20 Things You Didn't Know About The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

20. Orson Welles Tried To Dissuade Sergio Leone From Making The Film

During pre-production for The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, legendary filmmaker Orson Welles warned Sergio Leone against making the film, as Civil War movies were "box office poison". Ever since 1935's So The Red Rose failed to perform, films set during the Civil War (with the exception of Gone With The Wind) were largely unsuccessful.

Leone studied the photography of Matthew Brady, a prolific 19th century photographer, whose documentation of the American Civil War is considered the most comprehensive available. He insisted that his film would be much more historically accurate than previous American-made westerns set during the conflict.

Despite being shot in Spain and starring a mostly Italian cast, the film was indeed much more accurate and authentic than its predecessors, give or take a few anachronisms.