Having given over half a century of brilliance to the world of cinema, Clint Eastwood is undeniably one of the film industry’s most enduring heroes. Throughout one of the most impressive careers in movie history, Eastwood has given some of the most memorable performances and has also taken the directorial reins on many admirable occasions.
In terms of acting, Eastwood is known for his intensely masculine efforts as ‘The Man with No Name’ from Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy spaghetti westerns and ‘Dirty Harry’ Callahan from the Dirty Harry films. In addition, Eastwood has often cast himself in the lead role of the films he has taken on from the director’s chair.
Such films include the likes of Gran Torino, The Bridges of Madison County, Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, proving the kind of versatility the San Francisco-born star has when it comes to providing excellence to the world of cinema. Quite simply, Eastwood is a master of film and has proven his status time and time again throughout his glittering professional life.
Because of Eastwood’s reputation for excellence, it’s fair to say that big studios often become interested in a movie that he becomes involved with. Eastwood has frequently been associated with Warner Bros and Universal because such companies know that if Eastwood is attached, the film will usually be well-received critically and bring in a healthy box office to boot.
When speaking with the DGA, Eastwood once noted a film that he directed and produced that nobody seemed to be interested in before he picked it up. “A project like Bird was going nowhere when I grabbed it,” Eastwood explained. “It had been hanging around for a long time. It was owned by another studio, and I talked Warner Bros into trading something for it. Now, Warners might not have done that for someone else.”
1988’s Bird is the biographical musical drama telling of the life of legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker, with Forest Whitaker taking on the lead role. A series of vignettes of Parker’s life are detailed, from his early beginnings and childhood in Kansas City right up to his tragic and untimely death at the young age of just 34.
Bird didn’t enjoy the kind of commercial success that Eastwood was used to, showing that Warner Bros couldn’t always necessarily bank on the director/actor to bring in a strong box office taking. However, the film was critically lauded and saw Whitaker earn the Cannes Film Festival ‘Best Actor’ award Eastwood win the ‘Best Director’ Golden Globe.
In the DGA interview, Eastwood admitted, “I’ve gotten a few films made that probably wouldn’t have been made otherwise.” He went on to name a further two movies that might not have seen the light of day if it weren’t for his personal belief in them: the 2003 neo-noir crime thriller Mystic River, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne, and Million Dollar Baby, the 2004 boxing movie with Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman.
Such films, as well as Bird, show the kind of influence that Eastwood has on the studios of Hollywood, who largely trust him with bringing either commercial or critical success to their works. Bird is a brilliant portrayal of one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, but it might not have been possible were Eastwood not attached to it.