Celebrating Clint Eastwood at Eighty

[The Schofield Kid]

On May 31, 2010, Clint Eastwood will turn eighty. By all present appearances, he will do so while continuing tirelessly to add to his accomplishments in an illustrious career now spanning half a century: a career almost without parallel in the history of American cinema, as both a widely popular movie star and a highly acclaimed director.

We'll have a traditional birthday thread when the time for it comes, but in the meanwhile, we thought Clint Eastwood Web Board members might like to take this opportunity to post their thoughts and feelings about what Eastwood's films have meant to them on a personal level.

You can post anything from your first memory of seeing Clint on screen, to what you consider the single greatest moment in an Eastwood film—or the one that has the most personal significance—to a few lines about your favorite Eastwood film or character or quote.

We've had a lot of individual threads over the years covering most of these topics, of course, but this will be the place where they'll all come together as we anticipate the celebration that will take place on May 31.

Thanks to Brian Cooper for suggesting this thread.

The moderators of the Clint Eastwood Web Board.

[antonis]

I was only 5 years old when I saw Clint in a local theater staring in the GBU.This moment changed my life for ever.
No day passes by,without thinking him.He keeps inspiring me through my way of living and he will as long as I live.

THANKS CLINT.... 

[PeterD]

Do any of the Aussie members remember Clint when he appeared on Hey Hey It's Saturday in the late 1980's? He came out to promote a movie and the talking ostrich (Ozzie) got the audience to sing Happy Bithday to Clint.

He looked mighty embarrassed.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qriq58cEGmM

[Lin Sunderland]

I do remember Hey Hey Its Saturday and Ozzie and I sure remember this event.



LINK

[-satu-]

I can't exactly remember the first movie I saw from Clint because he's always been there. My dad has been a fan since he was 15, so I think it's a long time ago when I first got a glimpse of him.  I'm glad I did. Dad says I'm now a bigger fan than he is.  But his movies have definetly made an impact on me. I now like jazz 'cause I've heard it in many Eastwood movies and learned to like it. He is a great actor/director and my journey is just beginning. I have so many movies to see, so many things to learn.

Westerns were the first movies I saw from him, I guess. At least, they have always been my first favourites. The westerns along with my dad gave me the enthusiasm to see more. Well, here we are. 

And it's been great here with you guys. Thank you.

Thank you Clint.

[Jed Cooper]

First and foremost, I’d like to thank The Moderators for their understanding, cooperation and assistance in creating this thread.  I hope this proves to be an enjoyable and fun experience for all who participate.

Eastwood movies have provided me many an hour of entertainment over the years…hell, decades!  I've enjoyed many of them on the big screen with family, friends and dates ("lady friends").  



The earliest I recall seeing him was on a cable channel.  An ad for The Enforcer was playing, so this must’ve been sometime in 1977.  I didn’t realize it was him until years later.  My friend Mike introduced me to Eastwood movies.  The earliest I recall are Every Which Way But Loose and The Eiger Sanction.  The first of his I’d seen on the big screen was Escape From Alcatraz.  Another friend and I snuck in through the rear exit doors of a local cinema.  I didn’t even know what was playing, just tagging along for the fun of it.  I remember going to see Any Which Way You Can on the big screen with Mike.  I remember the anticipation because we’d enjoyed the first one on cable so much.  

Around 1981/82 is when I became a serious fan, having caught the Leone/Eastwood westerns and Dirty Harry movies on television.  It was the westerns that got me hooked, because that was my favorite type of entertainment at the time.  Nothing, I mean nothing could top The Man With No Name!  They’re still my favorite of all of his movies.  I had a lot of fun seeking out the ones I hadn’t yet seen through the TV Guide.  More often than not, there were photo ads that I would add to a scrapbook that I kept for years.  I would add current movie ads with those from the guide and before long my collection grew to 3 large scrapbooks that also included various news clippings and magazine articles.  Sadly, by the time Pale Rider came along I discarded them.  

What I’ve learned from being a fan is that you’ve got to take the bad with the good (to quote Elvis Presley).  Of Eastwood’s movies, I’ve been disappointed many a time, but always looked forward to his next project.  Always.  Still do.  Whenever I find out about his next film’s projected release date, I mark the calendar.  The movies I’ve enjoyed far outweigh the ones I dislike and reinforce my belief that the next one just may be as good as, if not better, than the last.  

[Aline]

I always think whatever a fan says (especially a female one) may sound tacky, corny, something like that. I've told this little story before but if I want to post on this thread I have to tell it again.

All started when I watched Coogan's Bluff on tv. It was late night and I had to wake up early next morning then put it to record. The day after, when I watched, the ending was missing. I go crazy, it was a cliffhanger, Coogan finally got Ringerman so I wanted know how it ended.

The following day, I rented it. While I watched, I noticed missing scenes I didn't see in the tv version. I love that movie. I didn't want to get out of my room, I watched it over and over, I couldn't get tired of it. Since that day I started looking for all the movies starting Clint.

I don't like this word, but I can say I was obsessed. Everything was about him. There were some pathetic events like when I went to a movies rental store and picked The Return of Josey Wales. When I watched and realized Clint wasn't in it, was terrible. I think it really funny now but I cried like a baby at that time

The people that worked in thoses stores tried help but they didn't do a good job.
"There are others actors in the world...why don't you take some movies of Giuliano Gemma?"

          
(Nothing against Giuliano but they couldn't see I was looking only for movies starring Clint?!)

When I got my first computer, first thing I did on the net was type Clint name in a search tool then I found this site. I sent an e-mail to Cal Anderson every day. After some days, I think he felt sorry for me and replied He said he was only the administrator of the website, told me the Clint fan mail address, he was very kind, actually.

It took time to get some courage to start posting on the discussion board. It had the same format than the Sergio Leone board at that time (not organized by sections like this one).
I signed as "Lilly" years before the other/definitive Lilly came out

When the board changed for the second time, GMAT wrote a post saying name by name the members that didn't "move on" to the new board.
I thought nice from him and sent an e-mail revealing my real name, telling I didn't leave and I was keep reading the board. He was a very intelligent guy, wonder where he is and why he stopped posting
Sometime later, I started posting on the board again.

If I have to specify qualities that made me a Clint Eastwood fan is the strong screen presence, admiration for what he got in his life. His strenght and determination for following his dreams. The physical beauty, of course (I never could decide the look I liked most...the rough one in the westerns or the elegant one in the Dirty Harry movies ) but it was so much more than that. The facts of his life were what made me a true and loyal fan. The more I read about him, the more fascinated I became.  

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I read somewhere he was a business administration student and he thought the classes boring. I think he could have kept doing what he didn't like but he decided to follow his dreams by going to Italy in a complete adventure that would change his life forever.

My devotion increased when my father became interested in Clint too and started watching movies with me. What wonderful evenings...And I remember how upset I felt when people thought I liked Clint because of my dad. They didn't know it was the other way around...my dad became a fan because of me.

I always had a deep respect for artists, all kind of them (actors, singers, writers, painters) They are just special. They are just doing their work but in addition to that, they make millions of people happy because they deal with their souls and emotions. Sometimes I wonder if they realize that.

In 2007 when Letters from Iwo Jima was released here, a magazine called "Veja" presented the fans with 8 pages talking about Clint biography, movies and personal life. I particurlarly like this part:

Showing all the wrinkles he deserves but strong in posture and attitude, the star keeps causing a commotion that reminds of the openess of Red Sea in The Ten Commandments: the crowd gives passage to the living legend. Some of them approach with vows of love and admiration which the star deflects with a mix of cordiality and distance, gained in fifty years of experience.

http://veja.abril.com.br/310107/p_098.html

 

[Walt]

Clint has been a part of my life for a long, long time.My first memories are of the Dollars movies on t.v. when I was a kid.They might even have had their first British showing when I saw them in the early 70's but they made a big impression on me. I later was told by my mother that I had already seen Clint on the big screen as she took me to see Paint Your Wagon when it was first released. I remembered seeing the movie but, at that tender age, couldn't place The Man With No Name in a musical.

It must have been a few years later when an uncle of mine was telling me about Dirty Harry and calling it the best film he'd seen in years.This time I knew who Clint was but was too young to get into the cinema. I didn't have to wait as long as you might think though as cinema managers in the 70's weren't as particular as nowadays.

I must have been about 12 or 13 when I saw Dirty Harry for the first time and was instantly hooked.I then made it my mission to see every film Clint made. These were the good old days when you could catch two at a time on the double bill showings.

It was at one such showing that I met a fellow fan who would become a friend ( Davytriumph ) The movies were The Outlaw Josey & Magnum Force. We'd both seen them before so ended up chatting about Clint and our fledgling collections as much as watching the films.

It became an event every time a new Clint film would come out and I was rarely dissapointed. I joined the Clint Eastwood Apreciation Society and eagerly looked forward to each issue. I remember one of the issues with the headline Clint At 50. I thought " Oh, my hero's getting old " Ah the innocence of youth. I'm approaching that milestone in a few years myself now and I still feel 18……... might not look it though !

Davy and I were honoured to meet Clint in 1991 and thinking about it still sends a shiver down my spine. They say you should never meet your heroes as you're bound to be dissapointed. Rubbish !!! He was everything I would have expected and more.

I can't believe the great man's about to turn 80. Time really does fly.I'm delighted he's recognised as a great filmmaker and not just a movie star.It makes me feel like saying " I told you so " to the critics from his "action movie" days who thought that's all he was.

I hope if I reach 80 I can still settle down and watch one of my favourite Clint films……… probably in holographic form by then. What would I put on ? That seems like a good point to end with my top five.

Dirty Harry
High Plains Drifter
The Outlaw Josey Wales
In The lIne Of Fire
Where Eagles Dare

Well, that's how I feel this week anyway. Happy Birthday when it comes big guy.

[burynedright]

I have two memorable times I would like to share.. The first is when I was 11 yrs. old and saw all three of Clint's spaghetti westerns playing back to back to back.. LOL I must have been in the theater for over seven hrs.. It was awesome!! I will never forget that day..
And finally when my family and I were traveling through Carmel in the late '90s we spent the night at Clint's Mission Ranch, While we were having dinner he happened to walk in and I stood up shook his hand and he autographed my napkin.. (that's all I had at the time LOL )
Wow.. Great times...

[palooka]

I have two memorable times I would like to share.. The first is when I was 11 yrs. old and saw all three of Clint's spaghetti westerns playing back to back to back.. LOL I must have been in the theater for over seven hrs.. It was awesome!! I will never forget that day..
And finally when my family and I were traveling through Carmel in the late '90s we spent the night at Clint's Mission Ranch, While we were having dinner he happened to walk in and I stood up shook his hand and he autographed my napkin.. (that's all I had at the time LOL )
Wow.. Great times...

Great times indeed, can you post a picture of the signature you got?

[palooka]

It was ny dad that got me watching Clint westerns when I was about 10. Loved to watch Clint's movies ever since.

I could take up pages and pages talking about what I admire about him and I could speculate as to why he has that hold over me.

Suffice to say, the message from me is "Thanks for everything Clint. Happy birthday"

[Clint Eastwood Fan]

I've always liked Clint Eastwood.   I remember watching his movies on TV back in the 1970's and I used to watch Rawhide when it was in syndication.  I never became really interested in him however until after he starred in Unforgiven. I think that was one of the best westerns ever made.  I started collecting Clint's movies in the 2000's on VHS and now on DVD.  I own all  of his movies except a few from the 1950's.  I've watched them in chronological order before.  I think that's the best way to watch them. There's only about 3 or 4 that I didn't care for.  That says a lot.  I just wanted to wish Clint a very happy 80th birthday.  In my opinion he is the best filmmaker of our generation.  He makes so many great movies and he does it in many different genres.  Of course my favorites have always been his westerns and his police movies especially Dirty Harry.  Anyway I don't post that much but I do read the boards quite a lot.  It's just great to be able to come to a place where so many people can celebrate the movies of Clint Eastwood.  Here's hoping that we have many more years of this great man.

[Jed Cooper]

This thread has laid dormant for a little while.  Here we are, around 2 1/2 months until the big man's 80th birthday.  Since Unforgiven, he's had a decent run with the Oscars.  Seems like you're in good company these days being on an Eastwood production.  Since Unforgiven he's won, been nominated for and has had actors working with him also nominated for Academy Award.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds. 

[Jed Cooper]

Not much farther to go....

[LCat]

I guess I'm "dating myself", but I remember as a kid Rawhide and drop-dead gorgeous Clint Eastwood. I've been hooked ever since. (I even had a guy-friend who looked quite like him who was very wry). My favorites so far are The Eiger Sanction, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Unforgiven, Play Misty for Me, and The Good, Bad, and the Ugly. I still have a few more movies of his that I haven't seen yet--I'm trying to catch up to this Icon, but he's a tough act to follow! He's great, so multi-talented. I'm soooo glad he shared his talent with the world.

LCat

[Jed Cooper]

I hope this topic picks up some speed soon. 

I came across The Outlaw Josey Wales on tv on Easter Sunday.  I could only watch a few minutes but was glad to catch even that.  Westerns are one of my favorite genres of film and television and most of Eastwood's are amongst my favorite.  One of my all-time favorite Eastwood quotes comes from the Wales film, "Well, are you gonna pull those pistols, or whistle Dixie?"  An underrated western, perfect for a rainy, lazy day at home.

It's always interesting hearing when fans became fans of Eastwood, whether it began with Rawhide or at any given point in his long career.  I became aware of Clint around the time of Every Which Way But Loose.  I'd seen it and some other films on cable and regular tv.  The Enforcer and The Eiger Sanction were a couple of early ones for me.  I'd seen Escape From Alcatraz and Any Which Way You Can upon release but still wasn't a fan.  That would come later, during the spring & summer of 1982 just before the release of Firefox.  I'm still disapppointed in that movie but it brings back memories to when I'd seen a lot of his movies on tv and decided I wanted to see more.  The Leone westerns, Dirty Harry and The Enforcer are still very big favorites.

 



 

[antonis]

nice article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/apr/26/clint-eastwood-profile

and gallery

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/gallery/2010/apr/26/clint-eastwood-80?lightbox=2

[KC]

Thanks, antonis. Dan Dassow started a thread in the News section for the Guardian profile, here:

http://www.clinteastwood.org/forums/index.php?topic=8319.0

This thread is really more intended for members' personal tributes to Clint.

[TWOMULES]

The month of May is finally here and we will soon be celebrating Clint's 80th birthday. OK i would not say,"I am Clint's biggest fan", but i do have a huge amount of Clint Eastwood memorabilla. My collection includes DVDs, video's, original soundtrack records and CDs, books, magazines, postcards and posters. I also have a Man with no name figure from The Leonardo Collection and 2 Rawhide annuals in mint condition. The Rawhide annuals were my uncles and he kindly gave them to me about 15 years ago.

How did I become a Clint Eastwood fan? It all started for me back in my early teens. The first time i saw Clint Eastwood was with my uncle. He took me to my local club one tuesday night to watch Kelly's Heroes. Some guy would come in with a sound projector and he would show a different film each week. Once i saw Clint on the big screen i was mesmerized, how could anyone be that cool! Clint effortlessly did nothing but he stood out in every scene.

After this, I started watching Clint's Spaghetti Westerns with my Dad. My Mam and Dad got me a Betamax video recorder one christmas and i would tape every Clint Eastwood film that came on TV. I soon moved on to VHS and then DVD. I don't go on the internet much but 1 day i went on looking for a Clint Eastwood fan club, one of those club's where you would become a member for a year and get fan club magazines. I did not find any but i came across this site,so i made myself a member.

I am dumb when it comes to computers and my two children show me up! My expectations for this site are good and i would like to thank, KC, The Schofield Kid and Aline for their help and anybody else who have helped me out by giving me advice on posting.

I love every aspect of Clint's stunning career, from his bit-part roles to his latest work from behind the camera.My favourite Clint Eastwood films are The Good,The Bad and The Ugly, Kelly's Heroes, Two Mules For Sister Sara, Dirty Harry, The Gauntlet,Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,The Outlaw Josey wales, Every Which Way But Loose, Unforgiven and Gran Torino.
I also like Letters From Iwo Jima and Mystic River.

This site can be a bit addictive once you start but the beauty of this is, it's an amazing site. You go on a lot of other sites and you can see the swear words jumping out of the screen at you! Thank you every one for making this site a fantastic place to been.

[The Schofield Kid]

I can't remember the very first time I saw Clint Eastwood on a TV screen but ever since January 1981 when as an 11 year old I went to the cinema during the Christmas school holidays to see the film Any Which Way You Can, I've been a big fan.

Of course I'm sure as a kid, the real reason I went to see that film was the orangutan side kick Clyde. Ever since then though, there has only been one actor that has stood head and shoulders above any others that I admire and enjoy seeing onscreen.

CLINT EASTWOOD.

Since Unforgiven I've seen just about every Eastwood film at the cinema including his director only films. What amazes me is how Clint has evolved into one of the greatest film directors of all time. Up there with John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock and so many others.

In a career spanning 50+ years he started as a TV actor, moving onto films, then directing and he never disappoints me. Sure some films aren't as great as you hope going into the cinema, but just seeing a trailer for an Eastwood film gets the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. Just seeing his name onscreen, makes me want to see the film straight away. No one else does that to me.

Unforgiven is my all time favorite film. Not just of Clint's but of all time. I can watch that film several times a year and never tire of it. So powerful that scenes stay with me for days after. No other film has had that effect on me ever.

Of course I love watching the action films of the 60's and 70's. Westerns, Dirty Harry's. All of them really. Even Paint Your Wagon.

Last month was 6 years since I joined this board and watching a lot of Clint's films after reading threads here and getting other members take on certain things to each film has made me look further into each film. I just don't watch films to be entertained anymore. I look and see so much more.

To all my friends I've made since being here. Thank you. You're the best bunch of guys and gals around and there's only one man we can thank for bringing us all together.

CLINT EASTWOOD.