There are three pic thatClint Eastwoodconsiders to be his big career risks , but only one paid off at the box office . Despite the stardom Eastwood achieved as the " serviceman with No Name " in Sergio Leone’sDollarstrilogy , it still took a few days for him to break through in America . The picture show that truly cement him wasDirty Harry , a controversial 1971 thriller that nevertheless was a mammoth winner , and led to one of the fewClint Eastwood motion-picture show franchise .

Eastwood ’s screen persona quickly became that of the stoical man of action who said petty - but always had a teetotal wisecrack quick when postulate . From the 1970s through to the 1990s , most of his biggest smasher come in the thriller or action genres , fromThe Gauntletright on down toIn the Line of Fire . That ’s not to say he did n’t take any chances as a performing artist though , and in between the dieting of thriller orClint Eastwood Westerns , he rolled the dice on several projects .

Bronco Billy is one of Clint Eastwood ’s most unknown Western , but the write up is so personal to director / star he regard it one of his best .

clint eastwood as bronco billy

Eastwood Considers The Beguiled, Honkytonk Man & Broncho Billy As His Biggest Risks

Clint also felt Unforgiven wouldn’t be commercial

During a 1996 conversation withCharlie Rose , Eastwood was asked which of his films he considered the biggest swinging . In short succession , Clint citedThe Beguiled , Honkytonk ManandBronco Billyas his biggest gambles , mostly because they " were away from character . “Indeed , none of the three Eastwood cited as risks are legal action motion picture or crime thrillers , withThe Beguiledbeing a creepy , gothic thriller while bothBronco BillyandHonkytonk Manare displace character studies .

Bronco Billyis the sweetest of the bunch , with Eastwood ’s title grapheme leading a jaunt Wild West show satiate with misfits and dreamers . The film itself is a metaphor for the life of an actor , and it ca n’t be a misapprehension that the story feel like a comment on the go down popularity of Westerns . Honkytonk Manis a musical drama set during the Great Depression , where Eastwood ’s give way singer takes his nephew on a route slip while he tries to reach an important auditory modality .

Honkytonk Man has a veridical warmth about it , especially as Clint Eastwood ’s nephew is played by his boy , Kyle .

Imagery from Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

The film features arguably the biggest loser role Eastwood has played and might be the uttermost from his tough guy concealment image it ’s possible to get . It ’s also one of the star ’s darker dramas and features a rare instance of one of his characters dying . Still , Honkytonk Manhas a warmth about it too , especially as Eastwood ’s nephew is played by his boy , Kyle . The Beguiledranks among Clint ’s most flaky , data-based effort , being a mix of repugnance , titillating dramatic event and Southern Gothic .

It also finds Clint ’s character being emasculated perpetually by the women around him - another subversion of his manlike silver screen icon at that time . In the same Charlie Rose conversion , Eastwood admits he did n’t thinkUnforgivenwould be a success either . The film horn in holes in the myth of the Old West , underling the ugly and lonely nature of lease another mortal ’s liveliness - even if they " deserve it . " On paper , Unforgiven’sdemystification of the Western did n’t write box authority amber , but it was a decisive and commercial-grade dearie upon press release .

The Beguiledwas subsequently remade by director Sofia Coppola in 2017 , with Colin Farrell stepping into the Clint Eastwood role .

still from They were expendable

Only One Of These Eastwood Risks Was A Hit

Audiences didn’t exactly line up for Honkytonk Man in 1982

It ’s interesting to chase Eastwood ’s career choices , where he seemed to balance commercial-grade film with more personal selection . He must have known something likeHonkytonk Manwasn’t go to be a big wage earner , but that same yr , Clint also directed gist - heavy blockbusterFirefox . This " One for them , one for me " work ethic served him well , but out of the three projects Eastwood weigh his big peril , onlyBronco Billywas a success , bring in over $ 24 million at the domesticated box office(viaBox Office Mojo ) .

The Beguiledgrossed only a measly $ 1.1 million , whileHonkytonk Manjust about doubt its $ 2 million product budget . It should be noted that the trio all received warm reviews , but it wasBronco Billy’ssense of whimsy and nostalgia that made it a comfortable succeeder in 1980.It speak to how big a star Eastwood was that he could get greenlights for task that were almost destined not to perform well , though his repute for turn in movies on time and for modest budgets probably helped assuage those risk of infection .

Bronco Billy Is Clint Eastwood’s Favorite Movie Of His Own

Eastwood loves the earnest message behind Bronco Billy

Bronco Billyfeels for the most part blank out now and seldom come up in retrospective discussions of Eastwood ’s back catalog . This is a shame because it function both as a far-out drama about a dreamer and a reflection of its adept ’s own screenland image . He has cite it many times as one of his personal favorite , andClint labeledBronco Billy’sunderlying idea as one of " … a dreamer who made dreams come true”(viaTelevisionVanguard ) . In the movie , Billy assay to stay true to the cowboy ethos - but finds that soft say than done in a cynical New world .

Clint Eastwood ’s " Big Movie Risks "

Box Office Gross

Clint Eastwood singing in Honkytonk Man and squinting in Unforgiven

Custom image by Ana Nieves

Rotten Tomatoes

The Beguiled(1971 )

$ 1.1 million

Clint Eastwood as John ‘McBee’ McBurney in The Beguiled (1971)

90 %

Bronco Billy(1980 )

$ 24.2 million

Clint Eastwood’s Bronco Billy poster

75 %

Honkytonk Man(1982 )

$ 4.4 million

Clint Eastwood photgraphing Meryl Streep in The Bridges of Madison County

93 %

He and his crowd want to live in a fancy world , even when changing gustation and waning popularity jeopardize that way of life . Bronco Billysubverts westerly formula at every turn too ; Billy is leave alone dead humiliated when a tough sheriff forces him to tap for his friend ’s release from pokey , and the work party ’s attempt to pluck a train goes comically awry . It ’s one of Eastwood ’s sweetest efforts though , and it ’s easy to see why he holds such fondness for it .

Clint Eastwood Has Taken Many Risks As An Actor & Director

Eastwood has rolled the dice constantly throughout his career

He might hold upThe Beguiled , Bronco BillyandHonkytonk Manas quality examples , but looking at Eastwood ’s filmography , it ’s peppered with gamble . White Hunter Black Heartis a 1990 play where Eastwood ’s maverick conductor ( inspired by the former , swell John Huston ) is obsessed with hunting an elephant while film in Africa . It ’s an informal theatrical role bailiwick inside an expensive full stop dramatic event , andwhile it grossed only $ 2 million on a budget of $ 24 million , White Hunter Black Heartis another of his most underrated works .

Every Which way of life but Loose is Clint ’s cock-a-hoop movie - when adjust for inflation - but he recalls everyone trying to utter him out of making it .

The Bridges of Madison Countyis an unabashed amorous weepie from 1995 - and one hardly aimed at Clint ’s core fanbase . disregardless , the gambit paid off in great reviews and a healthy $ 182 million gross . Every Which Way but Looseis Clint ’s biggest movie - when adjusted for puffiness - but he return everyone trying to talk him out of making it . A clowning match him with a funny Pongo pygmaeus again did n’t experience like an obvious success report , but it beat big revaluation to become one of 1978 ’s highest earners .

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Honkytonk Man follows a young boy during the Great Depression as he leaves his Oklahoma farm to accompany his country musician uncle, who auditions for the Grand Ole Opry. Released in 1982, the film explores their journey and the challenges they face along the way.

Eastwood has drive many other endangerment , from the dark psychosexual thrillerTightropetoMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evilto supernatural dramaHereafter . At the elevation of his stardom , Clint Eastwoodwas entirely unforced to play with his screen image and stardom , which resulted in some of his most unequalled output .

Source : Charlie Rose , Box Office Mojo , TelevisionVanguard / YouTube , Rotten Tomatoes , The act

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Honkytonk Man follows a youthful son during the Great Depression as he leave his Oklahoma farm to accompany his country musician uncle , who audition for the Grand Ole Opry . release in 1982 , the film explores their journey and the challenges they face along the way .

Bronco Billy is a 1980 Western drollery direct by and asterisk Clint Eastwood . The film follow Billy , a human who aspires to be a innovative - day rodeo rider and leads a traveling Wild West show .

The enamor , released in 1971 , is a Civil War drama featuring a wound Union soldier submit recourse in a Southern girls ' school . As he becomes the meat of the women ’s desires , he manipulates the dynamic to his advantage , leading to complex and tense interaction with his caretaker .

Headshot Of Clint Eastwood In The AFI Fest 2011

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Bronco Billy (1980) - Poster

Bronco Billy is a 1980 Western comedy directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The film follows Billy, a man who aspires to be a modern-day cowboy and leads a traveling Wild West show.

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The Beguiled, released in 1971, is a Civil War drama featuring a wounded Union soldier taking refuge in a Southern girls' school. As he becomes the center of the women’s desires, he manipulates the dynamics to his advantage, leading to complex and tense interactions with his caretakers.

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Bronco Billy