I just got these tonight, a gift from a friend!
Two glossy 4" x 6" photos signed by Eli Wallach and both pics from what is, without a doubt, one of the most awesome movies ever made: "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"! Hell he even signed one of them "Tuco"! I cant wait to get these framed and hanging on the wall!!
7 comments:
One of my fav movies. (I think I've told you that before.) In re-watching it through the years, my appreciation of Eli (and Tuco) has really grown. I have often thought he was the star of the show; certainly, without him, it would have been a much more bland affair, with much less impact.
Which brings up a question that's plagued me ever since the sixties. It's been so long I don't even remember which movie it was in. But why did that guy call The Man With No Name "Blondie" when Eastwood obviously wasn't blonde?
you got me on that one! i've thought the same thing for years too! It was indeed in TGTB&TU that Tuco kept calling him "Blondie" and Lee Van Cleef's character referred to him as Tuco's "Golden-haired (guardian) Angel" as well. In one other scene Tuco describes him thusly "He's tall, he's got blonde hair, he smokes a cigar and he's a pig!"
maybe compared to all the Italians in the film he WAS considered blonde??
Hey, maybe they originally intended the role for Klaus Kinski.
Kinski was actually in one of them, For A Few Dollars More, if I remember correctly.
I never even blinked at Tuco calling his partner/nemesis "Blondie". He's blonde enough, especially to a swarthy bandit.
"The Man With No name" is not the character's "name", and this moniker does not appear in any of Leone's films. It was something made up by marketing men in (I believe) the U.S.A. Blondie is Blondie.
true, Kinski played a hunchback, part of Indio's gang in that one. the scene when Lee Van Cleef strikes a match on him is priceless!
also true that the only time you here the phrase "Man with No Name" is on the trailer's for U.S. release (to the best of my knowledge anyway).
Blonde by comparison to be sure.
--in the right light, he is arguably very dark dishwater blonde and always fairer complexioned/colored.
--dirty hair is always darkened
--Let's face it, "blondeness" is too often judged by it's likeness to the coloring of tow-headed children and various pin-up icons -- yet both of these types sport shades rarely surviving too long after the bottle has been tossed.
Also, if "Blondie" (and more obviously "Golden-haired Angel") is used derisively, perhaps even derogatorily, then that's enough explanation for me. Both uses gain impact from determined exagerration and slanted accuracy.
Just my two cents... ;) j
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