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Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) poster

Once Upon a Time in the West

1969 Β· 2h 25m Β· PG-13 · Directed by Sergio Leone

The ultimate western, set to Morricone.

Story of a young woman, Mrs. McBain, who moves from New Orleans to frontier Utah, on the very edge of the American West. She arrives to find her new husband and family slaughtered, but by whom? The prime suspect, coffee-lover Cheyenne, befriends her and offers to go after the real killer, assassin gang leader Frank, in her honor. He is accompanied by Harmonica, a man already on a quest to get even.

IMDb 8.5
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Where to watch Once Upon a Time in the West (US)

Checked 15 Oct 2026 · Streaming availability information provided by Streaming Availability API by Movie of the Night

Casting the nicest man in the West as a killer

Sergio Leone cast Henry Fonda, the screen's most trusted good guy, as a cold-blooded killer. Ennio Morricone wrote the music before filming began, and it was played on set so the actors could move to it. The film opens with a famous nine-minute scene in which almost nothing happens, and it's tense throughout.

Music written before the cameras rolled

A mysterious stranger, a widow, an outlaw and a killer all collide over a patch of land and the coming railroad. It's long and slow, but it's a western like no other, with extraordinary music and photography. A genuine epic.

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Once Upon a Time in the West still

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Cast and crew

Director: Sergio Leone

Cast: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale

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