The Evolution of Clint Eastwood from Classic B-Movies to Oscar Status
Are you thinking, “Did he fire six shots or only five?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, most have indeed lost track. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question, “Do I feel lucky?” Well, do ya, punk?
This is one of the most famous lines in all of Hollywood history, and is said by none other than Clint Eastwood, in Dirty Harry. Not unlike any other film that this great actor appeared in the Dirty Harry series drew huge crowds to the box office, and can still be considered a cult classic. There are a very few actors today that can command the attention of viewers such as Clint Eastwood, Eastwood is clearly one of those entertainers that draws you into the role that he portrays and for this reason he has become one of the most sought after actors of his time.
Clint Eastwood Jr., born in San Francisco, California on May 31st, 1930, has developed from stud B-movie actor to an Academy Award winning film producer, composer, and film director, with a sense of urgency and flare that few before him have been able to capture. What were most notable of Clint Eastwood were his spaghetti westerns such as A Fist Full Of Dollars, and Man With No Name. These films only lead this strapping actor to bigger and better things throughout his illustrious career. Born to a steelworker, Clint Eastwood Sr. and wife Margaret Ruth Runner, this young boy was of Irish, Scottish, English, and Dutch descent. It is said that Clint is the direct descendant of Plymouth colony Governor William Bradford, who traveled on the Mayflower to America. Clint as a child did suffer throughout the great depression, and with this suffering he managed to find a way to build strength into all of his roles later in life.
Clint, as a young man, lived in Los Angeles, and finally finished his education at the Oakland Technical High School. It was felt that as a student in school Clint was rather introverted, to overcome this shyness his teacher gave him a role in a play, to which Eastwood will remember as a horrible and unappreciated experience on his part. After high school Clint unfortunately was drafted and was slated to head for Korea. Luck would turn in his favor as on a relief and heading home to see his parents, the navy bomber he was in crashed in the ocean and Clint was forced to swim over a mile in the tides to shore. The military caught wind of this feat and made Clint a swimming instructor on base of Fort Ord in California where he managed to avoid Korea all together.
It was clear however, that once Clint had reached a point in his acting career that he needed more to fulfill himself. Clint partook in study of directing and this quickly shifted his gears in life, once considered Americas tough guy now has put his guns down for the camera. In a surprise to even Clint, he received more critical acclaim for his directing and producing than his acting, which spanned several decades. No one believed that Clint could have such an eye for the other side of the lens. It is clear that he has an eye for talent, and knows what make people want more in the theaters. For these reasons Clint Eastwood found the transition to director from actor a relatively simple and un-marring process. This transition however, does not signal the end of a great acting career; as many believe this Strong American hero will once again appear in front of the camera.
Eastwood’s career did make a few stopovers in other direction that took the world by surprise actually. Always considering himself a Republican, Clint did run for mayor of a small area within California. He was up against a well-known and respected local businessman. To much surprise not only Clint Eastwood but the movie industry as well, he won the race with a vote of over 72% and he would have easily won the re-election race had he not declined the champagne. Combine this endeavor with his great gift of acting and his even more gifted achievements in directing and producing, and you can see that Clint Eastwood was and still is in fact, the real deal when it comes to entertainment.
