95th birthday of Clint Eastwood: The romantic in the body of a hard dog

In the cinema, the anti -war film “In the West nothing new” (the original!), The Pluto, which is now degraded into a dwarf planet, is discovered and a young named Clinton “Clint” Eastwood Jr. is born in San Francisco, California. When the son of an accountant sees the light of day on May 31, 1930, nobody thought it was possible what a taciturn world career would have been called to the little scream – let alone that he still did not completely swore her off at 95 years of life.

Eastwood may have made a name for himself as an outrageously cool cowboy or stick-hard cop on the screen, the one-liner like “I will think about it when I piss on your grave”. As a child, on the other hand, he was considered introverted, even shy. The fact that he was always “the new” at school during the depression period during the depression should have contributed to this. In any case, Eastwood’s school career was not crowned with special success and so as a young man, he finally worked as a supermarket worker, warehouse worker or – although as a soldier for the Korean War – as a lifeguard in the military base Fort Ord in California.

Instead of lying in the Korean jungle in the war of deputy between East and West, Eastwood was lucky enough not to have to leave his US home. Even more: According to his official biography, he even met someone named Chuck Hill in Fort Ord who poured the door to Hollywood. There, however, he was immediately suggested by acting classes because he had the habit of presenting his lines with tied teeth – so to that the trademark of the cult greaser.

Countless small and sometimes ungrateful roles later it was 1958 that Eastwood’s career was finally supposed to give the necessary traction. He got one of the main roles in the western series “Thousand Milk Dust” (1959-1966, original title: “Rawhide”), whom he remained loyal to Rowdy Yates as right-wing hot spur until eight seasons. However, he shouldn’t get rid of the cowboy hat so quickly …

At the end of 1963 he took on the role of the “man without name” in the film of an unknown Italian director – Sergio Leone (1929-1989). With “for a handful of dollar” Eastwood finally made the long -awaited transfer from the boring hero to antiheroes: “With ‘Rawhide’ I became a role of the typical jet man, which gives old women and dogs a kiss and is nice to everyone, so tired”, he is quoted in the book “Aim for the Heart: The Films of Clint Eastwood”. He had to over too nice roles in Italo stripes like “For a few more dollars” (1965), “Two glorious Halunken” (1966) or US western of the brand “hangs him higher” (1968) and “A eating for the vulture” (1969).

For Eastwood in two ways, the early 1970s represents an important phase of his work. On the one hand, he first made a name for himself in 1971 with another parade role away from the cowboy – with that of the leg police officer Harry “Dirty Harry” Callahan, who is happy to be served in a total of five parts of criminals to be able to remove it: “Well, make my day!”

On the other hand, he also celebrated his debut as a director in 1971 with the thriller “Sadistico – Desired Concert for a Dead”. With just a few exceptions, he likes to suit himself in his over 40 directing work, primarily as the main character. Most recently around 2021 in the “Cry Macho” strip or in the now 17 -year -old drama “Gran Torino”.

However, he was only allowed to celebrate the greatest success in his long -term career as a director. In 1993 he took off his first two Oscars for the best director and the best film for “merciless”, but was empty as the main actor in the dark late western. The exactly the same constellation in 2005, when he once again confessed two Oscars (best director, best film) for “Million Dollar Baby”, but was the main actor.

He still lacks an acting gold boy and should no longer be accessible. He had his last role so far in 2021 in “Cry Macho”, his possibly last directorial work came into German cinemas with “Juror #2” at the beginning of this year. He did not swore the dream factory entirely, as a producer he still has an arrow in the quiver: “The Gauntlet” with Tom Cruise and Scarlett Johansson, a remake of the 1977 film of the same name, in which – how could it be otherwise – Clint Eastwood held the leading role.

In the 1960s it was common for actors to try again as a singer behind the microphone. Coupled to his role in the TV series “Thousand Milk Dust”, for example, he cheated the record “Rawhide’s Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites” and even had a duet with Ray Charles (1930-2004, “Beers to You”). Eastwood’s crediting song also sang “Gran Torino”.

Exactly 30 years ago, 1995, Eastwood also demonstrated his sensitive side on the screen. At the time, cinema goers were amazed – is that really dirty Harry, who turtles with Meryl Streep in “The Bridges on the River”? “In it I played a romantic guy, which in contrast to all the other roles rather corresponds to my true nature”. The reaction: incredulous laughter in the audience.

The fact is: he always arrived well in the women’s world and Eastwood never presented himself as a child of sadness. The mime, two sons and six daughters, have eight children, 42 years between his youngest and oldest offspring.

Half of them come from illegitimate relationships and/or side jumps. So also his most famous offspring, son man and lookalike Scott Eastwood. Eastwood testified to him and his sister Kathryn with the flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves, while he actually led a relationship with the (married) actress Sondra Locke (1944-2018).

Politically, Clint Eastwood also kept causing a stir. For example, when he was mayor of the California small town of Carmel-by-Sea from 1986 to 1988. However, an appearance in 2012, which Eastwood itself would like to delete from his vita. At an election event by the Republicans, he conducted an excited foreign speech with an empty chair that was supposed to personify the then President Barack Obama. When asked what he regretted in his career, “I guess when I did this stupid thing at the Republican meeting and talked to the chair.” Even an old (hard) dog never learns.