¡Three Amigos!

Three actors who play cowboys in silent films are fired by the studio. They mistake a call for help from a Mexican village for an invitation to perform. The village believes they are real heroes and expects them to stop a bandit called El Guapo. John Landis directed. Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels and Randy Newman wrote the screenplay together. Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short star. The casting changed repeatedly over the years. The first version had Martin alongside Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Later stages considered Bill Murray and Robin Williams, with Steven Spielberg attached as a possible director. After Belushi's death the part of Ned Nederlander was offered to John Candy, who declined and recommended Martin Short. There was friction on set. Chase resisted certain lines, believing they diminished his character; Landis said he would give the dialogue to Short and Chase complied. Chase also made an inappropriate reference to the Twilight Zone accident within Landis's hearing, and the director reacted strongly. On a 25 million dollar budget it took 39.2 million domestically. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 44 percent and the reviews were mixed. It picked up a devoted cult following afterwards. Who it is for: viewers who like absurd eighties comedy and trio humour. Who it is not for: anyone uncomfortable with the depiction of Mexico. The village and the bandits are built out of stock images and the film never questions it.