Clint Eastwood in the 1960s already becoming very popular in France, labelled as the "new Gary Cooper". In Paris, he met Pierre Rissient and had an affair with actress Catherine Deneuve. Two months later Eastwood began working on "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", the final film of the Dollars trilogy, in which he again played the mysterious Man With No Name character. Lee Van Cleef was brought in again to play a ruthless fortune seeker, while Eli Wallach, a character actor noted for his appearance in "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), was hired to play the cunning Mexican bandit "Tuco", although the role was
Clint Eastwood in the 1960s in the United States until 1967. "A Fistful of Dollars" opened in January, "For a Few Dollars More" in May and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" in December 1967. Some twenty minutes were cut from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", particularly many scenes involving Lee Van Cleef, although Eastwood's remained intact. The trilogy was publicised as James Bond-type entertainment. All three films were successful in American cinemas, and turned Eastwood into a major film star in 1967, particularly "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", which eventually collected $8 million in rental earnings. However, upon release,