2025-06-15 20:05:00
Clint Eastwood Takes a Walk on the Wild Side
In a career defined by tough-guy roles, Clint Eastwood once surprised everyone by starring in a comedy alongside an orangutan. The risk paid off big time.
- Eastwood took a chance on a comedy, a departure from his usual roles.
- The film, “Soft, Hard and Crazy,” was a huge box office success.
- Eastwood saw the film as a way to connect with a younger audience.
Did you know Clint Eastwood once starred in a comedy with an orangutan? Against all expectations, the film became one of the biggest hits of his early career. In the late 1970s, Eastwood was already a star, known for his gritty, intense roles, especially in the “Inspector Harry” films.
In December 1978, the film “Soft, Hard and Crazy” was released in the United States, and in April 1979 in France. The story follows Philo Beddoe, a mechanic who participates in bare-knuckle fights. When the singer he loves disappears, he sets out to find her, aided by his friend Orville and his orangutan companion, Clyde. It’s a wild premise, to say the least.
Why the Unexpected Choice?
In a 2003 interview, Eastwood reflected on his surprising career move. “Yes, I made strange choices during my career. This film, my agent, everyone, begged me not to do it,” he said. He added, “It was after Inspector Harry, I had made a lot of action and adventure films and they said to me: ‘It doesn’t look like you’ and I answered: ‘So what looks like me? I don’t know. ‘”
Eastwood’s goal was to break the mold and connect with a new audience. He explained that the film “allowed me to touch a younger generation, to make a film that children could see (…). And there was something surprisingly ‘trendy’ with this film-this strange guy confides in an orangutan and was removed his girlfriend: everything is a little different [des films habituels]. It seemed to me to do at the time.”
Working with a Co-Star of the Furry Kind
Eastwood has fond memories of working with his unusual co-star. “It was great, it was like working with a six -year -old child. They are supposed to reach the level of a seven -year -old child and have only the attention of a child, so you have to give everything from the first catch.”
Despite everyone’s doubts, “Soft, Hard and Crazy” became a major box-office success, earning over $100 million worldwide. A sequel, “Any Which Way You Can” (1980), followed, bringing in $70 million. These films were among Eastwood’s biggest commercial triumphs of the 1980s. Sometimes, following your instincts pays off, even when the experts disagree.
“Soft, hard and crazy” can be found in VOD.
