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A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe

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A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe
Directed byDamiano Damiani
Screenplay by
Starring
CinematographyGiuseppe Ruzzolini[1]
Edited byNino Baragli[1]
Music byEnnio Morricone[1]
Production
companies
  • Rafran Cinematografica S.p.A.
  • A.M.L.F.
  • Rialto Film Preben Philipsen GmbH & Co. KG[1]
Distributed byTitanus
Release date
  • 16 December 1975 (1975-12-16) (Italy)
Running time
117 minutes[1]
Countries
  • Italy
  • France
  • West Germany[1]

A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (Italian: Un genio, due compari, un pollo) is a 1975 Spaghetti Western comedy film directed by Damiano Damiani. It was co-written and produced by Sergio Leone, who also directed the opening scene.[2][3]

Plot

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Joe Thanks (Terence Hill) is a genius conman. He conducts various schemes with his two friends: Half-breed Steam Engine Bill (Robert Charlebois) and his girlfriend Lucy (Miou-Miou). Lucy loves both men, and they in turn both vie for her affection.

Joe formulates an extremely elaborate plan to steal $300,000 from Major Cabot (Patrick McGoohan), an Indian-hating cavalry man, and in doing so save the Indian land he is trying to steal. Every time the plan seems to be failing, Joe has another trick up his sleeve. The film climaxes with a stagecoach chase and a gigantic explosion.

Cast

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Terence Hill, Miou-Miou and Robert Charlebois during the film shooting (1975)

Production

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The second film produced by Sergio Leone following My Name Is Nobody, it was originally intended as a remake of Bertrand Blier's Going Places in a western setting, but during the screenwriting process it moved towards something different, closer to The Sting.[2] Leone chose Damiano Damiani to direct it, partly for his appreciation of Damiani's western A Bullet for the General, and partly for his recent box office hits, notably Confessions of a Police Captain.[2] Giuliano Montaldo served as second unit director, while Leone himself directed the opening scene.[2] Parts of the film were shot at the San Juan River and Monument Valley in Utah.[4]

The original negative of the film was stolen and never recovered, as Leone refused to pay the ransom. The film was eventually completed printing a new negative from the positive of some sequences and using alternative takes.[2]

Release

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A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe was released in Italy on 16 December 1975.[5] It was released the same day in West Germany on as Nobody ist der Größte ("Nobody is the greatest").[1]

Reception

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The film's box office was disappointing, stopping at 790 million lire in Italy.[2] Leone later claimed to have made "a big mistake" choosing Damiani as director, as Damiani was excellent for drama but lacked humour.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Nobody ist der Größte". Filmportal.de (in German). Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Frayling, Christopher (2012). Sergio Leone: Something to Do with Death. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 363–7. ISBN 978-0-8166-4683-8.
  3. ^ Galbraith IV, Stuart (July 25, 2004). "Un genio, due compare, un pollo (A Genius, Two Partners, and a Dupe)". DVD Talk.
  4. ^ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
  5. ^ Pezzotta, Alberto (2004). Regia Damiano Damiani (in Italian). Cinemazero. p. 272. ISBN 978-88-901218-2-1.
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