Clint Eastwood: The Pocket Essential Guide

Clint Eastwood's career has been unmatched in the history of Hollywood. A popular TV star, he was catapulted to film stardom as 'The Man With No Name' in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. Once established as a star, he became the John Wayne of his era, an American icon whose box-office drawing power remained undiluted three decades later, despite unfriendly critics, unfavourable gossip and unspectacular forays into politics and political life. Uniquely, Eastwood used his new-found star status to launch a second, and arguably more successful career as a director, which reached its apex when he was awarded the 1992 Best Picture Oscar for Unforgiven. Following his other mentor, Don Siegel, Eastwood's reputation as a director is that of a solid professional who makes films without wasting time or money. His output has followed a dual path of popular action films and more personal projects which display a range which confounds those who label him as an action star. Those paths intersect in his epic westerns, several of which can stand with the great films of the genre. This book analyses all of Eastwood's films as a director, and includes information about his acting career, particularly those films directed by members of his 'stock company', as well as tracing the influences of Leone, Siegel and others on his work.