A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot
A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot
| 16 December 1975 (USA)
A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot Trailers

Expert conman Joe Thanks teams up with half-breed Bill and naive Lucy to steal $300,000 from the Indian-hating Major Cabot. Their elaborate plan is full of disguises, double-crosses, and chases, but Joe always seems to know what he's doing.

Reviews
Whitech It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.
Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.
Leofwine_draca A bizarre comedy/western hybrid with star Terence Hill, who, with his usual partner Bud Spencer, was one of Italy's brightest stars back in the late '60s/'70s. Here, Hill goes it alone with this many-titled movie which rips-off the work of Sergio Leone at numerous points but still succeeds in being a unique little movie, mainly through the cross between silly jokes and slapstick humour and more action-orientated, old-fashioned western behaviour. While not an entirely successful movie, A GENIUS, TWO PARTNERS AND A DUPE moves fast, has a plot to keep your head spinning and is occasionally brilliant.Things start off as they mean to go on with that most clichéd of western traditions: the duel. Here, Hill's opponent is the inimitable Klaus Kinski who plays Doc Foster, a devious card-player with murder on his mind. Incredibly, Hill's gun flies out of his pocket to shoot Kinski's gun from his head, which gives you some idea of the surrealist humour to expect in this movie. After this initial set-up, which doesn't bear much relevance to the rest of the film other than to play with Leone's conventions and introduce the cocky, joking Hill, the complex plot begins.What happens is far too detailed to go into here, and I would be lying if I said that I was fully following what was going on throughout. Basically it involves Hill and his cohorts trying to outwit Patrick McGoohan's Major Cabot, who in turn is trying to outwit them. Along the way a tribe of western-dressed Indians, that old staple of the Great Western-Pacific Railway and numerous minor characters get involved. Like Leone, director Damiano Damiani plays with the camera at points, dwelling on moments of silence in some instances and going over the top with others. Ennio Morricone's score is a great asset, as it plays with many classical music pieces as a counterpoint to the on screen action.My favourite parts of the film were all at the end, with various characters chasing each other in a very old-fashioned way. Some of these scenes are hilarious, like when Hill and some chasing guards hurdle over a number of barriers while a Beethoven riff plays over the action. It has to be seen to be believed. The characterisation is also strong in the leading characters, who have a touch of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY about them in that generally they all hate each other and spend the movie fighting amongst themselves. Hill's smug presence takes some getting used to but he fits the bill well, and has enough charisma to carry it off; Charlebois is good as the gruff drunk caught up and lost amid the craziness, and the bizarrely named Miou-Miou is perfect as the token female. McGoohan gives a memorable performance and has one of the most amusing voices ever, whilst the supporting cast flesh out their roles with effectiveness.Allover, not a great film, certainly not up there with the Leone westerns, but more of a fun take on them instead. While I may not have enjoyed all of the movie, Damiani's direction is at times inspired and deserves some credit. I'm sure that in time I'll get to see more of these Italian comedy/westerns and perhaps find out what they're all about.
merklekranz Despite the presence of Patrick McGoohan, and an interesting Ennio Morricone soundtrack, "A Genius, Two Partners, and a Dupe", comes across as more silly than entertaining. You get the usual Terence Hill antics, along with a story that is choppy and confusing. The film is presented as a series of incidents that do very little to advance the somewhat obscure tale they are trying to tell. The whole thing just meanders along for almost two hours, in other words going nowhere. This is not one of the better "spaghetti westerns" and except for the presence of the always fascinating McGoohan, and an all too brief appearance by Klaus Kinski, the movie would be completely forgettable. - MERK
chaos-rampant Not as obviously or patently a Sergio Leone movie as MY NAME IS NOBODY from a few years earlier but still as Leonesque as a movie can possibly be while still playing ball in Enzo Barboni's slapstick turf (quite possibly the worst spaghetti western niche), this RAFRAN produced movie is heavily flawed but eminently watchable even when it doesn't make a lick of sense. Leone being Leone, he had to stick in his hand, even in a movie in which he had no creative stakes (unlike My Name is Nobody). The opening scene is a masterclass in directing as one would expect from a master cinematician even if it amounts to little more than moody silence and gliding tracking shots. Those who appreciated the slow-burn dynamics of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, will be spellbound for the duration. It's a fantastic opening to a movie that never quite capitalizes on it. The script is mired in inconsequential distractions and tacky "end of the West" commentary delivered without an ounce of subtlety ("the old man will go away", says Hill about an old Indian chief in the end as the rest of his Indian band prepare to take off without him dressed in fancy clothes and hats, "he represents the old West" #%^!) and the goofy hijinks Terence Hill became known for do the movie little favour but every now and then director Damiano Damiani comes up with a scene or a setup that impresses with its visual splendor. The Carlo Simi-designed sets, the beautiful locations in John Ford's turf in Monument Valley, and the technical skill involved in front and behind the camera (not Ennio Morricone's score though, which is far from his best work), are all far better than 95% of spaghetti westerns could ever afford, then or a decade before, so this should still be of some interest to the hardened spaghetti aficionado. Traditional Ford/Hawks loyalists should keep their distance though.
Infofreak I'd never heard of this one until I stumbled across it on DVD (under the title 'A Genius, Two Partners And A Dupe'). I was intrigued because it was directed by Damiano Damiani who made one of the very best non-Leone spaghetti westerns 'A Bullet For The General', and was produced (and many say co-directed) by Sergio Leone himself. I believe this was the last western Leone was involved with, and one of the very last spaghetti westerns ever made. The eclectic cast was another attraction. Terence "My Name Is Nobody" Hill, Miou-Miou, Patrick "The Prisoner" McGoohan and the legendary Klaus Kinski... Mmmm, very interesting! Well after sitting through this crap I now know why it's so obscure. It sucks. In almost every way. I have no idea of Leone's involvement, but the striking opening sequence looks like it might have been directed by him. Too bad it's all downhill from there! This was retitled to try and sell it as a sequel to 'My Name Is Nobody'. Hill actually plays a different character and the connection between the two is tenuous at best. BUT it is in a similar vein to many of Hill's comedy westerns, or should I say "so-called comedy" westerns? I didn't get one laugh out of it. It's really hard to imagine a serious director like Damiani making slapstick rubbish like this. The awful dubbing doesn't help things either. Regarding the supporting cast, the bad news is Kinski. He only had a small role in 'A Bullet For The General', but in this one it's even less. Basically Kinski has a two scene cameo at the beginning of the movie, and that's it. I love watching Kinski but anyone renting this movie just to see him should be warned. The good news is McGoohan. He has a much more substantial role and is quite good. Unfortunately he's surrounded by actors hamming it up and a lousy script. If the movie hadn't have played it for laughs, had someone other than Hill as the star (say Franco Nero) and more Kinski it might have been good. As it is only rabid Leone fans will want to bother watching it. Easily the poorest spaghetti western I've ever seen. Avoid.