A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe

A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (Un genio, due compari, un pollo) is a 1975 Spaghetti Western comedy film directed by Damiano Damiani and Sergio Leone, who directed the opening scene.

Plot
Joe Thanks (Terence Hill) is a genius conman. He conducts various schemes with his two friends: Half-breed Steam Engine Bill (Robert Charlebois) and his girlfriend Lucy (Miou-Miou). Lucy loves both men, and they in turn both vie for her affection.

Joe formulates an extremely elaborate plan to steal $300,000 from Major Cabot (Patrick McGoohan), an Indian-hating cavalry man, and in doing so save the Indian land he is trying to steal. Every time the plan seems to be failing, Joe has another trick up his sleeve. The film climaxes with a stagecoach chase and a gigantic explosion.

Cast

 * Terence Hill as Joe Thanks
 * Miou-Miou as Lucy / Lilla
 * Patrick McGoohan as Major Cabot / Harris
 * Robert Charlebois as Steam Train Bill / Paul Lambet
 * Klaus Kinski as Doc Foster
 * Jean Martin as Colonel Pembroke
 * Miriam Mahler as Colonel Pembroke's daughter
 * Raimund Harmstorf as Sergeant Milton
 * Benito Stefanelli as Mortimer
 * Pietro Vida as Jerry / Jelly Roll
 * Roy Bosier as Jeremy
 * Frederick Ledebur as Don Felipe
 * Renato Baldini as Sheriff
 * Mario Brega as Krutscher
 * Lina Franchi as Mary Gomez
 * Mario Valgoi as Thomas
 * Rik Battaglia as Captain
 * Pietro Torrisi as Mortimer henchman
 * Gerard Boucaron as Town idiot
 * Elio Angelucci as Brothel man

Production
Parts of the film were shot at the San Juan River and Monument Valley in Utah.

Release
A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe was released in West Germany on December 16, 1975 as Nobody ist der Größte.

The movie was also released in English under four different titles:


 * A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe
 * A Genius, Two Friends and an Idiot
 * Trinity is Back Again
 * Nobody's the Greatest

These different titles feature lightly different scenarios, or longer scenes. This was due to the fact that some of the best footage was stolen, and the director refused to pay the ransom. They had to re-shoot some scenes but lacked the time for some of them. Consequently, it became impossible to edit the movie with perfect coherence.