# Spaghetti Western Posters: A Collector's Guide

> Spaghetti western posters from Italy: the key films from Per un pugno di dollari to Il mio nome è Nessuno, their Italian titles, painters and collecting tips.

Canonical: https://locandinebest.net/spaghetti-western-posters
Updated: 2026-11-01

Spaghetti western posters are the Italian posters for the westerns made in Italy from the mid-1960s, led by Sergio Leone's *Per un pugno di dollari* (*A Fistful of Dollars*, 1964). Their painted Italian posters — by artists such as Renato Casaro and Sandro Symeoni — are among the most collected of all Italian film posters. This guide lists the key titles in Italian and English and explains what to look for.

## Key spaghetti westerns and their Italian titles

**Essential Italian westerns**

| Italian title | English title | Year | Director |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Per un pugno di dollari | A Fistful of Dollars | 1964 | Sergio Leone |
| Per qualche dollaro in più | For a Few Dollars More | 1965 | Sergio Leone |
| Django | Django | 1966 | Sergio Corbucci |
| Quién sabe? | A Bullet for the General | 1966 | Damiano Damiani |
| Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | 1966 | Sergio Leone |
| La resa dei conti | The Big Gundown | 1967 | Sergio Sollima |
| Faccia a faccia | Face to Face | 1967 | Sergio Sollima |
| C'era una volta il West | Once Upon a Time in the West | 1968 | Sergio Leone |
| Il grande silenzio | The Great Silence | 1968 | Sergio Corbucci |
| Il mercenario | The Mercenary | 1968 | Sergio Corbucci |
| Lo chiamavano Trinità… | They Call Me Trinity | 1970 | Enzo Barboni (E.B. Clucher) |
| Giù la testa | Duck, You Sucker! / A Fistful of Dynamite | 1971 | Sergio Leone |
| …continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità | Trinity Is Still My Name | 1971 | Enzo Barboni (E.B. Clucher) |
| Il mio nome è Nessuno | My Name Is Nobody | 1973 | Tonino Valerii |
| Keoma | Keoma | 1976 | Enzo G. Castellari |

## English names on Italian posters

Many Italian westerns were sold as if they were American, so Italian casts and crews were credited under English-sounding names. On its first release *Per un pugno di dollari* credited its director as "Bob Robertson", its composer Ennio Morricone as "Dan Savio" and Gian Maria Volonté as "Johnny Wels". Some names stuck for good: Mario Girotti and Carlo Pedersoli became famous as **Terence Hill** and **Bud Spencer**, and Enzo Barboni signed his Trinity films "E.B. Clucher".

For collectors this is useful: once a film became a hit, later material tended to use the real, now-famous names, so the credit block is one of the quickest ways to tell a first release from a [riedizione](/riedizione-re-release-posters). Compare the names on a poster with the film's original credits before you buy.

## Who painted the posters

[Renato Casaro](/artists/renato-casaro) painted almost all the posters for Sergio Leone's films, as well as *My Name Is Nobody* and the Bud Spencer–Terence Hill comedies that grew out of the Trinity films. [Sandro Symeoni](/artists/sandro-symeoni) is also credited with artwork for *Per un pugno di dollari*. Because several formats and editions exist for the major titles, always check which version a listing describes.

## Collecting tips for western posters

- **Leone first releases** are the most sought after; expect to see many re-releases, especially of the dollars trilogy.
- **Credits help date them.** Early posters may bill actors under the names used on release; later re-releases bill them by their later fame.
- **Minor westerns** — hundreds were made — offer affordable posters with striking painted art.
- **International versions** of Italian westerns exist in many countries; an Italian poster has the Italian title and an Italian printer's credit.

## Frequently asked questions

### What was the first spaghetti western?

Italian westerns existed before 1964, but Sergio Leone's Per un pugno di dollari (A Fistful of Dollars, 1964) launched the genre's boom and is the usual starting point.

### Who painted Sergio Leone's Italian posters?

Renato Casaro painted almost all of them.

### Why do spaghetti western posters show English names?

Producers wanted the films to pass as American, so Italian directors, actors and composers were often credited under pseudonyms such as Bob Robertson (Sergio Leone) and Dan Savio (Ennio Morricone).