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A Fistful of Dollars / Original FOD script by Victor A. Catena & Jaime Comas Gil
« on: October 03, 2020, 02:56:57 AM »
The original FOD script (RAY EL MAGNIFICO) by the Spanish writers Victor A. Catena & Jaime Comas Gil gives incredible insight into the plot of a FOD. First, there is a prologue (Texas, 1861) describing a mother and boy of age 10. They hear gun shots coming from a saloon and then a man comes outside clutching his chest and falls to the muddy ground (it is raining heavily). The woman falls to her knees to attend her husband. The dark-clothed killer comes out of the saloon, puffs on a cigar and heads off. He is followed by the young boy, JOE, who later shoots the killer in the chest at point blank range.
The main plot then begins (North Mexico (border province), 1872). It is basically the same as in the film, except there are extra scenes and numerous small differences. The script describes how the protagonist, RAY, acquires his poncho, hat, and mule. The protagonist crosses a river and hears a man singing in the distance. A middle-aged Mexican man, dressed only in boxer shorts, is on a river bank singing merrily. A boot comes into the camera frame and propels the man into the cold river. A hand takes the Mexican man's poncho. This scene was shot and can be scene in the unused takes recently presented to Cineteca di Bologna by the Leone family (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3X4H8WYFi4). Next, RAY steals a hat from a man who is sleeping beside a tree. He takes the hat and replaces it with his own worn out hat. The man continues to sleep. RAY then steals a mule from a Mexican who is about to hook his mule to a cart full of clay pots of various sizes. His hand is seen taking a stone from under the cart wheel. The cart begins to roll down the hill and the highly distressed Mexican chases it. After the Mexican finally catches up with his cart, he looks back and sees that his mule has disappeared.
At some point, the protagonist is finally seen from the front. He is about 35 years old and has a 3-day beard. He smokes a cigar and it is stressed that he has a slow, lazy, and calm manner. This coolness unsettles the pistoleros during the confrontation at the Baxters (called the "Morales" in the script). RAY carries two revolvers in the script.
I have only digitized/analyzed the first 50 pages (the script (in Spanish) is about 200 pages long). It is clear that Catena and Gil had a clear concept of how the protagonist would "look" and "behave". The poncho, 3-day beard, cigar, and cool, calm, calculated nature of the protagonist etc were all clearly described in the script.
The main plot then begins (North Mexico (border province), 1872). It is basically the same as in the film, except there are extra scenes and numerous small differences. The script describes how the protagonist, RAY, acquires his poncho, hat, and mule. The protagonist crosses a river and hears a man singing in the distance. A middle-aged Mexican man, dressed only in boxer shorts, is on a river bank singing merrily. A boot comes into the camera frame and propels the man into the cold river. A hand takes the Mexican man's poncho. This scene was shot and can be scene in the unused takes recently presented to Cineteca di Bologna by the Leone family (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3X4H8WYFi4). Next, RAY steals a hat from a man who is sleeping beside a tree. He takes the hat and replaces it with his own worn out hat. The man continues to sleep. RAY then steals a mule from a Mexican who is about to hook his mule to a cart full of clay pots of various sizes. His hand is seen taking a stone from under the cart wheel. The cart begins to roll down the hill and the highly distressed Mexican chases it. After the Mexican finally catches up with his cart, he looks back and sees that his mule has disappeared.
At some point, the protagonist is finally seen from the front. He is about 35 years old and has a 3-day beard. He smokes a cigar and it is stressed that he has a slow, lazy, and calm manner. This coolness unsettles the pistoleros during the confrontation at the Baxters (called the "Morales" in the script). RAY carries two revolvers in the script.
I have only digitized/analyzed the first 50 pages (the script (in Spanish) is about 200 pages long). It is clear that Catena and Gil had a clear concept of how the protagonist would "look" and "behave". The poncho, 3-day beard, cigar, and cool, calm, calculated nature of the protagonist etc were all clearly described in the script.