Thinking of Clint Eastwood and how Million Dollar Baby places with Unforgiven and other Clint Eastwood movies, I was thinking that Clint Eastwood might be one of the most important Hollywood people ever. People talk about George Lucas, Spielberg, others but look at how much Clint started and probably had people copy. Maybe not at those levels, but compared to other actors, maybe?

Clint Eastwood = Actor, Director, Producer, Composer, Writer, TV star = What do you think of him and the following.

Million Dollar Baby (2004) .... Frankie Dunn
Blood Work (2002) .... Terry McCaleb
Space Cowboys (2000) .... Dr. Frank Corvin
True Crime (1999) .... Steve Everett
Absolute Power (1997) .... Luther Whitney
The Bridges of Madison County (1995) .... Robert Kincaid
A Perfect World (1993) .... Chief Red Garnett
In the Line of Fire (1993) .... Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan
Unforgiven (1992) .... William 'Bill' Munny
The Rookie (1990) .... Nick Pulovski
White Hunter Black Heart (1990) .... John Wilson
Pink Cadillac (1989) .... Tommy Nowak
The Dead Pool (1988) .... Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Heartbreak Ridge (1986) .... Gunnery Sgt. Tom 'Gunny' Highway
Pale Rider (1985) .... Preacher
City Heat (1984) .... Lieutenant Speer
Tightrope (1984) .... Wes Block
Firefox (1983) (VG) (voice) .... Mitchell Gant
Sudden Impact (1983) .... Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Honkytonk Man (1982) .... Red Stovall
Firefox (1982) .... Mitchell Gant
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
The Gauntlet (1977) .... Ben Shockley
The Enforcer (1976) .... Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) .... Josey Wales
The Eiger Sanction (1975) .... Dr. Jonathan Hemlock
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) .... Thunderbolt
Magnum Force (1973) .... Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
High Plains Drifter (1973) .... The Stranger
Joe Kidd (1972) .... Joe Kidd
Dirty Harry (1971) .... Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Play Misty for Me (1971) .... David 'Dave' Garver
The Beguiled (1971) .... Cpl. John McBurney
Kelly's Heroes (1970) .... Pvt. Kelly
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) .... Hogan
Paint Your Wagon (1969) .... Sylvester 'Pardner' Newel
Where Eagles Dare (1968) .... Lt. Morris Schaffer
Coogan's Bluff (1968) .... Deputy Sheriff Walt Coogan
Hang 'Em High (1968) .... Marshal Jed Cooper
Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) .... Joe
... aka The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (USA)
Per qualche dollaro in più (1965) .... Monco
... aka For a Few Dollars More (UK) (USA)
Per un pugno di dollari (1964) .... Joe
... aka A Fistful of Dollars (USA)

"Rawhide" (1959) TV Series .... Rowdy Yates (1959-1966)

He's made some good movies but I wouldn't put him in the top 20 in terms of influence and importance in Hollywood history.

You are probably right.

I was thinking about his years in Westerns ( as Westerns dominated Hollywood for about 30 years ) But more credit some go to John Wayne, I guess.

Then on Clint, I just think that so many people copied him - his movies, his style, his characters ( the silent killer, Dirty Harry, the Westerns, etc. )

Oh well, even if he is in the top 50 for influence, at least he is alot higher than that # with his overall movie career.

Gonna paint a wagon
Gonna paint it good
I ain't braggin'
I'm gonna paint a wagon!

He went through a bit of a shit period in the eighties and early nineties, but there's no doubt the guy's been in some great films. His work as a director is a bit patchy though, and I certainly don't consider him one of the most influential or important people ever in Hollywood.

I would definitely consider him one of the most important figures in movie history. His influence is bigger than some of you realize. Marty McFly even used his name in Back to the Future III.

We're talking about a cinematic icon who has created such memorable characters as Dirty Harry and "the man with no name". He has successfully done Westerns, Action, Comedy, and Drama. He's had a better career longevitywise, than just about anybody in the history of the biz.

His directing has been top notch. He doesn't do a bad movie very often at all, and he always gets performances out of his actors. He's also very efficient, and doesn't spend months in the editing room because of it.

How many actors in history have ever been able to consistantly headline a film , even now, while in their 70's, after doing it for a career that has spanned for over 40 years? I can only think of Sean Connery, off the top of my head, but there aren't many others that have had that kind of staying power.

Eastwood is really on a roll of late, with Oscar caliber movies coming from him in the form of Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, and any movie talent that can still produce the quality at the levels that he does, is definitely one of the best of all time. Most of his contemporaries dried up long ago, and here he is, still going strong. The productive career that he has had can't be underscored, because you would find it very difficult to find somebody that could match what he has accomplished.

Love that Clint!

http://www.dvdempire.com/exec/v5_catego ... ef_id=5587

Glad someone else agrees. I think one has to have a good sense of his movies from the 70's especially to truly understand Clint's value.

People would be hard pressed to note others who reached such heights on both sides of the film camera.

At 7'4" and 500 pounds, Andre the Giant is clearly bigger than Clint Eastwood!

Without demeaning Eastwood in the slightest, I'd have to say that Charlie Chaplin is still the biggest star ever to come out of Hollywood. He was the first Hollywood star to get a million dollar contract (which was huge 100 years ago!), people clamored to see each of his films, he was on the cover of countless magazines, people held Chaplin look-alike contests, his films were hits all over the world, his movies influenced filmmakers for years to come, and DVDs of his films still can be found in almost every good DVD store. I can't think of anyone who comes close in terms of being influential AND popular to the masses.

Clint is the man. Good, Bad and Ugly rules.

No offense on that statement.

- I think Chaplin might be the star of the first 50 years and Eastwood, untill someone says something better, might be the last 50 years.

Clints okay. Nothing that special though. What about Marlon Brando there goldie. I'd put Marlon ahead of Clint anyday.

Didn;t Brando stop acting for like 20 + years.

I think Clint has a better record from the 50 (tv) or 60 to the 90's.

But Brando still isn't a bad choice, it is just too bad he stop acting for that period.

Nah, I still can't see Eastwood as the biggest even for the last 50 years. He may have made lots of good films, but if you judge "big" by overall popularity and box office draw, many others will beat him. Harrison Ford has been in more huge films, for instance, just to name one.

Once more, this does not diminish Eastwood's accomplishments or talents.

That's true. But if you track clint and brando when they were doing their stuff at the same time, I'd put Brando ahead of Clint. I'll try to think of others.

And I would say Harrison Ford too but it's just the fact that he's been in a slump for the longest time now that makes me stop.

I don't think he is the biggest. But I would put him in the top 5.

Clint Eastwood has always been under rated as an actor. He is very vesatile and talented. He is also a risk taker. Not many leading men would have done High Plains Drifter and Tight Rope.

Come on , Mike...Charlie Chaplan? Guys like him and Groucho are worshipped by the AFI and all, but you're giving him way too much credit here. Charlie Chaplan was blown past long ago, as if he was driving a model T at a NASCAR race. He didn't stand the test of time, unlike such greats as Abbott and Costello have, and his failure to do that definitely kill his legacy as anyone who could be considered the biggest star ever.

I dont think he's the biggest actor ever, but I do think he's one of the most important figures in hollywood and possibly one of the best, while most hollywood actors his age are already dead or long gone from the hollywood light Clint is still making oscar worthy movies. Probably not the biggest actor ever, but when you think about all his other abilites including Directing, Composing, Producing, etc you might say he is one of the best hollywood stars ever.

ABBOT AND COSTELLO?

Not in the same league, my misinformed friend. I am speaking of history. You cannot deny how Chaplin was seen at the peak of his popularity, and no actor has come anywhere close since. Well, I guess you can deny it, if you want to ignore facts.

Bump - Congrats on the Golden Globe for Directing MDB.

And for anyone who can catch it, I was caught this which was filmed the week before the Golden Globes.

Nice interview.

Charlie Rose
PBS
Series/Talk, 60 Mins.
Filmmaker Clint Eastwood.

Original Airdate: January 14, 2005.

WHAT???? ](*,) Without even reading anyone elses reply to this, I have to say that this Guy is 1 of Hollywoods Legendary Actors and has proven over and over to be a Great Director to Boot.. Clint Eastwood RULES and perish the thought 1 day when he happens to cash in the chips and head off to the Golden Gates in the Sky cause that will be one hell of a Funeral in Hollywood and something for Larry King to talk about for a month afterwards..

That is, unless he goes to Hell.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a very good movie, but personally I prefer For a Few Dollars More over it as his best western, and my favorite Spagetti Western.

I don't know if he is the most influencial person in Hollywood history, but he is definitly up there, and in the top 5 guaranteed.

And, my misinformed friend, you are giving him too much credit today. He had no staying power, which is very important where a legacy is concerned. Nobody cares about Charlie Chaplin today, yet Abbot and Costello still have their fans. When Chaplin was at his peak, what competition did he have? It was almost non existing compared to today's talent pool.

As far as Eastwood, maybe you can name another actor who strung together 40 years as a viable star, with no huge peaks and valleys throughout that time. It's remarkable staying power. That certainly wasn't anything Chaplin was able to do. I'm sorry, Mike, I know that isn't something you or Roger Ebert would like to hear, but it's a fact. He benefitted from the silent movie era when Hollywood was new. He didn't last long as a big star when sound became part of the deal, did he? Hmmm...wonder why. :-({|=

Clint was very inarticulate recently, a rare occurrence.

He stumbled through his lines during the Tsumani Aid Concert and called the disaster "the Tsumani thing" when thanking the HFP for donating money.