The American Cowboy
Many movies and TV shows, especially in the 20th century, romanticized the cowboy in westerns.
One such:
Rawhide
Set in the 1860s, the trail boss, Gil Favor, headed the drovers of cattle as well as their adventures during the drive.
reference: Rawhide (1959 - 1966)
And Rawhide's theme song echoes the drama of the show as well as the era in American history:
Sadly, the star Eric Fleming, who played Gil Favor, came to a tragic end, drowning in Peru while making High Jungle, an adventure program. Hence the tribute at the end of the clip.
reference: Eric Fleming biography
But one of the young cowboys in the ride was the impetuous Rowdy Yates played by Clint Eastwood.
reference: Clint Eastwood biography
And Clint Eastwood would move on from TV to the big screen, in which he made many cowboy movies. Among them, the Spaghetti Western: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
reference: What is a Spaghetti Western
Clint Eastwood would star not only in many other westerns but also other genres as well, such action thrillers. One such character:
The American Cop
Homicide Division Inspector, "Dirty" Harry Callahan, of the San Francisco Police Force, not only fought crime, but the corrupt system, the enemy within. And it became the film series:
Dirty Harry
First movie in the series was based on the Zodiac killer, unsolved to this day.
reference: Dirty Harry (1971)
Classic opening scene from Dirty Harry:
Four more Dirty Harry sequels followed, including Sudden Impact (1983):
And that film opening scene gave us the catch phrase:
Go Ahead Make My Day
Clint Eastwood contributed to the icons of the American Cowboy and Cop, a slice of Americana.
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For other posts on this thread, search:
Americana
Nostalgia
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Photo: The Herd Quitter
