Et pour quelques dollars de plus poster – Jean Mascii – 1965

Vintage Movie Poster – Et pour quelques dollars de plus poster – Jean Mascii – 1965

This vintage movie poster was produced to promote the French release of the 1965 Spaghetti Western For a Few Dollars More. The stunning artwork was created by the great Jean Mascii. Mascii was a prolific poster artist and is known to have produced about 1,500 film posters and some 250 book jacket covers during his career. The poster features superb renderings of the film’s two biggest stars, Lee Van Cleef and Clint Eastwood. Clint is shown in the classic pose holding a rifle in one hand and the timepiece that plays the hauntingly beautiful musical motif throughout the film.

For a Few Dollars More was directed by Sergio Leone. The film stars Clint Eastwood as the Man with no Name and Lee Van Cleef as Colonel Douglas Mortimer. The two are competing bounty hunters with Gian Maria Voloté as the ruthless, cold-blooded bank robber, El Indio. The film was the sequel to the successful  A Fistful of Dollars film.

Despite initial criticism that the film was too similar to its predecessor, the movie went on to be even more commercially successful than ‘Fistful’. By 1967, the film had grossed $5 million in Italy alone, becoming Italy’s highest-grossing film ever. It also went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time in Spain and the seventh most popular film of 1966 in France. When the film debuted in the United States in 1967, it grossed a further $5 million.

The film is known for Leone’s use of long shots and close-up cinematography, as well as his distinctive use of violence, tension, highly stylised gunfights, and the use of Ennio Morricone’s musical techniques. A Fistful of Dollars broke many of Hollywood’s production codes, including showing the shooter and the victim in the same shot, a horse being gunned down, marijuana use, and a rape scene. 

It’s surprising the film was actually made. Initially, Sergio Leone did not want to make a follow-up to A Fistful of Dollars. Not having seen the film, Clint Eastwood was also not ready to commit to a second film. However, the film was such a huge success that the production company (Jolly Film), refused to pay Leone what it owed him from that movie unless he made the follow-up. To appease Eastwood an Italian dubbed version of the film was hastily put together and sent to him to review. Eastwood was happy with the results and agreed to do the film. The increase from $15,000 to $50,000 for returning to the sequel may have helped in the decision-making. Eastwood’s fee would increase to $250,000 (plus 10% of the gross) for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

Depending on condition original copies of this poster currently (2020) sell for between £500 and £1000.

Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears, or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.

The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £15. So you can bag a bargain of print and frame for a great price.