A Fistful of Dollars ( 1964 ) is a Spaghetti Western movie directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood . A Fistful of Dollars is a 1964 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood alongside Gian Maria VolontÃ , Marianne Koch , Wolfgang Lukschy , Sieghardt Rupp , JosÃ Calvo , Antonio Prieto , and Joseph Egger . Released in Italy in 1964 then in the United States in 1967 , it initiated the popularity of the Spaghetti Western film genre .