Sergio Leone's renown as a filmmaker rests upon a handful of films, most notably the three Westerns he made with Clint Eastwood in the mid-1960s: A Fistful of Dollars (1964). For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1966). While the success of these movies ensured Leone's reputation, his subsequent films-including the American gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984)-would solidify Leone's place as one of the great visionaries of his time.

In this enhanced revision of Once Upon a Time The Films of Sergio Leone, Robert C. Cumbow examines the work of this Italian filmmaker who made his mark re-envisioning the American Western. This volume includes a greatly expanded introduction and contains newly revised essays in which Cumbow analyzes the transition from "peplum" films to Westerns in the Italian popular tradition. It also examines each of Leone's major films as director, as well as the swan song Western My Name Is Nobody, which Leone co-wrote and guided as producer. Cumbow also studies Leone's compositional style and the influence of Catholicism and the Italian grand opera tradition on his work. He provides a critical evaluation of Leone's style in reshaping the Western genre (and later, the crime film), as well as an assessment of the influences on Leone's work and his continuing impact on contemporary filmmakers.

Additional features of this book include thumbnail commentaries on the professionals who most frequently made up Leone's cast and crew and an entire chapter devoted to composer Ennio Morricone. The bibliography, discography, and filmography are completely updated for this new edition. For fans and scholars seeking an illuminatingdiscussion of his work. The Films of Sergio Leone provides a critical appreciation of this master stylist.

About the Author:
Robert C. Cumbow is the author of Order in the Universe: The Films of John Carpenter (Scarecrow, 2000)