, the renowned Japanese director famous for movies like The Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Kurosawa believed the film closely copied his own work.

Clint Eastwood’s Dollars Trilogy Debuted In America In January 1967

Sergio Leone became famous for creating spaghetti Westerns, and his 1967 film, A Fistful of Dollars, launched the genre in America. The movie starred Clint Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who wanders into a small, frightened town. The town is caught between a violent feud between two powerful families, and the innocent people are suffering the consequences.

Eastwood’s first leading role was in a film where his character manipulated two struggling families, pitting them against each other. This carefully crafted scheme led to their downfall, ultimately rescuing the town. The movie was known for its violence, and Eastwood specifically requested that his character be complex and morally ambiguous, not a traditional hero.

Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood decided the character known as the Man With No Name shouldn’t be a traditional hero like John Wayne. Instead, he was a man who acted according to his own moral code, even if it meant breaking the law. He wasn’t afraid to use violence when necessary, but he always targeted those he considered truly evil.

The film’s success launched Sergio Leone’s career and led to a celebrated Western trilogy. He continued with For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, all starring Clint Eastwood. While each film featured Eastwood as a different character, they all shared a similar persona often referred to as ‘The Man With No Name’.

I remember learning that this film almost never made it to the US! It turns out American distributors were really hesitant to show it here, and it actually took three years after its German release for it to finally come out in America. Apparently, they were worried that Akira Kurosawa might sue them, which held everything up!

The Movie Premiered In 1964 In Italy But Was Delayed Due To Lawsuit Fears

When Leone’s film came out in Italy in 1964, it created a significant issue. He was a relatively unknown director at the time, which made it difficult to find international distribution. The problem became even bigger when Kurosawa watched the film and discovered it had the same plot as one he’d already made.

In 1961, Akira Kurosawa directed the film Yojimbo. The story follows a lone samurai who arrives in a small town torn apart by a conflict between two rival gangs. He cleverly plays both sides, manipulating the gangs to fight each other and ultimately rescuing the town from their violence.

It’s obvious that Sergio Leone was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and created a very similar film, but set in the American West. This was a rare occurrence back then, and Toho, the company that distributed Yojimbo, actually sued Leone. He continued making the movie despite the lawsuit, and they eventually reached an agreement where he shared the profits with Toho.

The legal issues made it much more difficult for Leone to distribute his film internationally. It took over a year for it to reach cinemas in West Germany and Spain – a country where it had been co-produced. Ultimately, it wasn’t until three years after its debut in Italy that the film finally premiered in North America.

Patrick McGilligan’s biography, Clint: The Life and Legend, explains that American distributors were worried Akira Kurosawa might sue them, which is why no one initially wanted to release his film. It finally premiered in the United States on January 18, 1967, and became a success.

After Italian Critics Hated The Film, It Became A Landmark For America’s Western Genre

The early reception of A Fistful of Dollars in Italy was overwhelmingly negative, nearly derailing the film. Italian critics strongly disliked it, criticizing its violence as excessive, the plot as silly, and the film overall as lacking emotion. They also panned the music, describing it as dull and lifeless.

Ennio Morricone’s iconic score is still a favorite part of the film, and the movie continues to be enjoyed by audiences. Reviews were quite different when it first came out – American critics loved its playful and ironic style, while Italian critics had other views. Ultimately, the film has proven to be timeless.

With a remarkable 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 91% audience approval based on over 50,000 votes, A Fistful of Dollars is a critically and popularly acclaimed film. It transformed Clint Eastwood into a Western legend and signaled a fresh direction for Westerns, moving beyond the style of classic stars like John Wayne.

Interestingly, a legal dispute nearly prevented the film from being released in the United States. Later, The Magnificent Seven was directly based on Seven Samurai, but its producers properly secured the rights to do so. Had Leone done the same, A Fistful of Dollars could have had an even wider release.

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2026-01-19 00:39