Clint Eastwood Reveals the Bogart Films That Shaped Him
Clint Eastwood reflects on the enduring influence of Humphrey Bogart, sharing which of the legendary actor’s films left a lasting impression on his own career and approach to cinema.
For many film enthusiasts today, Clint Eastwood stands as a pillar of Hollywood, his career stretching back to the 1950s and encompassing a host of celebrated titles. Yet, even Eastwood, with all his accolades, holds certain figures in the industry in high regard. Among those, Humphrey Bogart occupies a special place. Bogart’s contribution to American cinema during its formative years is difficult to overstate. Having started on Broadway, the New Yorker made his screen debut in 1930 and swiftly became one of the defining faces of Hollywood’s so-called golden era. His legacy is vast, from the romantic allure of Casablanca to the trailblazing noir of The Maltese Falcon, not to mention his numerous roles in gangster pictures. It’s clear that Bogart’s influence on the industry is indelible.
Eastwood’s Admiration for a Hollywood Icon
Few actors working today can claim not to have been shaped, in some way, by Bogart’s extensive body of work. Eastwood, in particular, has often spoken of the veteran’s impact on his own craft. By the time Eastwood began to make his presence felt in the industry—initially through a series of minor, often uncredited roles before his breakthrough in Rawhide—Bogart’s career was drawing to a close. After years of enjoying the trappings of Hollywood, Bogart passed away from oesophageal cancer in 1957. Yet, his death did little to diminish the reach of his cinematic legacy.
Despite the breadth of Bogart’s work, Eastwood has noted that audiences tend to focus on only a handful of his most celebrated performances.
“Usually a person is either remembered for a great body of work that they’ve done in their lifetime or else they’re remembered for one or two really great things,”
Eastwood once remarked, as recorded in Paul Nelson’s Conversations with Clint. Given that Eastwood’s own career is frequently distilled down to his iconic ‘Man With No Name’ trilogy, he is all too familiar with this phenomenon.
Beyond the Classics: Eastwood’s Personal Favourites
Eastwood has highlighted several of Bogart’s films that stand out to him.
“When you think of Bogart, you think of Sierra Madre and The African Queen and The Maltese Falcon,”
he observed, referencing some of the actor’s most notable achievements. However, Eastwood is quick to point out that these favourites only begin to scratch the surface of Bogart’s repertoire.
“There’s a lot of in-between stuff that you can’t even remember the name of because you purposely put them out of your mind,”
he added.
“The Left Hand of God and many, many others.”
While The Left Hand of God may not be counted among Bogart’s finest, the trio of films Eastwood mentions are undeniably significant. Examining Bogart’s performances in these works, it’s not difficult to spot the parallels with the style Eastwood himself would later pursue, especially in the early stages of his own career.
The Enduring Legacy of Humphrey Bogart
Bogart’s influence, as Eastwood sees it, extends well beyond the handful of roles for which he is most often remembered. The depth and variety of his performances have left a mark on generations of actors and filmmakers. For Eastwood, Bogart’s legacy is not just about a few standout films, but about a lifetime of work that continues to inspire and inform the craft of acting and storytelling in cinema.