SUMMARY

 Clint Eastwood’s role in Dirty Harry is considered one of his most iconic, and the film is a classic in the crime genre.
 Paul Newman initially turned down the role of Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry but recommended Clint Eastwood for the part.
 Newman declined the role due to his liberal beliefs, and Eastwood’s portrayal of Callahan differed from Newman’s perspective, but both respected each other.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Although Clint Eastwood first built his impressive career on Western movies like The Man with No Name franchise and The Outlaw Josey Wales, the actor’s biggest non-Western role in Dirty Harry is one of his most iconic, and it might have never happened without this one actor. Clint Eastwood began acting in the 1950s, and over several decades, became a staple in the Western genre. What makes Eastwood stand out is the fact that he has not only appeared in countless films, but has also directed them himself. Films like Unforgiven and Gran Torino have defined his career. However, Dirty Harry is by far one of Clint Eastwood’s best films.

In 1971, Clint Eastwood starred in the neo-noir action film Dirty Harry. The film, and its adjoining sequels, follow Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan, a rugged detective that is on a hunt for a psychopathic serial killer named Scorpio. The Dirty Harry franchise lasted from 1971 to 1988, and has since been considered a classic. In fact, Dirty Harry was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because of its cultural significance. However, this film might have been vastly different if Clint Eastwood had never been in it, and scarily enough, this definitely could have happened back in 1971.
Paul Newman Rejected Dirty Harry Before Suggesting Clint Eastwood For The Role

Dirty Harry went through many production challenges before it was actually made, and one of those included casting the iconic detective. In the film’s early stages, the role was offered to actors such as John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, and Burt Lancaster. However, for various reasons, including the violence that permeates the film, these actors all declined. For a time, Frank Sinatra was attached to the project, but he also eventually left the production. In reality, Clint Eastwood wasn’t even in the cards for portraying Dirty Harry, but his big break came when Paul Newman was offered and declined the role.

Paul Newman, like many amazing actors before him, was offered the role of Harry Callahan, but ultimately said no. However, what makes his refusal stand out among the rest is that he recommended another actor that could be perfect for the role: Clint Eastwood. At this time, Eastwood was in post-production for his first film Play Misty for Me, meaning his career was taking something of a turn. Also, unlike his predecessors, Eastwood joined up with Dirty Harry, just as Newman thought he would. Because of his Western roots, the violence and aggression that made up Dirty Harry didn’t bother Eastwood at all.

Why Paul Newman Turned Down Dirty Harry

Paul Newman turning down the leading role in Dirty Harry may not seem too surprising considering the host of other actors that also declined the movie, but Newman definitely had his reasons. While previous actors had condemned the movie for its incredible violence and themes of “the ends justify the means,” Newman refused to take the role because of his political beliefs. Since Harry Callahan was a renegade cop, intent on catching a serial killer no matter the cost or the rules that would be broken, Newman saw this character as too right-wing for his own liberal beliefs.

Paul Newman was an outspoken liberal during his life. He was open about his beliefs, so much so that he even made it onto Richard Nixon’s enemies list due to his opposition of the Vietnam War. Other issues that Newman spoke out for included gay rights and same-sex marriage, the decrease in production and use of nuclear weapons, and global warming. As a result of his politics, Newman quickly denied the role of Harry Callahan. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly as reported by Far Out Magazine, Clint Eastwood commented that he didn’t view Callahan in the way Newman did, but still respected him as an actor and a man.

Would Dirty Harry Have Been So Successful Without Clint Eastwood?

Ultimately, it’s hard to say whether Dirty Harry would have been successful without Clint Eastwood. Arguably, any big-time actor could have made the film succeed solely based on their fame. However, one aspect of Dirty Harry and its carousel of actors is that the movie had various scripts, all with different plots. So, if Dirty Harry had been in a different location with a different serial killer and a different lead actor, there’s a chance it wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. In the end, Dirty Harry is a signature for Clint Eastwood, and most likely, audiences are lucky that it was made the way it was.

A star of American cinema both in front of and behind the camera, Ron Howard is often forgotten when recalling the greatest directors of modern cinema, yet his contributions to the art form remain unmatched. Working with the likes of Tom Hanks, Chris Hemsworth, Russell Crowe and John Wayne, Howard has brought such classics as Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and Rush to the big screen.
Entering the industry in the late 1950s and 1960s, Howard started his career as an actor, making a name for himself in shows like Just Dennis and The Andy Griffith Show before his role in 1970s Happy Days would catapult him to national acclaim. His directorial debut would come at a similar time, helming 1977’s Grand Theft Auto, the ropey first movie in a filmography that would later become known for its abundance of quality.
Known for his acting talents, Howard wouldn’t become a fully-fledged director in the eyes of the general public until the 1980s, when he worked with Tom Hanks on 1984’s Splash and George Lucas for the 1988 cult favourite Willow.
With hopes of becoming the new Star Wars, Willow was instead a peculiar fantasy tale that told the story of a young farmer who is chosen to undertake the challenge to protect a magical baby from an evil queen. Starring the likes of Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, the film failed to make a considerable dent in pop culture at the time, largely being ridiculed by critics and audiences alike.
Screened at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie was spared humiliation by none other than Clint Eastwood, who saw the craftsmanship behind the picture, as described by Ron’s daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the actor recalled: “My dad made a film called Willow when he was a young filmmaker, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival and people were booing afterwards. It was obviously so painful for him, and Clint, who he didn’t know at that time, stood up and gave him a standing ovation and then everyone else stood up because Clint did”.
Dallas Howard, who worked with Eastwood on the 2010 movie Hereafter, became very fond of Eastwood as a result, looking up to him as an exemplary Hollywood talent. “Clint puts himself out there for people,” she added, “As a director he is very cool, very relaxed, there’s no yelling ‘action’ or ‘cut’. He just says: ‘You know when you’re ready.’ I told my dad he should do that!”.
Take a look at the trailer for Howard’s 1988 fantasy flick below.

SUMMARY

 Astronaut Chris Hadfield criticizes Clint Eastwood’s film Space Cowboys for its inaccurate portrayal of astronaut training.
 The centrifuge scene in the movie fails to accurately depict the speed and effects of G-force, and the astronauts’ reactions are unrealistic.
 The age and rapid training of the astronauts in the film are also unrealistic, as real astronauts are selected and trained in their prime years and undergo a lengthy process.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Clint Eastwood’s Space Cowboys gets criticized by astronaut Chris Hadfield who jokes, “We are definitely not cowboys.” Featuring the all-star cast of Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner, the film follows four former test pilots who are recruited by NASA and sent into space to repair a Soviet satellite. The adventure drama, which was also directed by Eastwood, doubled its $60 million budget at the box office and was a critical success because of its stars and spectacular special effects. However, its portrayal of astronaut training is a different story.

In a video for Vanity Fair, Hadfield watched the centrifuge scene from Space Cowboys and reviewed it for its accuracy. There was a lot for the real-life astronaut to criticize, including the speed at which the centrifuge is spinning and how the fictional astronauts react to it. Hadfield concluded his commentary by emphasizing how much training is required for astronauts. Read a portion of his commentary or watch the video below:
The purpose of a centrifuge is not to make the astronauts black out. The maximum G load that the shuttle pulled was three. Three times the gravity that you’re feeling right now. And you don’t have to spin your centrifuge that fast to get up to three g. The G-force that they’re subjecting themselves to in this clip is completely unrealistic. When they show that sped-up video of that centrifuge spinning, the guys would’ve been turned to jello on the floor of the centrifuge.
The whole centrifuge would’ve come apart spinning that fast.​​​​​​​ And yet there’s Tommy Lee and Clint sitting there and for some reason, they’re both leaning to the left. ​​​​​​​If you suddenly weigh 15 times normal, you wanna sit straight upright.​​​​​​​ So all this huge weight of your head being crushed by the centrifuge is being supported by your spine.​​​​​​​ If they went over like that,​​​​​​​ they’d just crumple like an accordion down under their left hip.
​​​​​​​A lot of astronauts, especially early on in the shuttle era,​​​​​​​ they were military fighter pilot, test pilots, because you need those skills.​​​​​​​ You have to have gotten the university degrees,​​​​​​​ had all that thousands of hours of flying, and practiced and simulated and learned,​​​​​​​ so that you can go do something with an airplane nobody ever did before. But we are not thrill seekers.​​​​​​​ We’re not adrenaline junkies.​​​​​​​ We are definitely not cowboys.​​​​​​​ You need careful and thoughtful and well-trained and disciplined and teamwork-oriented people.​​​​​​​ Otherwise, you’re all gonna die,​​​​​​​ but you know, it’s Space Cowboy, so, saddle up, let’s ride this bronco.

How Accurate Is The Astronaut Training In Space Cowboys?

Of all the scenes that Hadfield reviewed in the video, which also include Top Gun: Maverick and For All Mankind, Space Cowboys probably provides the least accurate portrayal of astronaut training or space travel. The centrifuge scene fails on multiple levels and is unable to get any of the important details correct. The speed at which the device is spinning would’ve created an unrealistic level of G-force for the astronauts, who also mistakenly tilt their heads rather than sitting upright. In reality, they would’ve been killed during training before being sent into space to complete their mission.
Furthermore, the age of the astronauts in Space Cowboys is unrealistic, as astronauts are typically selected and trained in their prime years due to the physical demands and training required for space missions. The rapid training in the movie is especially unrealistic, as the rigorous and lengthy process takes about 20 years in Hadfield’s case. Overall, Space Cowboys takes several creative liberties regarding its portrayal of astronaut training, which is understandable considering its primary purpose was to capture the spirit of adventure associated with space missions.