Clint Eastwood’s path in life was formed watching Westerns in movie theaters in the 1930s and ’40s.
“In the ’30s and ’40s … every kid wanted to be in a Western and every kid wanted to pack a gun and ride a horse,” he said.
So began a fascination with cowboy movies—and guns—which stretched eight decades.
Eastwood starred in many Westerns, both traditional, and “spaghetti Westerns,” cowboy movies made by Italian directors, which often introduced different character types and themes that the classic American Westerns used.
Here he developed his persona—the tough, straight-shooting, taciturn loner.
He played an urban version of this character in the “Dirty Harry” movies. To many these movies glorified violence. The films featured a vigilante cop with a huge gun killing criminals instead of arresting them.
Eastwood isn’t concerned by any criticisms.
“A lot of people thought it was politically incorrect,” he said. “That was at the beginning of the era that we’re in now where everybody thinks everybody’s politically correct and we’re killing ourselves by doing that … we’ve lost our sense of humor and everything.
“It was daring at the time, and that was the only reason—big guns, it was the ultimate kid’s dream,” he said.
Eastwood started directing with 1971’s “Play Misty For Me.” He said the studio boss didn’t want to pay a completely unknown director.
“I said ‘that’s good I shouldn’t be paid, I should pay them for the experience’, and if I pulled it off I’d be all right,” Eastwood said.
He certainly “pulled it off.” He went on to direct more than 30 more films.
He was asked if he missed acting.
“Once in a while but not often no, I did a lot of it for a long time, I’ll visit it again someday.”
Eastwood has acted in more than 60 films and directed at least 35.
