Release OrderRecommended
0 / 3 watchedThe three films in release order. Story order would put the third film first, but release order is the accepted watch.
- 1 A Fistful of Dollars Directed by Sergio Leone. 'Joe' plays two smuggling families against each other in San Miguel. An unlicensed remake of Yojimbo (1961).
- 2 For a Few Dollars More Directed by Sergio Leone. Bounty hunter 'Manco' teams with Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) to hunt El Indio.
- 3 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Directed by Sergio Leone. 'Blondie,' Angel Eyes, and Tuco chase buried gold during the Civil War. Set earliest; released last.
About Dollars Trilogy
Sergio Leone directed three spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood as a poncho wearing gunslinger. A Fistful of Dollars (1964) follows Kurosawa's Yojimbo closely enough that Toho sued; For a Few Dollars More (1965) pairs Eastwood with Lee Van Cleef; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) adds Eli Wallach's Tuco. Ennio Morricone scored all three.
Release order is the intended viewing order. The films share a lead actor and a mood rather than a plot, and the 'Man with No Name' branding was invented by United Artists to sell them as a trilogy. Eastwood's characters are actually named Joe, Manco, and Blondie.
Good to know
Ordering quirk, stated plainly: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is set during the American Civil War (1861-1865), which puts it earliest in story time even though it was released last. The other two films carry no firm dates. Because continuity between entries is thin, some viewers treat the third film as a prequel. Watch in release order regardless; nothing in the earlier films requires it.
