"Running naked, bloodied, with a hard-on and a knife is no way to go through life, son."
(With sincerest apologies to John Vernon)
Posted on 06/07/2008 12:08:55 AM PDT by L.A.Justice
(Cut)
Eastwood, who turned 78 on Saturday, has become an American filmmaker of the highest order -- he first rode to fame as a rangy, amoral redux of John Wayne but, somehow, came back from the desert as a latter-day John Ford. With that career trajectory, it wouldn't be surprising if Eastwood turned his back on Callahan, whose darkly whispered one-liners (". . . You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" "Go ahead, make my day") were long ago drained of any real danger by stand-up comics, politicians and bumper stickers. It's easy to imagine Eastwood the auteur treating the character like a bad 1970s fashion choice.
Instead, Eastwood is reconnecting with the surly old gun nut. Warner Home Video on Tuesday will release a lavish new boxed set of all five "Dirty Harry" movies (the $75 DVD set includes 1973's "Magnum Force," 1976's "The Enforcer," 1983's "Sudden Impact" and 1988's "The Dead Pool") that comes with a faux police badge tucked inside an eel-skin pouch. There's also a letter to fans penned by Eastwood, who has been busy lately putting finishing touches on his latest directorial project, “Changeling,” and presenting it at the Cannes Film Festival (it hits U.S. theaters in November).
Sitting in the screening room at Warners, Eastwood explained that the role of Callahan was "a real turning point" for him -- and American popular culture. There's also a sentimental aura around the first film: It was directed by the late Don Siegel, Eastwood's mentor and friend, and brought the actor back to his hometown of San Francisco. He also knows that, for good or bad, in the minds of movie fans he will forever carry Callahan's .44 Magnum.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Mine are
DEAD POOL: A scene where Callahan confronts a robber in the Chinese restaurant.
ENFORCER: When Callahan interviews a female officer for the detective job...
MAGNUM FORCE: Callahan makes a memorable comment after Hal Holbrook's car blows up.
One of my fave Dirty Harry quotes:
Chief of Police: “Callahan, there’s a report that you shot an unarmed, naked man and you;re supposed to find the rapist killer, what have you got to say about that?”
Harry callahan: “Well the reason why I shot him was because he was running naked with a knife, all bloodied and had a hard-on...yeah, I shot him alright.’
Clint Eastwood’s best line was about his mule, and how it don’t like people laughing.
No one, abolutely no one puts ketchup on a hotdog.
SF District Attorney:
“That man had rights!”
Harry:
“Well I’m all broken up about that man’s rights!”
How is going from John Wayne to John Ford a big transformation? And why should Clint Eastwood be the least bit ashamed of Dirty Harry?
I don’t recall which movie this is in but I liked the scene where is in a room with his partner’s wife and she asks why he never put the moves on her. He doesn’t answer.
Magnum Force I think.
My favorite line had to be from Sudden Impact. Callahan confronts some hoods in the process of robbing a diner (I may not have the quotes exactly right):
Callahan: Me and my two friends can’t just let you walk out of here.
Hood (nervously): What friends?? I only see you!!
Callahan: Mr. Smith, Mr. Wesson, and Me!!
Of course, right after that comes the famous “Make my Day” line, but for some reason, I like the lines above better.
Because in the world of the LAT, Dirty Harry just wasn’t sensitive enough.
“The Enforcer”
Harry Callahan: May I make a statement McKay?
McKay : Go Ahead !
Harry Callahan: Your mouthwash ain’t makin it.
"Running naked, bloodied, with a hard-on and a knife is no way to go through life, son."
(With sincerest apologies to John Vernon)
SUDDEN IMPACT: The bad guys flee in terror at the carnival when they see a silouetted Harry with his new .44 automag out and ready for business.
Well, at least he’s not, even though Hollywood would like him to be ashamed.
My favorite:
Mayor: Now Drebin, I don’t want any trouble like you had on the South Side like last year, that’s my policy
.
Frank: Well, when I see five weirdos dressed in togas, stabbing a man in the middle of the park in front of a full view of 100 people, I shoot the bastards, that’s my policy.
Mayor: That was a Shakesphere In The Park Production of Julius Caesar, you moron! You killed five actors! Good ones!
And another “Unforgiven” line...this time by Gene Hackman, playing “Little Bill”, the sheriff, who has just pistol-whipped “English Bob” a gunfighter, played by Richard Harris: English Bob is knocked to the ground, and Little Bill is kicking the hell out of him, head, face, ribs, when he says to Bob, “Guess you think I’m kickin’ you, Bob!”
It was a serious and dangerous situation, and that line put just a dose of humor into that brutal scene.
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