6. Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
United ArtistsThe last Western of Sergio Leone came in 1971, following his massive success in the genre with his previous four efforts. Leone was initially hesitant to direct the project, as he had reportedly become tired with the genre. After a series of refusals from other directors, stars James Coburn and Rod Steiger eventually resorted to threatening to drop out of the film unless Leone directed. Such arm-twisting and marionette-string-pulling would unfortunately become a characteristic of Leone's productions, and it would eventually drive him to early retirement. Also known as A Fistful of Dynamite (suggesting a connection with Leone's Dollars Trilogy) and also Once Upon a TimeĀthe Revolution (suggesting a connection with the Once Upon a Time films), Duck, You Sucker! nonetheless manages to slip away from under the shadow of Leone's other successes. Again, Leone himself was sick of Westerns - and this may explain the fresh elements involved that certainly work in favor of the film. James Coburn plays IRA revolutionary John Mallory, who flees to Mexico and finds himself embroiled in another revolution spurred along by Rod Steiger's bombastic Juan Miranda. While the characters aren't nearly as memorable as those of Leone's other westerns, Duck, You Sucker! is considered by some to be the hidden gem in Leone's filmography.