Right around the time when John Wayne’s popularity as a Western star began to dwindle in the mid-1960s, a young up-and-comer named Clint Eastwood started his own rise to stardom in the genre.
Little did movie-goers and creators back then realize that Eastwood would become not only one of the most famous movie stars of the mid-20th century, but of all film history.
As an actor, he’s known for being the face of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns, and behind the camera, he has built a reputation for experimenting with a wide spectrum of themes as a director.
Eastwood has made his share of classics and even a couple flops. His latest movie, “Jersey Boys,” is in theaters this month and is set in the same era in which Eastwood was introduced to audiences.
Eastwood, who began with minor roles on TV and film, was hired by Italian filmmaker Leone for the Western “A Fistful of Dollars” in 1964. He went on to act in a string of cowboy roles for the next decade, including “A Few Dollars More,” “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Hang Em High” and “Two Mules for Sister Sara.”
As a screen figure, he embodied the “man with no name” persona with his taciturn and mysterious qualities, and he created an edgier image compared with Wayne and Gary Cooper of the past. This persona would not only persist in Westerns, but also suspense thrillers like the “Dirty Harry” series he would lead in the 1970s and ’80s.
In 1971, Eastwood would make his directorial debut with the thriller “Play Misty for Me” to much praise. From then on, the actor seemed to work behind the camera nearly as much as in front of it. Some of his more acclaimed efforts as a filmmaker would be “High Plains Drifter,” “Pale Rider,” “Unforgiven,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “Mystic River” and the double features “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters from Iwo Jima.”
But for Eastwood, like most stars, not every film can be a hit. The 1969 comedy/musical “Paint Your Wagon” was a huge flop at the box-office with some believing Eastwood was miscast, while “J. Edgar” was a critical dud on his resume as a director.
This year’s “Jersey Boys,” a film adaptation of the Broadway bio-musical on the Four Seasons, is doing less than stellar with viewers and critics alike, leaving some to conclude the legend might be past his prime. Whether or not we get another success from the screen star, it’s safe to say his legacy will last a long while.
mbianco@durangoherald.com
