Chuck Norris’s two best films were rejected by Clint Eastwood

Chuck Norris he only started to star in his best films later Clint Eastwood passed both. The Way of the Dragon The Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris battle brought the latter to the attention of action fans, and Norris became part of a wave of martial artists who dominated the genre during the 1970s and 1980s, alongside the likes of Jean-Claude Van Damme. While the Missing in action trilogy and Walker, Texas Ranger are his most famous projects, from 1985 Code of Silence is without a doubt Chuck’s best film.

This thriller was directed by The Fugitive Andrew Davis and cast Norris as a Chicago cop who fights a drug dealer while being rejected by his department for rightfully accusing another cop of corruption. There are only five Norris films with “Fresh” Rotten tomatoes classifications, with Code of Silence being a with a healthy 68%. It presents a better than average script for a Chuck Norris action film and also touches on some important themes; it is also a project that Norris inherited from a certain Mr. Clint Eastwood.

Clint Eastwood rejected the best films of Chuck Norris, Lone Wolf McQuade and Code Of Silence

Clint’s loss was Chuck’s gain

In truth, Code of Silence and Norris’ 1983 action adventure Lone Wolf McQuade both have ties to Eastwood. These two projects were first brought to Clint, with Eastwood passing on the latter when it was simply called Lone Wolf. It’s easy to imagine Clint in the lead role of the brooding Texas Ranger McQuade – to the point where the character even wields a .44 Magnum as Dirty Harry. When he passed, Norris was considered the ideal replacement and the script was tailored to his strengths, including adding more fight sequences.

Norris was probably a better fit for the type of film Lone Wolf McQuade became, but Eastwood starring Code of Silence It would have made the movie even better. It’s not controversial to suggest that Clint is a far superior actor to Chuck, whose relentless stoicism undermines the film’s most dramatic moments. Director Davis wisely surrounds his protagonist with supporting players like Dennis Farina, Henry Silva, and Molly Hagan to do the heavy lifting in the acting department.

Critics tend to dismiss Chuck Norris’ filmography, but Lone Wolf McQuade and Code of Silence are often highlighted as your best efforts of this period. It’s fun to binge on dumb but fun blockbusters like Delta Forcebut Code of Silence and Lone Wolf McQuade balance solid settings with likable characters and chewy dialogue.

The Code of Silence was almost dirty, Harry 4

Dirty Harry felt a sudden impact

Code of Silence was written by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack, with the specific intention of becoming a Dirty Harry film. The duo had already written The Gauntlet for Eastwood and would write his return to the Western in 1985, Pale Knight. Butler and Shryack wrote Dirty Harry IV: Code of Silence in 1978 for Warner Bros, although Eastwood passed in the project. It emerged as a solo project in later years, with everyone from Kurt Russell to Charles Bronson being approached.

It’s unknown how much changed after Norris signed, but out of the character’s name and swapping San Francisco for Chicago, it could still work as a Dirty Harry history. Sudden impact became the fourth Dirty Harry instead, where Harry chases an assault victim who shoots his attackers one by one. The sequence is a curious mix of a traditional style Dirty Harry sequel with a female version Death Wish and it’s the darkest in the series.

That being said, Sudden impact is also famous for Harry’s catchphrase “Make My Day”, which is sometimes misattributed to the original. Sudden impact was a huge box office success when it arrived, grossing over $67 million worldwide in 1983 (through The Numbers).

Lone Wolf McQuade and Code Of Silence Made Chuck Norris A Legitimate Movie Star

Chuck Norris leveled up with the success of his Clint Rejects

Lone Wolf McQuade was quietly an extremely important film for Norris; it marked the first time he wore his trademark beard, and the fact that it was more of a traditional action film than a martial arts film gave it a wider reach. Yet, it wasn’t until Code of Silence that Norris received good reviews and healthy box officewhich is why it is sometimes considered the pinnacle of a career. Certainly, if he had found more scripts Code of Silence caliber, it may have evolved into more character-driven projects.

Instead, he spent much of the decade fronting B movies for production company Cannon, where he wasn’t required to do much more than kick or shoot people and tell the occasional joke. As he went from martial arts star to mainstream actor, Chuck Norris He modeled himself on actors such as Charles Bronson and Clint, as they often played variations of the same type of role. So it makes sense that he would do his best work with scripts Clint Eastwood passed away – it’s a shame he didn’t get more of them.

Source: Rotten tomatoes, The Numbers