The Good, the Bad and the Ugly / Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (Sergio Leone, 1966)

[Montero (Anthony)]

The score in the Italian dub starts immediately (Tuco speaks over the intro); whereas in the English dub, it begins about 13 seconds later, when Tuco’s face appears. The music also ends about 5 seconds later in the Italian version - while Tuco has his hand in the boiling pot.

[stanton]

But it’s the same music, not a different piece?

Here is something from the SLWB by member Dirty Rat:

I cannot remember the actual name of the piece that they chose for this scene but it is the same as when Blondie is recovering in the hospital and Tuco is talking to one of the priests (when he necks the whiskey).
My question is where did the very intro come from that is played right at the beginning of the scene which badly cuts into this piece that we already know? It is only a couple of seconds long but I do not recognise it from anywhere on the official expanded score that is commerically available.

And another one by member Lil Brutto:

Over 2 years later I believe I can confirm your suspicions, Dirty Rat.

Aside from the horrible dubbing of Eli’s lines as well as the 3 bandidos, the score during this scene on the MGM SE DVD/BD never sat well with me. (I don’t have an issue with Eli’s voice sounding different, what do you expect nearly 40 years later? Instead, I’m appalled by the fact that John Kirk et al. couldn’t even get the lines right when it’s fairly easy to determine what Eli really says by reading his lips and I’m no professional lip reader!)

Firstly, I don’t think Leone/Morricone would have approved the use of the exact same score in 2 totally separate scenes. Also, it’s obvious MGM needed to extend the borrowed score a bit by clumsily adding on the intro piece of music in order to fit the scene better.

I was tipped off earlier today by a bootleg download of the complete soundtrack from an Ennio Morricone blog site where the 2nd part of track 5 (i.e. not preceded by the rope bridge score) is titled simply, “In the Grotto (1:03)”. I originally thought this score was intended for the lost Socorro scene (incorrectly assuming that MGM got the Grotto scene right) but it makes much more sense that it was actually intended for the Grotto scene. I then played the Grotto scene with the volume down and started “In the Grotto” track immediately after Tuco, while holding out the chicken, says, “…why do you kill yourself working?”

Guess what? It fits the scene perfectly! :o

When Tuco says, “If you work for a living…” the 2nd time around it doesn’t fit with the proper score, which makes total sense to me because I don’t think Tuco was meant to say that line again at that moment. I sure can’t see his lips moving!!

Furthermore, the track list of the official expanded score is in chronological order and the grotto score comes after the score for the rope bridge and before the score where Blondie escapes being hanged by Tuco at the hotel. The Socorro scene would have followed Angel Eyes at the fort, which wouldn’t fit with the order of the tracks on the CD.

Long story short…MGM failed miserably at getting the Grotto scene right. I know many of the folks here don’t care for this scene but I’m guessing this has a lot do with how poorly it was “restored”. At the very least, I would like to see this scene redone using the proper music.

[Wobble (Timothy Rogerson)]

Interesting. I was always suspicious of that music because it seemed to be exactly the same as the music in the monastary when Tuco swigs from a small bottle of booze and Morricone never usually repeats himself exactly.

[Montero (Anthony)]

Yes, it’s the same piece; albeit the intro is missing in the English dub.

[stanton]

I expected that.

Question is now why is there a piece for this scene on the soundtrack, and why wasn’t it used?

[A_Man_Called_Dakota]

Did Arrow get the grotto scene right?

[Wobble (Timothy Rogerson)]

There is a book due to be published on in November 2026 per Amazon UK by Simon Beecroft titled The Good the Bad and the Ugly: The Making of a Masterpiece: Celebrating the Making of Leone’s masterpiece with rare photos and production insight

Does anyone know anything about this?

Simon Beecroft seems to have produced Lego and Star Wars encyclopaedias in the past!

[Admin (Sebastian)]

Interesting. Had no idea this was coming.
And on the cover it says “made in cooperation with the Leone film group”

https://amzn.to/3UXYh3C

[Admin (Sebastian)]

Has a page now:

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The Making of a Masterpiece - The Spaghetti...

[Wobble (Timothy Rogerson)]

The deluxe limited numbered edition is £150!
Standard version £25.

Not sure what difference is but I’d expect at least a Lego model of Sad Hill cemetery with figures of the three main principals and the dog for that kind of money as well as an Eastwood replica poncho.

[Admin (Sebastian)]

With an original autograph by arch stanton

[Dean]

You better get your pen ready @stanton