Half a century later, Ennio Morricone's theme from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" remains one of the most instantly recognizable and unforgettable pieces of movie music ever. Even if you haven't seen Sergio Leone's epic Western, you know the tune, and you've probably heard it in other movies and TV shows as some gunslinger sauntered into a dust-blown vista, ready for a shootout. But none of those gunslingers was as badass as Clint Eastwood, who cemented his icon status for all time when this film opened 50 years ago this week, on January 18, 1967.
