For a Few Dollars More (NR, 1967)

The follow-up to the landmark Italian Western A Fistful of Dollars, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE continues the story of the enigmatic, edgy good guy, the "Man with No Name" Clint Eastwood. Around the time of the Civil War, No Name (whose name is finally revealed to be Manko) is a cruel-eyed bounty hunter who brings in outlaws for money, dead or alive. But there's another bounty hunter in the El Paso region, Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), who's a top marksman. Both he and Manko are going after the same outlaw gang, a crew of bank robbers run by the dastardly Indio (Gian Maria Volonte). After the two bounty hunters size each other up as rivals, they decide to partner up and divide the profits in busting the desperados.

Judged by some fans as better than the original, this sequel feels like a longer ride in the saddle with a tangled and flashback-confused plotline. Somewhat tedious and lengthy complications ensue as Eastwood's character infiltrates the gang. Plus, fragments of Indio's back story try to fill in why the vengeful Mortimer wants to get him most of all. It helps to know that a music box-like tune heard throughout the picture isn't simply part of the background soundtrack, but a musical watch (that can be heard clear across the desert) and a major clue.

As in A Fistful of Dollars, the movie plays a numbers game, only it's not Eastwood manipulating the outlaws into killing one another so he can handle the dwindled survivors. Instead, Indio tries to arrange for the bounty hunters to kill as many of his own posse as possible, so there are fewer bandits to share the stolen bank loot ... a scheme that might leave Indio at a certain disadvantage in the long run.

Studio: MGM/UA
Director: Sergio Leone
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Mara Krupp
Genre: Western
Run time: 130 minutes
Theatrical release: May 10, 1967
DVD release: July 28, 1998
MPAA Rating: NR