Summary
Clint Eastwood’sHigh Plains Drifterangered John Wayne so much that he wrote Eastwood a letter about it. Eastwood was an up-and-coming Western star during the early 1960s, which should have made him the natural successor to Wayne, who had been acting since the 1930s.Wayne had first made a name for himself in 1939’sStagecoach,and he resented the darker turn Westerns were taking when Eastwood came along, especially thegritty spaghetti Westerns Clint Eastwood was famous for, such as theDollar Trilogy.
John Wayne was critical of much of the Western genreby the late 1960s. He turned down the leading role inHigh Noonbecause he thought the hero was too weak and preferred Westerns with more fighting and less talking. When it came to Eastwood, Wayne’s dislike was personal.John Wayne and Clint Eastwood’s feudwas well-known in Hollywood and Wayne disliked Eastwood so much that he refused to collaborate with him on a proposed film in the early 1970s,
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John Wayne Wrote Clint Eastwood A Letter Expressing He Disliked High Plains Drifter
Wayne Felt Eastwood’s Directorial Debut Glorified Violence
1973’sHigh Plains Drifterwas the first movie that Clint Eastwood directed.This film was a stark departure from the types of Westerns Wayne had made and enjoyedin the 1930s. It involved an unnamed stranger who might have been a ghost and who returned to town to exact vengeance for the death of a US Marshal. It was an extremely violent film that included three fatalities and the assault of a woman within the first 10 minutes.
This level of violence, along with the negative depiction of the Wild West and the supernatural elements, was the last straw for Wayne, who had long felt that the genre had changed for the worse by the time Eastwood joined it. According to Eastwood (viaThe Telegraph), Wayne wrote Eastwood a letter complaining that the film was not about the pioneer experience or the settling of the West that Wayne felt the genre should represent. However,Eastwood felt Wayne was simply from a different generation and didn’t understand.
Wayne Wanted To Tell Folktales That Romanticized The Old West
The feud between Wayne and Estwood arose out of their different approaches to the Western genre.Wayne saw Westerns as folktalesand played cowboys and sheriffs who were larger-than-life heroes. His characters sometimes had to break the law to protect their families or innocent town residents, but were unquestionably the good guys. The male hero would always save the day no matter what. Conversely, themovies that defined Eastwood’s careerfeatured grayer heroes and a version of the Wild West that was racist, violent, and ugly.
Although Wayne hated the violent anti-heroes of Eastwood’s movies, he also objected toHigh Noonbecause the protagonist relied on the help of others instead of solving his problem himself.
While Eastwood dismissed Wayne’s criticisms as those of an older generation that didn’t understand,Wayne felt that Eastwood was destroying the genre because they no longer romanticized the Wild West. Additionally, the supernatural elements inHigh Plains Driftermade the film less anchored to reality, which Wayne objected to. He wanted Westerns to not only feature heroes but show this period of history in a positive light, and this film failed to do so on multiple levels.
John Wayne Turned Down A Movie With Clint Eastwood After High Plains Drifter
Eastwood Wanted To Work Together But Wayne Wouldn’t Cooperate
Soon afterHigh Plains Drifterwas completed, Eastwood became enamored with the script forThe Hostiles,which would have starred a young gambler and older rancher working together to fend off bandits after the gambler wins half of the rancher’s estate.Eastwood wanted Wayne to star as the older rancher inThe Hostiles, butWayne wrote Eastwood a letter rejecting his offer.Wayne’s problem was more with Eastwood and what he felt Eastwood had done to the genre than with the premise.
Eastwood went on to direct and star in many Westerns, and the genre continued to move in the direction he envisioned.
Wayne’s refusal to work withClint Eastwoodon this project is unfortunate, as it meant the movie could not move ahead. A version of the film was finally made in 2009, but Eastwood was not involved and Wayne was long dead by then. Eastwood went on to direct and star in many Westerns, and the genre continued to move in the direction he envisioned after High Plains Drifter. Wayne’s feud with Eastwood was tied to a last-ditch effort to hold onto the way Westerns used to be at a time when the genre was about to change forever.
High Plains Drifter
Cast
High Plains Drifter, directed by Clint Eastwood, follows a mysterious stranger who rides into the small town of Lago and is hired to protect it from outlaws. As he assumes control, his presence reveals the town’s dark secrets. Eastwood stars in this Western that explores themes of vengeance and morality. The film blends traditional Western elements with a haunting atmosphere and complex character dynamics.
