The Good, the Bad and the Ugly film's production, including acting as narrator. Joe Dante and Leone were also approached to direct and produce the film respectively. Eventually, however, the project was vetoed by Leone, as he did not want the original film's title or characters to be reused, nor did he want to be involved in another Western film. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (, ) is a 1966 Italian epic Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in their respective title roles. Its screenplay was written
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,