Clint Eastwood Photo Opportunity #34

Clint Eastwood Photo Opportunity #34

Here’s a wonderful Photo Opportunity to begin the month of February. It’s a great shot taken during the making of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), and a rather poignant and important scene. Tuco has of course fled again, trying to escape Blondie and being the first to reach Sad Hill cemetery. Meanwhile, Blondie discovers a young Rebel officer who has been fatally wounded. Instead of immediately giving chase to keep up with Tuco, Blondie decides to hold back and gives the dying man his coat to warm him, and the last few puffs of his cigar to comfort him. It’s poignant of course as this is also the scene where Eastwood’s character first picks up the nearby poncho and wears it for the first time and confirms the running order of the trilogy begins with this movie. 

What is also interesting about this photo, is that this is likely to be a rehearsal as Clint is just wearing a shirt and not the sheepskin vest that he is wearing in the actual filmed scene. The dying soldier was played by actor Axel Darna. 

The actor didn’t go on to have a major career in movies, and very little is known of him. He went on to appear in 1 episode of the TV series La familia Colón (1967), Las 4 bodas de Marisol (1967), Operación Mata Hari (1968) and was second billed as Miguel in the film No le busques tres pies… (1968). 

From here, Axel Darna seemed to just disappear into obscurity? The film business can be a funny game…