Every Clint Eastwood Movie From the 1960s, Ranked

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Every Clint Eastwood Movie From the 1960s, Ranked

Clint Eastwood began his acting career in the mid-1950s, with several minor, uncredited film and TV roles, before landing his first major TV role as Rowdy Yates in Rawhide. This role and his co-starring role in 217 episodes helped transition his career from TV actor to internationally known film superstar.r, with his prominent roles in Dollars Trilogy like ‘The Man With No Name’. The 1960s were a decade that transformed Eastwood’s career and made him one of the most important figures on the film scene.

Eastwood’s Leading Roles in Iconic Westerns A handful of dollars and The good, the bad and the ugly launched him into the mainstream and showed his undeniable star power. They showed their ability to portray an intense, quiet, but charismatic protagonist, who helped change not only his career, but the genre as a whole, focusing on a morally ambiguous protagonist in complex stories. Eastwood’s work in the 1960s, although only eight relatively short films, is some of the most significant and influential of his entire career.

8

The Witches (1967)

As Carlo


The Witches (1967) Clint Eastwood as Carlo with his wife looking up to look at something

A step away from Eastwood’s usual gritty, intense roles that have made him a household name, The witches is an Italian anthology that finds Eastwood playing an unhappy husband whose wife blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. The film is divided into five different segments, each prepared by a different director, with its part, ‘A Night Like Others’, directed by Vittorio De Sica. The focus is the frustrated relationship between the wife (Silvana Mangano) and her husband as she fantasizes about various comical situations that usually end in violence.

Although his role in the segment is anything but what would normally be considered a typical Eastwood role, it shows his versatility as an actor. Eastwood perfectly plays the role of the stern and unappreciative husbandand his chemistry with Mangano, both in the realistic scenes and the dreamlike sequences, is brilliantly restrained to show electricity and a restrained annoyance. Eastwood plays many of his roles with a quiet, self-aware charm that’s easy to love, and even though it’s a much smaller role, he still shows that he can elevate any job he’s in.

7

Paint Your Wagon (1969)

As Pardner (Sylvester Newel)

In another work far from his usual style Paint your wagon sees Eastwood play the quiet but focused Pardner this western musical based on the musical of the same name by Lerner and Loewe. The film is set in California during the Gold Rush era and sees Eastwood’s character teaming up with the larger-than-life Ben Rumson (Lee Marvin) to land a rich prospect, ending in various professional and personal problems. The film is a combination of humor, music and action in a comical and entertaining story that sees the two men entering into a polyamorous marriage with the same wife.

Although the Western setting and more reserved character are hallmarks of Eastwood’s early career,his debut as a singer and the overall more comedic tone of the film make him move away from his usual, tougher persona. Eastwood’s willingness to take on different genres is a testament to his skill and helps, in part, explain the longevity he has enjoyed throughout his career. Although the film overall feels a little choppy and unevenly paced, the narrative is entertaining from start to finish, and Eastwood and Marvin’s performances elevate the work to a must-see for any Eastwood fan hoping to see him in a different role. .

6

Coogan’s Bluff (1968)

As Walt Coogan

Coogan’s Bluff is a crime thriller that sees Eastwood play the lead role of no-nonsense rural Arizona officer Walt Coogan. The film follows Coogan as he is sent across the country to bustling New York City in order to extradite a fugitive back to his home state, but after he escapes with the help of his girlfriend, Coogan must find and arrest the criminal before he faces harsh consequences. The film is the perfect blend of old school western elements with traditional crime film tropes that create an extremely entertaining amalgam.

The film is directed by the legendary Don Siegel on his first of five collaborations with Eastwoodbeing the most famous Dirty Harry three years later. All elements of Dirty Harry can be seen in this film, and it’s a clear springboard that laid the groundwork for his role and the themes of the film as a whole. Eastwood’s embodiment of the anti-establishment authority figure has become one of his most iconic characteristics, and a film like Coogan’s Bluff it shows his process and transition in detail, making it a fascinating study from start to finish.

5

Hang Them High (1968)

As Marshal Jed Cooper

Hang them high is a revisionist Western, a subgenre in which the film subverts many of the black-and-white traits and elements that form the basis of almost all traditional Westerns. Eastwood plays steel, determined Jed Cooper, a man who was transporting his cattle before being attacked by vigilantes who wrongly accused him of stealing the herd and who try to lynch him as a result. Cooper is saved by a passing lawman and decides to become a US Marshal to bring the gang that attacked him to justice in an incredibly complex and interesting narrative.

Clint Eastwood’s 8 films of the 1960s:

IMDb rating:

The witches (1967)

5.9/10

Paint your wagon (1969)

6.6/10

Coogan’s Bluff (1968)

6.4/10

Hang them high (1968)

7.0/10

Where eagles dare (1968)

7.6/10

A handful of dollars (1964)

7.9/10

For a few more dollars (1965)

8.2/10

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

8.8/10

Eastwood is beginning to have a command over the screen that few in his generation can rival, playing the resilient yet vulnerable role to perfection as a man who barely survives death but has the determination to better himself, but also of seeking revenge at the same time. The film explores many important themes such as law, justice and revengeand Eastwood’s portrayal, along with the gripping narrative and exquisite cinematography, create a truly epic piece of Western cinema. While it’s not as polished as his previous work in the ‘Dollars Trilogy’ with director Sergio Leone, it’s still an underrated gem in Eastwood’s filmography.

4

Where Eagles Dare (1968)

As Lt. Morris Schaffer

Brian G. Hutton Where eagles dare is a story of adventure and war that features Eastwood, Richard Burton and Mary Ure in iconic lead roles. The film’s plot follows a special operations division of the Allied soldiers who must save an American general from a fictional Nazi stronghold on a high-risk and impossible-to-fail mission. Eastwood and Burton shine as Major Smith and Lieutenant Schaffer, respectively, in a gripping narrative that twists and turns throughout the runtime in a mission that is anything but simple.

This is a film that shows that Eastwood can utilize his more understated features to provide a brilliant supporting role to Burton’s more domineering performance, creating an excellent balance between the two. Where eagles dare May be one of Eastwood’s most underrated filmsbut with a fantastic story, elaborate visuals, and a subtle portrayal of what a genuine quest could be, it’s truly excellent. The twists and turns throughout the runtime add an undercurrent of suspense with action sequences that intertwine at just the right moments.

3

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Like ‘The Man With No Name’

In this 1964 spaghetti Western (a subgenre of Western film produced in Italy), Eastwood gets his first big break in a leading role as his iconic character ‘The Man with No Name’. He plays the infamous anti-hero gunslinger who instigates a rivalry between two smuggling families to turn them against each other so he can benefit from the chaos that ensues. This is often described as one of the films that really made the Spaghetti Western genre stand out and gain critical acclaim for producing some of the best films of the time.

Widely considered one of Eastwood’s best films is the first of three collaborations with stellar western director Sergio Leone that form ‘The Dollars Trilogy’. These films feature many of the same creators, actors, characters, and themes, although they are not technically a legitimate trilogy, with A handful of dollars laying the groundwork for the two films to come, which helped define the genre as a whole. The film put a unique spin on the traditional Western, with less theatrics and over-the-top stories, richer visuals, and more intimate character studies.

2

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

Like ‘The Man With No Name’

In the second installment of The Dollars Trilogy, Clint Eastwood reprises one of his most popular roles as ‘The Man With No Name’. In this film, he must team up with a rugged colonel (Lee Van Cleef) to hunt down a fugitive barbarian bandit and collect the reward for his capture. The film continues the ideals and traditions of A handful of dollarsbeautifully conveying a complex story with rich character development in this remarkable Western about morality, justice, and rewards.

While the middle film in a trilogy can sometimes be overlooked, appearing to be a bridge to the first and third installments as it is not a traditional three-act structure, it is considered a fantastic film in its own right. Eastwood and Van Cleef are exceptional together, demonstrating camaraderie and tension in their partnership, and Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack combines all the film’s elements before composing his Magnum Opus in The good, the bad and the ugly. If the first film was Eastwood’s breakthrough, then his next role solidified him as an all-time great actor.

1

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Like ‘The Man With No Name’

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In the United States, a mysterious gunman tries to work together with a bandit and a bounty hunter to find hidden treasure. The men are forced to forge an uneasy alliance, as each only knows part of the place. The big problem is that none of them have any intention of sharing the wealth once they find it.

Director

Sergio Leone

Release date

December 29, 1967

Cast

Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli

Execution time

161 minutes

In a film that needs no introduction, The good, the bad and the ugly It’s the height of Spaghetti Westernsstarring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef as the three titular gunslingers. The trio form a reluctant partnership to carry out a series of violent and intricate plots that also involve finding a mass of gold buried in the desert. In Eastwood’s most iconic performance, the three come together to create a cinematic masterpiece.

Without a doubt, it is Clint EastwoodThe best film of the 1960s and probably the best film of his career. Any superlative praise you can give his performance is well deserved; in a role it seems he was destined to playHis performance as the mysterious, talented, quiet, and charismatic outlaw is enduring. From the chemistry with his co-stars, Leone’s masterful direction or Morricone’s soulful score or the stunning cinematography, each aspect leads to something; creating one of the best westerns of all time.

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