Who says Western, says Clint Eastwood. The actor is inseparable from the genre that made him famous at the beginning of his career. It must be said that the role of a cowboy suited him like a glove – the role of a singing cowboy? Not easily.
There is only one musical in his career Clint Eastwood. Decades after the release, the leading man still regrets his decision to take part in it, as he revealed in a 2017 interview with Empire. This movie is Joshua Logan’s La Kermesse de l’Ouest (1969): In the show, a love triangle with cowboys who sing…
Based on the hit Broadway play, Western Exhibition follows Ben Rumson (Lee Marvin), an alcoholic and quarrelsome pioneer who teams up with Pardner (Clint Eastwood), a sober and romantic young farmer out to make money…any way! The two men become friends but still struggle to find women in the region. They then settle in the small town of No Name City, where Ben buys the beautiful Elizabeth (Jean Seberg), who was auctioned off by her Mormon husband. But this is without considering Pardner, who also falls in love with a charming young woman and begins to “court” her…
In addition to the somewhat dubious plot, it also has a song. But since none of the film’s stars had any vocal training, their ballads are more like “A sad and lonely whisper“, reports Collider.
“I was crazy enough to try anything. I was always interested in music, my father was a singer and I had some knowledge. Although what I was doing on this film was not singing.“
After many script rewrites, Western Exhibition In the end it no longer resembled the concept for which Clint Eastwood Signed: Initially it was the ethnic romance that attracted him. So the end result was not what was hoped for.
When Clint Eastwood runs off to another set…
Meanwhile, the star even wanted to stop everything and started a new shoot. “When the eagles attacked me, they flew away and convinced me to come back.– he added with a sigh.
Almost 40 years later (at the time of the interview) the film was still not to his taste. “It was much lighter, it just didn’t have the dynamics of the original script. And it was one of those long shoots…“
Indeed, due to production problems, the film took six months to complete and went over budget: “It was not as pleasant an experience as I was used to“- the actor finally concluded.
Today, 55 years after its theatrical release, critical reflections on the only musical Clint Eastwood Always shared: iconic and guilty pleasure for some, copied for review (or deletion) for others.
It’s up to you to make up your own mind if you haven’t already: You can (re)watch La Kermesse de l’Ouest streaming on Paramount+.
Discover an excerpt from the film in which we hear Clint Eastwood sing:
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
