1964 Classic, Among Best Westerns of All Time, Got Director In Trouble With Legendary Filmmaker
When looking up "spaghetti Western" in the dictionary, Sergio Leone's name won't be too far away.
The visionary director brought attention to the iconic subgenre of the Western, made famous in the 1960's and 70's by Italian filmmakers. Leone delivered arguably the greatest trilogy of all time with his "Man With No Name" series starring Clint Eastwood in the mid-to-late 1960's.
A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly are all consistently named among the best Westerns of All time and they were released in just a three year span.
The first film in the series, though, got him sued by legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
Why Was Sergio Leone Sued?
Despite launching the spaghetti Western into stardom, Leone's A Fistful of Dollars was as close to a remake as possible of Kurosawa's Yojimbo released just three years earlier. The legendary filmmaker reportedly sued Leone for 15% of the box office making more on the settlement than he did with his own film.
"Signor Leone, I have just had the chance to see your film. It is a very fine film, but it is my film. Since Japan is a signatory of the Berne Convention on the international copyright, you must pay me," he allegedly said in a letter.
What Is 'A Fistful of Dollars'?
A Fistful of Dollars is the first film in Leone's "Man With No Name" series that launched Clint Eastwood into superstardom once the trilogy was released in quick succession in the United States in 1967.
"Wandering gunfighter Joe arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among sheriff John Baxter and the three Rojo brothers," the synopsis of the film reads. "When a regiment of Mexican soldiers bearing gold is waylaid by the Rojo brothers, Joe is hired by Esteban to join the gang, but he plays one side against the other."
The movie received a 98% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes while audiences gave the film a 91%. Rotten Tomatoes ranked the film No. 14 on a list of the best Westerns of all time with Leone's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly taking the top spot.
Related: 1954 Classic, Which Broke the Mold, Named 'Greatest Western Movie of All Time'
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 3:09 AM.