Thursday, May 27, 2021

Movies We Love: 'Dirty Harry' (1971)

When a deranged killer terrorizes San Francisco, Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" Callahan dispenses with the letter of the law and rewrites the rules his way.

"Now you know why they call me 'Dirty Harry.'  I get every dirty job that comes along."

This movie has inspired countless imitators from "Kojak," "Baretta" and "Starsky & Hutch" on Tv to "Bullitt," "Lethal Weapon" and "Death Wish" on the big screen.

And every hero who utters a catchphrase owes a debt to Harry.  Like when he said to the cornered criminal thinking about reaching for a weapon, while pointing his big, but possibly empty,  pistol at the guy, utters the classic: "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do you feel lucky?'  Well, do ya, punk?"

DID YOU KNOW?

Burt Lancaster, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman were approached to play Dirty Harry, but all there said no.  Newman, however, recommended Eastwood, who had just spent eight seasons starring as Rowdy Yates on the TV western "Rawhide."

Clint Eastwood has certainly made a name for himself since, as  an actor and director in other movies, but "Dirty Harry" is still his defining role.  And he reprised it four more times.

--CootWood


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