There's a quote we used to start a discussion of the character of Philo Beddoe in
THIS thread, and it explains very well some of the reasons that I find him so likeable a character.
There's another thread where we discuss the big fight, and I'll go into detail in that thread about how I interpret him throwing that fight, and will only go into it briefly here... but I've always felt he threw the fight because he knew if he won he would ruin a man's reputation and life... and for what? Money? Fame? I believe Philo values people more than anything in the world (and apes too, since he rescued Clyde, putting up the only thing of value he owned, his truck, on a fight against four men.

)
In this way, he's like Bronco Billy McCoy... the best friend a man can have. Someone with his values in check. Someone who would go to the ends of the world to help someone he cared about. If only the world were full of more people like him, right?

Philo Beddoe wasn't a loser at the end of this film... he was the biggest man in the world when he threw that fight.
He was the real winner.

I'm glad Clint did these films. I don't feel they tarnished his image at all, even though we occasionally have a member passing through who has to insult him for his choice of doing them.