Casting Claudia .. part 2 ..

Claudia at the Top

These aren’t the only posters that were made for
Once Upon a Time in the West.
This batch seems to promote Claudia … and as you see she gets
Top Bill on most of them.

The Professionals claudia 3

_______________________________

That other Western Claudia did? (Rick was asking)

Les Petroleuses / 1971

Starring Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale 

Wikipedia says: “Pétroleuses were, according to popular rumours at the time, female supporters of the Paris Commune, accused of burning down much of Paris during the last days of the Commune in May 1871. During May, when Paris was being recaptured by loyalist Versaillais troops, rumours circulated that lower-class women were committing arson against private property and public buildings, using bottles full of petroleum or paraffin (similar to modern-day Molotov cocktails) which they threw into cellar windows, in a deliberate act of spite against the government. Many Parisian buildings, including the Hôtel de Ville and the Tuileries Palace, were burned down during the last days of the Commune, prompting government forces to blame the mythical pétroleuses.”

Yeah … well … this doesn’t appear to be a French historical docu-drama.

The Professionals claudia 6

The Professionals claudia Les PetroleusesRenamed Frenchie King (for North American markets?)
IMDB viewers give it a “5 out of 10” !!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067637/
Michael J. Pollard … ?
OK.

Yee Haw !!!

The Professionals / Claudia …

The Professionals claudia 2

Claudia Cardinale Westerns

Claudia Cardinale only made about 3 Westerns – which is rather startling since she is an Italian actress and was a major Star in Europe during the height of Spaghetti Westerns.

However, when she did her aim was extremely good – starring in 2 of the greatest Westerns ever made: The Professionals and Sergio Leone‘s Once Upon a Time in the West – which many rank as the Top Western of all time.
Not bad at all.

The Professionals claudia 5

 

The Professionals ? … Marketing Anomalies …

The Professionals didn’t seem to indulge in a lot of marketing promotion. Possibly (credibly) relying on it’s AllStar cast to carry it.
But some of marketing images are still a bit of a head scratcher.
Like this:

The Professionals Marketing
The Professionals DVD Cover / Poster

This DVD cover/poster headlines “Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Jack Palance and Ralph Bellamy“. But … ? the image shows Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Marvin, Ryan and Woody Strode.
Palance and Bellamy are Billed, but not pictured. Cardinale and Strode are pictured, but not Billed.
???

This can only be attributed to contractual agreements regarding who would get Billed ahead of who … whom? I guess.

Even stranger: As shown below, Cardinale did not even appear in the original photo, but she was cleverly inserted later – between Lancaster and Marvin.
YET … she is not even identified on the Bill !! ??

Why bother?

The Professionals Black and White
The Professionals – The original image

Here’s another:

The Professionals Marketing 2
The Professionals

Again, we have actors Billed (Lancaster, Palance, Bellamy) – but not pictured.
And actors pictured (Cardinale, Strode), but not Billed.

I know it’s hot out there in the desert, but …

How hot is it? Check this:

The Professionals Marketing Claudia
The Professionals

Whew … it’s sweaty out here in the desert.
Who are those slobs in the background?
(Foreign marketers had no problem showing where their interest lies.)

The Professionals / 1966 cont’d …

The Professionals …

The Professionals / Laurel Award
The Professionals / Laurel Award

The Professionals Banner

Three 1966 Academy Award Nominations:

Best Director: Richard Brooks

Best Adapted Screenplay: Richard Brooks

Best Cinematography: Conrad Hall

The film won two Motion Picture Magazine Laurel Awards in 1967, for Best Action Drama and Best Action Performance for Lee Marvin.
In Germany, it was one of only four movies to receive a Golden Screen award (the others were Doctor ZhivagoMerveilleuse Angélique and You Only Live Twice) in 1967.

The Professionals Banner

The Professionals Lee Marvin
The Professionals / Lee Marvin

The Professionals … 1966

“Maybe there’s only one revolution, since the beginning, the good guys against the bad guys. Question is, who are the good guys?”
– Burt Lancaster / The Professionals 

The Professionals … 

Truly.

Lee Marvin moves into full blown stardom – becoming a legitimate box office titan – in one of the greatest Westerns ever made (My Favorite) starring along side Western Film Greats Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Claudia Cardinale, Ralph Belamy … What a cast!

Following Cat Ballou (Oscar) this is one of 4 Westerns remaining in Marvin’s Western filmography: Monte Walsh / 1970 (with Jack Palance); Paint Your Wagon / 1969 (with Clint Eastwood); Emperor of the North / 1973 (with Charles Bronson).

A true Western Star.

The Professionals posters
The Professionals posters