original 'Good, Bad Ugly' novilisation, by Joe Millard

[marqkin]

I've had a copy of the original 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' novilisation paperback for many years now. Written by the author, Joe Millard, it was (as they have nowadays) a movie/tie-in with the release of the film in the late 1960's. Re-printed many times (my copy is dated a re-print from 1970), the book is unique for a very simple reason....
Last night, after browsing through a wonderful book called 'Once Upon A Time in the Italian West' (written by author Howard Hughes), I discovered that the original paperback novilisation of 'GBU' is actually based upon the original Italian shooting script for the film. The book itself, of course, is not set out in 'script form', but is does include all the scenes that were cut out of the film for international release (i.e. Angel Eyes visits the abandoned fort etc.).
I know that there are many fans out there who would like to get their hands on an original, or re-production copy of the original shooting scripts..
...for the mean-time, I would recommend hunting down a copy of the Joe Millard novilisation. Usually, these can be found at reasonable prices on EBay. Hope this is of interest to a few amigos...
Adios...
Marqkin...

[dave jenkins]

This is interesting. The Confederate Fort sequence has been restored to the film, but I would be interested in descriptions of other scenes that have been lost to us (like the Socorro sequence). Any help you can provide along that line would be appreciated.

[Jordan Krug]

Ok, when I orginally read the novel, I made point form notes of the interesting differences, additions......some of them I don't remember in detail, I'll have to read the book again to elaborate, if I listed it, it means it's different then the movie ....vague but here you go....

1. pg. 7-14 ...the actual heist & burying of the gold by Jackson & the trial

2. no beginning scene with Tuco

3. pg. 25-26 You witness the rope shoot planning between Tuco and Blondie

4. pg. 29-30 Blondie lets the horses loose

5. pg. 31-32 Tuco rides off on horse

6. pg. 48-51 Sentenza watching the battle

7. No 3 mexicans....(with chicken scene I mean)

8. pg. 61-62 Sentenza talks to wounded soldier from 3rd regiment

9. pg. 63-65 Tuco and 4 bandits try to sneak up on Blondie

10. pg. 65 Sentenza  steals army clothes

11. pg. 74 Tuco puts clothes on blondie

12. pg. 86 arrival at camp

13. pg. 99-100 extra questioning about Carson name

14. 105 - 106 extended deal making between Blondie and Sentenza

15. no gun during Tuco/train jumping scene

16. 111-112 extra dialog with dead Wallace

17. 113-114 two train man on board "mighty maude" see Tuco get run over

18. 117-118 extra dialog between Tuco and Blondie during arrival in bombed out town. Hank (one of sentenza's men) and Blondie square off.

19. chap 16 gunfights are plotted out differently

20. 141-142 encounter with the dying soldier is different

21. 145-146 Sentenza waits at the cemetary

22. 146-149 Tuco and Blondie talk and work together to find the grave

23. Tuco doesn't participate in the duel - he counts!

[moviesceleton]

23. Tuco doesn't participate in the duel - he counts!

[The Firecracker]

14. 105 - 106 extended deal making between Blondie and Sentenza

can this be the often mentioned Sentenza and Blondie having  (what seems to be) a picnic?

No joke.

AE has a knife in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other.

[archangel]

i remember reading this paperback in 1968, whilst i was on tour with my band.
excellent, and i was a little let down when i saw GBU (serious cuts) in Sydney, a year later.

[titoli]

I found a copy in Paris and read it in a couple of hours (it takes less than watching the movie).
I want to add some points to those made by Krug:

1) AE retains the original name. This is important and makes me wonder what an american reader would make out of the italian name.
2) When they meet the Union soldiers Whitey says to Tuco to hide. But Tuco is sure they are Confederates. I can't remember whether Eastwood gives the same advice.
3) One of Sentenza's sidekicks in the concentration camp is called "Sambrell".
4) Tuco doesn't react to his brother's criticism and Whitey doesn't hear the dialogue.
5) Tuco has no gang until his second chance with Whitey. that means that the gang's ascent of the hotel's stairway in the movie was thought up later.
6) Tuco is acquainted with Sentenza because they were sometime outlaws together.
7) Whitey wears poncho when he leaves the camp with Sentenza
Tuco finds his gun with no cartridges after he finds Stanton's grave and tries to kill Whitey
9) Whitey challenges Sentenza to see who's  faster.

Most of these differences explain better things and make more sense of what the cinematic plot delivers. But they sure aren't as effective as the scenes thought up by Leone: presumably on the set.

[cigar joe]

I found a copy in Paris and read it in a couple of hours (it takes less than watching the movie).
I want to add some points to those made by Krug:

1) AE retains the original name. This is important and makes me wonder what an american reader would make out of the italian name.
2) When they meet the Union soldiers Whitey says to Tuco to hide. But Tuco is sure they are Confederates. I can't remember whether Eastwood gives the same advice.
3) One of Sentenza's sidekicks in the concentration camp is called "Sambrell".
4) Tuco doesn't react to his brother's criticism and Whitey doesn't hear the dialogue.
5) Tuco has no gang until his second chance with Whitey. that means that the gang's ascent of the hotel's stairway in the movie was thought up later.
6) Tuco is acquainted with Sentenza because they were sometime outlaws together.
7) Whitey wears poncho when he leaves the camp with Sentenza
Tuco finds his gun with no cartridges after he finds Stanton's grave and tries to kill Whitey
9) Whitey challenges Sentenza to see who's  faster.

Most of these differences explain better things and make more sense of what the cinematic plot delivers. But they sure aren't as effective as the scenes thought up by Leone: presumably on the set.

Then it was probably novelized from the original script, and not the shooting script. 

[Jordan Krug]

Awesome, thanks for adding to the list!

I found a copy in Paris and read it in a couple of hours (it takes less than watching the movie).
I want to add some points to those made by Krug:

1) AE retains the original name. This is important and makes me wonder what an american reader would make out of the italian name.
2) When they meet the Union soldiers Whitey says to Tuco to hide. But Tuco is sure they are Confederates. I can't remember whether Eastwood gives the same advice.
3) One of Sentenza's sidekicks in the concentration camp is called "Sambrell".
4) Tuco doesn't react to his brother's criticism and Whitey doesn't hear the dialogue.
5) Tuco has no gang until his second chance with Whitey. that means that the gang's ascent of the hotel's stairway in the movie was thought up later.
6) Tuco is acquainted with Sentenza because they were sometime outlaws together.
7) Whitey wears poncho when he leaves the camp with Sentenza
Tuco finds his gun with no cartridges after he finds Stanton's grave and tries to kill Whitey
9) Whitey challenges Sentenza to see who's  faster.

Most of these differences explain better things and make more sense of what the cinematic plot delivers. But they sure aren't as effective as the scenes thought up by Leone: presumably on the set.

[dave jenkins]

3) One of Sentenza's sidekicks in the concentration camp is called "Sambrell".

[titoli]

Then it was probably novelized from the original script, and not the shooting script. 

Do we know for certain there was a shooting script? I never got into the matter, but I have the impression that especially the final scene was thought up impromptu on the set. I think that Leone realized Wallach had played a Tuco  far from the completely bad character he's in the novel and decided to alter both the "brother" and especially the final scene. That does explain why there wasn't a logical development abetted by a discussion with Vincenzoni or Donati about some illogical behaviour, like Sentenza's accepting a triello. I feel it was simply a decision taken by Leone when he found himself on such a beautiful set like Sad Hill: he wouldn't waste it with a simple duel.

[Lil Brutto]

It's been far too long since I read Millard's novel and I didn't note the differences so thanks for posting this info. From what Jordan and titoli have listed above, I feel SL improved on the original script for a more impressive film. For example, I feel that Blondie likely spared Tuco and left him with half of the money out of sympathy for him after witnessing the exchange between Tuco and his brother. I can't see why he'd do that after nearly being killed by Tuco in the desert.

[cigar joe]

Do we know for certain there was a shooting script? I never got into the matter, but I have the impression that especially the final scene was thought up impromptu on the set. I think that Leone realized Wallach had played a Tuco  far from the completely bad character he's in the novel and decided to alter both the "brother" and especially the final scene. That does explain why there wasn't a logical development abetted by a discussion with Vincenzoni or Donati about some illogical behaviour, like Sentenza's accepting a triello. I feel it was simply a decision taken by Leone when he found himself on such a beautiful set like Sad Hill: he wouldn't waste it with a simple duel.

That's what I meant, I think the "shooting script" is what was actually shot after the fact (the final draft),  for legal purposes, so that would have the impromptu changes, while the original script would not.

[Dust Devil]

But they sure aren't as effective as the scenes thought up by Leone: presumably on the set.

This.

[cigar joe]

This.

That, yes, that is why that novelization doesn't contain them. I wonder what the process was realizing that novelization, it would be another interesting tidbit for the Leone board.