Posted on 02/03/2010 6:56:08 PM PST by pissant
As hard as it is to imagine today, Clint Eastwood was once a little boy. And a pretty unexceptional one at that. 'I always joke that back then my teachers were like, “Mrs Eastwood, your son, he is just slow”,’ Eastwood tells me.
The actor, writer and film-maker will be 80 in May, yet the man sitting in this Los Angeles hotel room could easily pass for a young-looking 65.
His crinkly skin is slightly leathery in texture − courtesy of a life spent on film locations and golf courses − but his blue eyes are bright and, at a still-lean six-feet-four, he remains an imposing presence.
This is the fourth time I’ve met him and he talks as quietly and succinctly as ever, delivering short pithy lines with his clipped, gravely tones. He’s no great shakes as an anecdotalist and can be a little taciturn at times. But slow? Never.
Eastwood doesn’t smoke ('only in movies’), has never done drugs ('they just weren’t my thing’), and attributes his rude health to a twice-daily meditation routine and a diet that scrimps on red meat.
He was recently named one of the world’s most stylish men by the American edition of GQ, yet today Eastwood’s cool is seriously compromised by a slightly fuddy-duddy windcheater.
'I guess I’m still a blue-collar guy,’ he laughs. Joking aside, Eastwood is justifiably proud of his working-class upbringing ('I have worked ever since I was 13’) and an underdog story easily as compelling as any from his films.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The cemetery scene with Eli Wallach and the music with it.
Replayed it all too often.
I hope I’m still swinging clubs at 80, heck just putting around would be OK too.
Many hours of cinema magic and flickering images ago, a lanky kid hit a soundstage and hasn’t looked back since. He done pretty good.
Here’s to 90..
I always like to point people to “Paint Your Wagon”, which I first saw at about age seven. Clint Eastwood in a musical?
Clint Eastwood SINGING???
One guy said he found it, checked it out, and said his head practically exploded.
Lee Marvin too. That was too much.
Happy birthday to Mr. Eastwood.
I believe I’ve liked every Eastwood movie I’ve ever seen.
I especially liked Paint Your Wagon though he’s no singer and Lee Marvin’s not much better. The two were funny in it and it was an entertaining movie.
Hence the fuddy-duddy windbreaker!
I think Rawhide started in 1959. I'm not sure if it was based on the Movie from the early 50’s.
The Outlaw Josey Wales is my all-time favorite. Gran Torino is right up there.
I’ll check it out. Thanks. I faintly remember Pain Your Wagon, I think.
I’m visualizing a drunk actor on a horse. I can picture him, but not the name.
Saw him in a 1956 “Highway Patrol” episode the other week. Even then, he had “it”.
Paint not Pain. sheesh!
I’ve been watching Clint ‘s movies on TV this week.
They’ll never be any as good as his movies, especially the westerns.
Josey Wales was great...
“Endeavor to persevere.” We thought about it for a long time, “Endeavor to persevere.” And when we had thought about it long enough, we declared war on the Union.
Sounds to me about what we have now.
“It’s a piece of Art.”
It is beautifully put together & finished also you can paint a portrait of devastation with it.
And though a lot of people snicker at "Pale Rider," Eastwood's brazen '80s take on "Shane," it's one of my favorite Westerns of all time. Stockburn's deputies are priceless! They never smile, they never blink, they never talk among themselves. They just stand around in those big white dusters and look mean. Until "the preacher" kills them all, that is!
*sigh* Now I'm going to have to watch both of them again!
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