Once Upon a Time in the West

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

7 mistakes since 25 May '19, 00:00

(7 votes)

Factual error: As Martha is lying the table near the beginning, she is singing Danny Boy. The song was published in 1913, long after the time period of the movie.

Other mistake: When the three men meet Harmonica at the railroad station, Woody Strode removes his duster and the shootout occurs. When Harmonica meets Cheyenne and his henchman at the outpost, they are wearing three dusters, each with a bullet hole in them. How could there be a bullet hole in three dusters when Woody Strode removed his before the shootout?

Visible crew/equipment: When Fonda and his men leave the train on horseback, after capturing Harmonica guy, the whole ground is covered with automobile tire tracks. (01:29:36)

Other mistake: When Claudia Cardinale first gets off the train station clock has the time as 7:55. When she looks at her watch the time on it is around 10:10.

Factual error: The camera rises up the side and over the roof of the Rail Road Office. The roof of the RR office looked like it was 100 years old. It would have leaked like a sieve all over. That RR office would have been a beautiful new building as it was on the interior scenes at that time.

Other mistake: With Harmonica secured in the train, Frank states he will handle 'the woman' personally. As he rides off with some men while the train pulls away, in the foreground modern vehicle tyre tracks can be seen in the dirt. (01:30:00)

Frank: What do you want? Who are ya?
Harmonica: Dave Jenkins.
Frank: Dave Jenkins is dead a long time ago.
Harmonica: Calder Benson.
Frank: What's your name? Benson's dead, too.
Harmonica: You ought to know, Frank, better than anyone. You killed 'em.

More quotes from Once Upon a Time in the West

Trivia: While Morton's private train plays a key role in the movie, and the train moves several times, the train's engineer and fireman are never shown, nor is any reference ever made to them.

More trivia for Once Upon a Time in the West

Question: There's a few things I didn't understand in this film: 1) What's the deal with Jill? Did she really love Mr. McBain or did she just marry for money etc? 2) After she sees the McBain's bodies, why does Jill search the house? Is she checking to see whether anything was stolen? 3) When Jill meets Harmonica in the barn, why does he rip her dress? 4) What's whole thing with Jill and Frank near the end? What exactly happens?

Answer: 1) Jill is a prostitute from New Orleans. She seeks out a new life out West. Love is irrelevant here. 2) She was promised a country living, a family, and wealth. That's why she is looking not only for money or gold but also for the reason her family was killed. 3) So Leone can show her beautiful body. 4) She's saving her life. She's a prostitute and I guess she knows how to fake it. Remember: "There's nothing that can't washed off by a hot bath".

Answer: "Leone fools us into thinking that Harmonica is a criminal and sexual predator in the scene in Jill's barn in which Harmonica rips off the white lace beneath the bodice of Jill's dress. This act, that seems to betoken sexual aggression and to anticipate rape, is actually one of protection. Harmonica represents no more of a sexual threat than Cheyenne does. What Harmonica realises, and Jill does not, is that Frank's sharpshooters wait for her in the hills above her house and that the white of her dress makes her an easy target. He might have explained this situation more carefully to her, of course, but Leone's characters seem to almost thrive on, or to court, ill opinion. Moreover, when Harmonica's shots ring out at the well and Jill realises he is actually intent on protecting rather than brutalizing her, the effect is all the more dramatic for his having given her no hint of his intentions. Leone's heroes do not like to wear their morality on their sleeves." (John Fawell).

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