The success of OUTW

[stanton]

As we all know OUTW was far less successful in the USA than the Dollar trilogy (which was not as successful in the USA as many think). It made only about 1 mio $, which is not that bad for a foreign film, but then it wasn't marketed as a foreign film.
It seems OUTW did not make much money in the Uk either, but there was only a butchered version shown (146 min), while in the USA OUTW started at least for a short time in the uncut version.

In its homeland Italy OUTW was a success with about 8 mio tickets sold. Of the Spags only the 2 Trinity films and the Dollar trilogy made more money, but then considerably more.

The other Leones:

FAFDM : 14,5 mio
FOD : 14,1 mio
GBU : 12 mio
MNIN : 8 mio
DYS : 6,1 mio (# 15 of all Spagies)

But OUTW went really through the roof in France and Germany.
In Germany it is still the 3rd most successful film since 1963, more admissions than every Potter, Bond, Rings, Star Bores movie. And in France it is # 7 since 1945, also bigger than every Potter, Rings etc flic.

So it happens to be, and that is a big exception, one of the biggest hits in some countries, and a real flop in others.

It would be interesting to know how successful OUTW was theatrically in other countries, maybe some members here from around the world can contribute some data.

[noodles_leone]

In Germany it is still the 3rd most successful film since 1966, more admissions than every Potter, Bond, Rings, Star Bores movie. And in France it is # 7 since 1945, also bigger than every Potter, Rings etc flic.

Wow! Still the third most successful nowadays? That's amazing. In France, it was still #5 (all time) a few years ago, but then came 2 French movies (a terrible one and a kind of ok one) that kicked it out of the top 5. It's now #7 in admissions.

So, as of today (these figures are still rising since they're the accumulated box office since the release):

FRANCE

FOD: 4.4 millions
FFDM: 4.2 millions
GBU: 6.3 millions (somewhere between #80 and #90)
OUATITW: 14.9 millions (#7)
DYS: 4.7 millions
OUATIA: 1.2 millions (I thought it was above the 2 millions landmark)

MNIN: 4.7 millions (#2 that year, only beaten by Rabbi Jacob)

On a side note, I just realized FOD and FAFDM were both released in 66 in France, which explains why my father always told me he had seen these 2 films in theater in a very short amount of time. They're respectively #4 and #7 at the French box office if you only count films that were released in 66. I'd say their rank was pretty similar back then.

Since IMDB isn't strong for figure outside of the US, you non-american guys should be able to easily find the same figures for your respective country by being smart with this URL:

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box-office_France_1973

[Cusser]

As we all know OUTW was far less successful in the USA than the Dollar trilogy.

I've been in Arizona since early 1967.  GBU played here in Phoenix first run in June 1968, and maybe a half-year later Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More were released as a double feature, believe they had not played here before then either.

When Once Upon a Time in the West was released, it played in a very small 3rd-rate theater in Phoenix (Tower Plaza, for those interested), and for just a short time, that's where I saw it, so I think distribution and marketing issues play a big factor in its lack of commercial success (which should be tallied by number of viewers, as opposed to dollars).  It was mostly the long version, with just a few minutes removed.  In 1985, one of the local "art" theaters showed the complete version, and they gave out sheets describing what had been restored for that showing; included stuff like Harmonica waking up on the train station platform after being wounded, etc.

By the way: watch again the beginning after Harmonica gets off the train; the close ups show Strode and Elam from the front, but not Mulloch as he had just killed himself at the hotel.

[dave jenkins]

But OUTW went really through the roof in France and Germany.
In Germany it is still the 3rd most successful film since 1966, more admissions than every Potter, Bond, Rings, Star Bores movie. And in France it is # 7 since 1945, also bigger than every Potter, Rings etc flic.

This is amazing. I guess we know where the really big Western fans are.

[mike siegel]

Regarding admissions, OUATITW was surpassed in Germany only by another Italian western, CONTINUAVANO A CHIAMARLO TRINITA and Disney's JUNGLE BOOK, before the TITANIC sank.

[stanton]

Regarding admissions, OUATITW was surpassed in Germany only by another Italian western, CONTINUAVANO A CHIAMARLO TRINITA and Disney's JUNGLE BOOK, before the TITANIC sank.

Not according to the InsideKino.de site. But the numbers for both films are not exact. OUTW is noted with about 13 mio admissions, the 2nd Trinita with 12,3 mio (#6 in the list, with Dr. Zhivago and the first Potter between them.)

But in Italy the 2nd Trinita beat all Leone films. Some say that was the reason for Leone to make Nobody. Well, I hope he had better reasons.

[mike siegel]

A lot of tickets
I have a Filmecho / Filmwoche from 1999 as I recall, remembered the ratings / numbers from there. Also Boxoffice.de, a fun page...

[Cusser]

This is amazing. I guess we know where the really big Western fans are.

My brother was in Germany in 1973; he said Once Upon a Time (Spiel Mir das Lied vom Tot, Play Me the Song of Death) was still playing, every night, in the city where he was.


Timmy looks scared here, and looks like a midget.

[mike siegel]

In Stuttgart it played from approx. 1979 - 1984 in one cinema. When I started out working & decorating in cinemas as a boy we had to exchange the lobby cards which had faded about 95%, being in display for years. They looked as yellow as the Almaria locations .

[stanton]

Some more details about the big success of OUTW in Germany, where Leone's little shit film sold over 13 mio tickets theatrically.

I always assumed that it wasn't a hit from the beginning on, that it probably looked odd for many at the beginning, but then it build slowly a reputation. I still don't know how many watched it in the first release year, but half of the admissions came from the years 1974 - 1976 and the lille fucker still sold 2,5 mio tickets from 1980 to 1984 (1983 was the year of the VHS release, which came comparatively late)

[titoli]

Some more use about the big success of OUTW in Germany,

Which, at the time, was only West Germany.