Here’s our first Photo
Opportunity of 2019. It features a great shot of Clint taken close to his then home
near Pebble Beach around the tail end of 1976 or early in 1977. It was taken
while the BBC was shooting their Documentary ‘The Man with No Name’ which was
broadcast by BBC 1 on Wednesday, February 23rd 1977. There are
several photos that exist from this photo shoot, where Clint was filmed
strolling around the beach area and being interviewed (by Ian Johnstone) for
the documentary. I believe the hour long programme was filmed on 16mm, Clint
can be seen here, seemingly unable to resist checking out the shot for himself!
The Seventh Art, a Toronto-based
publication on cinema and filmmakers said;
Iain Johnstone‘s BBC documentary on Clint Eastwood observes the budding
career of the young actor-turned-director at arguably the peak of his
celebrity–still figuring things out as a filmmaker and attracting enthusiastic
support (and dissent) along the way. It seems strange now to think Eastwood was
once a controversial figure whose films were met with heavy criticism toward
their ostensible conservatism and unnecessary violence, especially when it came
to Pauline Kael and the release of Dirty Harry, which she forever despised.
Kael’s opinions, however premature in hindsight, raised interesting questions
on the nature of the star’s acting and directing career, and she fortunately
had the chance to speak in Johnstone’s film in between the lengthy interview
with Eastwood (which is also excellent). It’s for essential fans and
detractors, alike.
A personal note:
I can vividly remember watching this documentary as a 12 year-old kid
- and (rather fortunately) it also happened to tie in with a school project we
had been set – to write about an icon (probably referred to as ‘a star’ or ‘hero’
back then). I can also remember taping it on an audio cassette at the time. This,
and the fact that the family home was often filled with the sound of Morricone,
pretty much sealed the deal and made Eastwood the obvious subject of choice.
Life from here on would never quite be the same…
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