My Name Is Nobody (1974)

My Name is Nobody

This is a clasic movie starring Terance Hill. You will not be disappointed. ZKinda goes along side his Trinity movies November 26, 2008

Pass the torch, throw the pie

So here's a quote: "I see it clear as crystal. Jack Beauregard, standing alone, facing the Wild Bunch." That sentence, as uttered by the greatest admirer of infamous, aging gunfighter Jack Beauregard, encapsulates the movie's premise.

1899, and Beauregard yearns to hang up his guns and sail off into the sunset (man's even got the ship picked out, set to shove off in slightly over two weeks). Except that his biggest fan, a flashy young quickdraw artist calling himself "Nobody," just won't let him go out like that, not without one last splashy hurrah. And, somehow, Nobody manages to orchestrate an epic shoot-em-'up between Beauregard and the 150 grim pistoleros who make up the Wild Bunch. But even that, as it turns out, wouldn't be Beauregard's final showdown.

Some bloke named Tonino Valerii gets screen credit for directing this one, but, let's just be honest, in its flavor and sensibilities, MY NAME IS NOBODY is a straight-up Sergio Leone western (word is that Valerii resented Leone for pretty much taking over a chunk of his directorial duties). This is one of the final spaghetti westerns Leone would be involved in, and this would've been a good one to go out on, except that he then went and stuck his nose into the inferior A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe, which also starred Terence Hill playing a very similar character to Nobody. Anyway, with MY NAME IS NOBODY, Sergio Leone does get credit for coming up with the story concept, but then goes uncredited onscreen for executive producing the thing and for directing a few scenes here and there. Still, he leaves his mark all over the picture.

The first time I saw this film, I was wracked with suspense. Terence Hill's performance is opaque enough that you're not quite certain if Nobody truly places Beauregard on such a high pedestal or if he's actually setting him up for a one-on-one showdown, so as to claim the rep of being the West's top gun? Having already made the popular Trinity films, Hill was sought out for this role. And dude here is like Bugs Bunny come to life; his performance is, on the surface, the most memorable. But as fun as Terence Hill is as the playful "Nobody" and as much as I relished his Three Stooges shenanigans, it's Henry Fonda who puts the heart into the film and who makes the film resonate. There's an elegiac feel to the film, of the old west fading out and giving way to a more modern era. And this is embodied by the tired and weathered Beauregard passing the torch to his eager, young acquaintance Nobody. Fonda's underplaying balances out Hill's over-the-top routines. It's fine work Fonda does, and I get a kick out of his quietly perplexed and bemused reactions to Nobody. And, yet, as good as he is here, Fonda was even better in Once Upon a Time in the West (talk about elegiac!).

There are some striking moments, and also some just plain oddball stuff. There's one funny sequence in which Nobody saunters thru a town on what must have been carnival day. And watch for the saloon drinking game ("Can I do it with milk?" wails Nobody), which culminates with Nobody demonstrating his slap-draw skills. One weird scene I didn't dig too much is the scuffle in the mirror funhouse. Another classic, of course, is Nobody taking on some ruffians with a wooden dummy. And there's also an indecipherable parable about a little birdie and a cowpie...

There's even a little dig at director Sam Peckinpah.

MY NAME IS NOBODY (or MIO NOME E NESSUNO, as they say in Italy) wouldn't be halfway as effective if not for composer Ennio Morricone's contributions. Here, Morricone incorporates echoes of his scoring from past Leone classics. And, since this is a comedy, note that the Wild Bunch's ominous appearances are heralded by a theme score injected with an impish Ride of the Valkyries riff. Weird, but cool.

Blazing guns, and pies flung thru the air. And the film even demonstrates one sure-fire course of action you can take to make sure the barber doesn't cut your throat while he's giving you a shave. There's silliness and a theatrical playfulness, and both tempered with a mythic element and a certain sadness. Which isn't at all easy to pull off. Yet, Henry Fonda and Terence Hill make it work, as does Sergio Leone (what, is Tonino Valerii still gritting his teeth?).

And, lastly, does anyone get that story about the little birdie and the cowpie? I'm still a bit flummoxed... November 20, 2008

good clean funny western

My Name Is Nobody
This is a good clean western that provided great entertainment value, it was also very funny (old humour) good picture and sound quality for the time.We are pleased to add this film to our collection.
Rob & Clo

September 28, 2008

Nobody Does It Better

Jack Beauregard is a legendary gunslinger who's hanging up his pistols and sailing to Europe to live out the rest of his days in peace. That's until Nobody shows up and begins stalking him. Jack can't figure out why Nobody is constantly around and becomes increasingly frustrated with him, unsure if he's friend or foe. Nobody is probably the fastest gun alive, but a total buffoon and a klutz.....or is he? He may be a goof, but Nobody has a plan and he's determined to see it through. He's idolized Jack all his life and can't accept Jack simply going out with a whimper. He wants to make Jack a legend by having him do something extraordinary. His plan(part of it anyway) is to have Jack face off with a gang of 150 outlaws. Most of the film is Nobody's attempts to lure Jack into this situation, as well as getting into a few misadventures of his own. Naturally, Jack doesn't share this enthusiasm and spends most of the film trying to elude that situation. Through this series of events a strange and almost heartwarming friendship develops.
This is a great comedy spaghetti western. Yes, the comedy is a bit hit and miss. Some of it's dead on while other parts are downright silly(I personally don't care for the sped up camera technique when Nobody slaps people around or draws his gun). Regardless of how funny you think the movie is, it's a very good story and a good movie all around. Fonda's wonderful as the aging gunfighter, almost as good as his villain role in Once Upon A Time In The West. Terence Hill, best known for the Trinity films(and don't forget Superfuzz!!), is kind of a comedic version of Franco Nero(he certainly looks like him). He's good with facial expressions and physical comedy, yet you can also buy him as a gunfighter. Sergio Leone produces and provided the story, and his presence is definitely felt even though he didn't direct. Morricone's excellent soundtrack solidifies this. If you dig the spaghetti westerns, don't pass this up. March 19, 2008

Classic Spaghetti Western

If you like Sergio Leoni Spaghetti Westerns, This is a classic. They even used the "Slap Scene" in a recent TV commercial because it is so classic. And Henry Fonda is very classic and cool. You'll love this one. December 21, 2007

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