Mistakes in Frayling's DVD Commentaries

[drinkanddestroy]

RE: Valerii saying Leone had never been to Almeria before FAFDM: Los Albaricoques is in Almeria; does Valerii also say that Leone never filmed any of the scenes in that village?

[dave jenkins]

RE: Valerii saying Leone had never been to Almeria before FAFDM: Los Albaricoques is in Almeria; does Valerii also say that Leone never filmed any of the scenes in that village?

If so, that would be an astounding claim.

[drinkanddestroy]

If so, that would be an astounding claim.

if that were the case - that Leone didn't direct any of those scenes Valerii says, and also any of the scenes in Los Albericoques – then Leone would literally have not directed (at least) half the movie. I wasn't there, but I find that very hard to believe....

[drinkanddestroy]

 Frayling's audio commentaries to FOD & FAFDM are on YouTube

FOD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQX2M2PpRU

FAFDM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eau7ziWrRY

[stanton]

I just re-watched Fod and also listened to the audio commentary. There are indeed in about 20 min more mistakes than a knowledgeable guy like Frayling should make.

He says that there are no extras in the streets because of the limited budget, but even the cheapest SWs have always crowded streets (actually much too much crowded).
And besides, every SW shot in Spain did not belong to the cheap type of SWs. About 70 % were solely shot in Italy, and Fod looks like Ben Hur compared to the really cheap ones.

He says that the hero of Yojimbo was unlike Eastwood in FoD an established character from other films, but as far as I know there was only Sanjuro, and that was a sequel.

Then there are these usual comparisons with US westerns which are often wrong, or at least not really true. Un-shaved protagonists in US westerns were not the rule of the day, but also not an exception. And surely not a thing never seen in US westerns like Frayling wants us make believe.

His audio commentaries are informative, but he should maybe rework them.

[drinkanddestroy]

He says that there are no extras in the streets because of the limited budget, but even the cheapest SWs have always crowded streets (actually much too much crowded).

You assume that Frayling is wrong that Leone didn't have the money to pay extras just because some SW's that look cheaper than FOD have more extras than FOD does? Well maybe those SW's are cheap in other places - maybe if Leone had used the money on extras, he wouldn't have been able to afford shooting the massacre at the Rio Bravo. The fact that cheaper SW's had crowded streets doesn't necessarily mean that the reason FOD didn't have crowded streets is not due to budget constraints.

[stanton]

They did not only look much cheaper, they were much, much cheaper. 

Every SW shot in Spain was a premium Spag compared to most (if not all) shot in Italy. FoD was not an expensive film, but financial problems aside it wasn't a B-picture either. B-pictures were often shot in one or 2 weeks, but Leone had according to a German book 7 -9 weeks. The budget of FOD was not that low compared to FAFDM and GBU, nor was the shooting period compared to the about 10 weeks of FAFDM and only 12 -13 weeks for GBU.

When Eastwood enters the outer parts of the town there are a few people to spot who instantly seem to hide of fear. I think that it smells like obvious purpose to have an emptied part of the town which is dominated by the Rojos and the Baxters. With only 2 people left, a hotel keeper with no guests and the coffin-maker, the only other person who has a flourishing business (well and maybe the bell ringer, but he seems to belong to the outer parts).
And believe me there would always be some bucks to pay a few extras to run around senselessly in the streets (which is always funny if one observes in westerns in such street scenes all those besides the protagonists). 

With all that in mind it is absurd to assume that money was the reason.

[Novecento]

He says that the hero of Yojimbo was unlike Eastwood in FoD an established character from other films, but as far as I know there was only Sanjuro, and that was a sequel.

Frayling is probably referring to the fact that the concept of a Ronin offering his services as a bodyguard (a Yojimbo) was nothing new. Even Kurosawa's own Seven Samurai is an example of this.

[stanton]

No, it was about Sanjuro being an already established character from other films, while the audience knows nothing about Joe when FoD begins.

[uncknown]

In his interview with Michael Parkinson in 1974, John Wayne talks about Gary Cooper throwing his star to the ground:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFScHRfNrLo

John Wayne:
"...then at the end of the picture, he took the United States Marshal badge, threw it down, stepped on it and walked off. I think those things are just a little bit un-american..."

John Wayne was a flag waving, jingoistic , idiot.
Check out his PLAYBOY interview where he defends the genocide of American Indians 'cuz "they wanted all the land to themselves, they didn't want to share it"
Bruce Marshal

 
 

[Groggy]

Frayling states in STDWD that Jason Robards' only Western pre-OUATITW was A Big Hand for the Little Lady. Strange that he'd remember that one rather than Hour of the Gun.

[uncknown]

FAFDM

H states that Tucumcari is south of the border.
Is it not north of the border?

[dave jenkins]

FAFDM

H states that Tucumcari is south of the border.
Is it not north of the border?

This was previously discussed here: http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/forums/index.php?topic=1878.0

It wouldn't be such a bad mistake if it were just something he said in passing. But Frayling tries to make a point about Leone depicting Mexican settings as being very different from those depicted on the U.S. side, so his point is undermined by his misattribution.

[uncknown]

Thanks Dave.

I purposely phrased my comment as south of the border and north of the border, not Mexico or USA.
As the astute commentators in the linked topic state, NM was barely a territory and years from being a state.

SO, it's a minor 'mistake' if any. More like a territorial  dispute

[dave jenkins]

SO, it's a minor 'mistake' if any. More like a territorial  dispute

Except, as I pointed out, Frayling wants to see Leone making a comment on US vs. Mexican culture using that very territory. But his example doesn't support his position.