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Clint Eastwood

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Biography

Tall, soft-spoken, leathery leading man since the 1960s who diversified into directing and producing after achieving iconic status. Clint Eastwood arose from the world of TV Westerns to become the number one box-office star in the world, subsequently earning critical acclaim as a director. His production company, Malpaso, crafts moderate-budget features that range from the bluntly commercial to the impressively personal and ambitious. Eastwood is not entirely part of the Hollywood establishment; his business is run out of Carmel, California, on the Monterey Peninsula, where he has served as mayor and run a restaurant.

Eastwood grew up in Depression-era California, where his parents were itinerant workers. After high school, he worked as a lumberjack in Oregon, played honky-tonk piano and was a swimming instructor in the US Army. On the GI Bill, he studied at Los Angeles City College. Signed by Universal, he had his first experience with the indignities suffered by actors in a "Francis the Talking Mule" movie, FRANCIS IN THE NAVY (1955). Many B-movies later, he moved to New York and gained recognition as the trail boss Rowdy Yates in the successful TV series "Rawhide" (1959-66).

Tight TV schedules and good training helped him develop the minimalist acting style for which he is famous; it was first appreciated in Europe, where he starred in a trilogy of spaghetti westerns directed by Sergio Leone in Spain. Sinewy, laconic and lethal, he embodied to Europeans the maverick, unpredictably violent American, whose philosophy in A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964) was "everybody gets rich or dead." FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1966) and THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY (1966) became classic revisionist Westerns and made Eastwood an international star. He returned stateside and starred in COOGAN'S BLUFF (1968), a smart urban Western that marked the beginning of his long and successful collaboration with director Don Siegel.

Eastwood's second famed screen incarnation was "Dirty" Harry Callahan, the cop of Don Siegel's DIRTY HARRY (1971) who found it easier to shoot suspects than interrogate them. Hence Harry's immortal line in SUDDEN IMPACT (1983) when a crook threatens him: "Go ahead make my day," calmly intoned from the responsible end of a massive handgun. Nonetheless, these films were sufficiently ambiguous to defy easy ideological categorization. Eastwood has stated, "My characters are usually calloused men with a sensitive spot for right and wrong." He has also noted that "My movies add up to a morality, not a politics."

Eastwood became a fixture of masculine action fare but he also fared well in several popular comedies, such as EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE (1978) and ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN (1980). Though he could have coasted on his established persona, Eastwood chose to take chances with his material and subjected his image to thoughtful and not always flattering scrutiny. His portraits of tormented men with intense inner lives and little ability to communicate with others found an apogee in BIRD (1988), his moody, acclaimed portrait of jazz musician Charlie Parker. Virtual "auteurist" control has enabled him to make unusual Westerns (HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, 1973; PALE RIDER, 1985) and cop movies exploring feminist concerns (SUDDEN IMPACT, 1983; TIGHTROPE, 1984).

Eastwood's commercial viability seemed to be in marked decline by the late 80s. The fifth "Dirty Harry" movie, THE DEAD POOL (1988), was far less successful than its predecessors. 1990 saw the box-office failures of both THE ROOKIE, a formula cop outing, and WHITE HUNTER, BLACK HEART, an interesting, semi-fictional account of the making of THE AFRICAN QUEEN. Eastwood enjoyed a triumphant popular and critical rehabilitation, however, with UNFORGIVEN (1992), a Western that earned him Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, as well as several other major awards. A spellbinding morality tale originally written by David Webb Peoples in 1976, UNFORGIVEN ironized, as well as paid homage to, several of Eastwood's earlier gunfighter incarnations. Dedicated to his directorial mentors, "Sergio" (Leone) and "Don" (Siegel), the film was a solid commercial hit, grossing over $100 million over the course of its long run.

Eastwood's next star vehicle, IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1993), was an immediate blockbuster. Making a popular comeback for German director Wolfgang Petersen, this satisfying political thriller, which pitted veteran Secret Service man Clint against a brilliant assassin played to the hilt by John Malkovich passed the $100 million mark in just a few months. Eastwood directed his subsequent feature, A PERFECT WORLD (1993), wherein he portrayed an experienced lawman tracking down a dangerous escaped convict (Kevin Costner) with a seven year-old hostage/companion.

Filmography

Blood Work (2002) .... Terry McCaleb
Intimate Portrait: Melody Thomas Scott (2002) (TV) .... Himself
Who is Alan Smithee? (2002) (TV)(uncredited) (archive footage) .... Himself
Directors: Wolfgang Petersen, The (2001) (V) .... Himself
Kurosawa (2001) .... Himself
America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001) (TV) .... Himself
Directors: Clint Eastwood, The (2000) (V) .... Himself
... aka AFI's the Directors: Clint Eastwood (2000) (V) (USA: complete title)
Making of 'Space Cowboys', The (2000) (TV)
Kennedy Center Honors, The (2000) (TV) .... Himself (Honoree)
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows (2000) (TV) .... Himself
... aka American Masters: Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows (2000) (TV) (USA)
Space Cowboys (2000) .... Dr. Frank Corvin
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars (1999) (TV) .... Himself
Forever Hollywood (1999) .... Himself
True Crime (1999) .... Steve Everett
Monterey Jazz Festival: 40 Legendary Years (1998) (V) .... Himself
Junket Whore (1998) .... Himself
Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, A (1998)(uncredited) (archive footage) .... John 'Thunderbolt' Doherty in Movie on TV
... aka Fille d'un soldat ne pleure jamais, La (1998) (France)
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (1998) (TV) .... Himself
Eastwood on Eastwood (1997) (TV) .... Himself
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western (1997) (TV) .... Himself
American Film Institute Salute to Martin Scorsese, The (1997) (TV) .... Himself
Absolute Power (1997) .... Luther Whitney
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1996) .... Himself
American Film Institute Salute to Clint Eastwood, The (1996) (TV) .... Honoree
Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, A (1995) (TV) .... Himself
Bridges of Madison County, The (1995) .... Robert Kincaid
Casper (1995)(uncredited) .... Himself
Cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma, Les (1995)(archive footage) .... Extra
... aka Cent et une nuits, Les (1995) (France: short title)
... aka Hundred and One Nights of Simon Cinema, A (1995)
... aka Hundred and One Nights, A (1995)
Century of Cinema, A (1994) .... Himself
Don't Pave Main Street: Carmel's Heritage (1994)(voice) .... Narrator
100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994) (TV)(archive footage) .... Himself
Red, White & Boots (1994) (TV)(archive footage) .... Himself
Clint Eastwood: The Man From Malpaso (1993) (TV) .... Himself
Perfect World, A (1993) .... Red Garnett
In the Line of Fire (1993) .... Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan
Oscar's Greatest Moments: 1971 to 1991 (1992) (V) .... Himself
Unforgiven (1992) .... William Munny
Clint Eastwood on Westerns (1992) (TV) .... Himself
"Harvey Shine Presents" (1991) TV Series .... Himself (1991-1993)
Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend (1991) .... Host
Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991) (TV) .... Himself (Host/Narrator)
Rookie, The (1990) .... Nick Pulovski
White Hunter, Black Heart (1990) .... John Wilson
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration (1990) (TV) .... Himself
Pink Cadillac (1989) .... Tommy Nowak
Dead Pool, The (1988) .... Inspector 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) (TV) .... Himself
Ultimate Stuntman: A Tribute to Dar Robinson, The (1987) (TV) .... Himself
Heartbreak Ridge (1986) .... Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway
Pale Rider (1985) .... The Preacher
City Heat (1984) .... Lieutenant Speer
Terror in the Aisles (1984)(archive footage) .... Dave Garver (segment "Play Misty For Me")
... aka Time for Terror (1984) (Europe: video title English title)
Tightrope (1984) .... Wes Block
Firefox (1983) (VG)(voice) .... Mitchell Gant
Sudden Impact (1983) .... 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
... aka Retour de l'inspecteur Harry, Le (1983)
Honkytonk Man (1982) .... Red Stovall
Firefox (1982) .... Major Mitchell Gant/Leon Sprague/Michael Lewis
Any Which Way You Can (1980) .... Philo Beddoe
Bronco Billy (1980) .... Bronco Billy McCoy
Escape from Alcatraz (1979) .... Frank Morris
Every Which Way But Loose (1978) .... Philo Beddoe
Gauntlet, The (1977) .... Ben Shockley
Man with No Name, The (1977) (TV) .... Himself
Enforcer, The (1976) .... 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) .... Josey Wales
Eiger Sanction, The (1975) .... Dr. Jonathan Hemlock
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) .... John 'Thunderbolt' Doherty
Magnum Force (1973) .... 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
High Plains Drifter (1972) .... The Stranger
Joe Kidd (1972) .... Joe Kidd
... aka Joe Kidd (1972) (USA)
Dirty Harry (1971) .... Inspector 'Dirty' Harry Callahan SFPD Homicide
Play Misty for Me (1971) .... Dave Garver
Beguiled, The (1971) .... Cpl John 'McB' McBurney, 6th New York
Kelly's Heroes (1970) .... Lt. Kelly
42nd Annual Academy Awards, The (1970) (TV)(uncredited) .... Himself (Presenter, Best Foreign Film)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1969) .... Hogan
Paint Your Wagon (1969) .... Pardner
On Location: 'Where Eagles Dare' (1968)(uncredited) .... Himself
Where Eagles Dare (1968) .... Lieutenant Morris Schaffer
Coogan's Bluff (1968) .... Deputy Sheriff Walt Coogan
Hang 'em High (1968) .... Marshal Jedediah 'Jed' Cooper
Streghe, Le (1966) .... Charlie (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
... aka Sorcières, Les (1966) (France)
... aka Witches, The (1969) (USA)
Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) .... Blondie, The Man With No Name (The Good)
... aka Bueno, el feo y el malo, El (1966) (Spain)
... aka Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The (1967) (USA)
... aka Good, the Ugly, the Bad, The (1967) (USA: literal English title)
Per qualche dollaro in più (1965) .... The Man With No Name (Monco)
... aka For a Few Dollars More (1967) (UK) (USA)
... aka Für ein paar Dollar mehr (1966) (West Germany)
... aka Muerte tenía un precio, La (1966) (Spain)
... aka Por unos cuantos dólares más (1966) (Spain)
... aka Por unos pocos dólares más (1966) (Spain)
Per un pugno di dollari (1964) .... The Man With No Name (Joe)
... aka Für eine Handvoll Dollar (1965) (West Germany)
... aka Fistful of Dollars, A (1967) (USA)
... aka Por un puñado de dólares (1964) (Spain)
Disneyland '59 (1959) (TV) .... Himself
... aka Kodak Presents Disneyland '59 (1959) (TV)
"Rawhide" (1959) TV Series .... Rowdy Yates
Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958) .... Keith Williams
Lafayette Escadrille (1958) .... George Moseley
... aka C'est la Guerre (1958) (USA)
... aka Hell Bent for Glory (1958) (UK)
... aka With You in My Arms (1958) (USA: alternative title)
Escapade in Japan (1957) .... Dumbo Pilot
Away All Boats (1956)(uncredited) .... Marine (Medic)
First Traveling Saleslady, The (1956) .... Lieutenant Jack Rice, Roughrider
Star in the Dust (1956)(uncredited) .... Tom, ranch hand
... aka Law Man (1956) (USA)
Never Say Goodbye (1956)(uncredited) .... Will
Tarantula (1955)(uncredited) .... Jet Squadron Leader
Lady Godiva (1955)(uncredited) .... First Saxon
... aka Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955) (UK)
Francis in the Navy (1955) .... Jonesey
Revenge of the Creature (1955)(uncredited) .... Lab Technician

Links

Contact

P.O. Box 4366
Carmel , CA 93921-4366
USA