Rare Eastwood Double Bills

Rare Eastwood Double Bills

We do like a good double-bill feature – especially when it includes a bit of Eastwood. There have been many pairings in the past, double-bill features that often paired up an Eastwood film with another big movie of the day. Both films usually belonged to the same studio and it was a nice way to double up on a run after both films had enjoyed their first, initial release. 

Our friend Davy Triumph recently spotted two great examples from both Paramount and United Artists. The first teamed up Eastwood and John Wayne in two very different westerns. Tru Grit and Paint your Wagon. True grit was originally released in June, 1969 with Paint your Wagon released a few months later in October. Both of the Paramount films were likely to have been released the following year in 1970. 

The second programme came from United Artists – the studio had already put together several combos featuring the dollar movies and at one point showed all 3 movies with Eastwood’s first American western, Hang ‘em high (1968). 

This double-bill show was probably from around late 1971, as it saw Hang ‘em high paired up with the Oliver Reed and Gene Hackman western, The Hunting Party (1971). It’s a bit of a strange pairing – The Hunting Party was described as a ‘repellently violent western’ and sadistically nasty, whist Hang ‘em high was more of an ‘apple pie’ western with a vague capital punishment message. However, the pairing provided a great excuse for a great tagline in ‘Hunt ‘em! / Hang ‘em!' How could you possibly resist? 

My kind thanks to Davy Triumph.