If you stick with this 30-minute "documentary" or DVD "bonus feature," whatever you want to call it, you'll be satisfied. The first half is a bit boring but the second half is very interesting. It was on the feature film, "Dirty Harry," DVD.
Clint Eastwood, who played the title character in all of the "Dirty Harry movies," said they originally thought of having the film take place in Seattle since few movies had been done in that area before. After all, everyone knew San Francisco from tons of classic films. However, they decided on staying in San Francisco and that was fine with Eastwood as he grew up in that area and knew it well.
Clint also points out there really wasn't anything political about the series even though some had painted it that way. He admitted the public was tired of hearing a lot in that period about all the rights of the accused and seemed to have forgotten the victims. Thus, Dirty Harry, who meted out "instant justice," became popular.
Host Robert Urich also points out this was the time of Viet Nam, Watergate, the rise of new psychotic killers and people felt "the good guys were losing" and we had no control over things. "Harry Callahan," of course, took control, so movie-goers lived variously through "Harry."
On a lighter note, some of the actors who worked on these films like Andy Robinson, Hal Holbrook and Patricia Clarkson recall action scenes where they were scared to death but Eastwood remained calm and cool throughout it all.
Would Eastwood come back today as a "retired" Dirty Harry lured back into assignment? "Nah," he said, "some things are best left alone."
