While the complicated legacy of John Wayne continues to spark intense discussions on social media from time to time, his filmography remains full of several cinematic masterpieces that have weathered the test of time. Due to the nature of his political activities as well as the kind of characters he portrayed on the screen, Wayne transcended his occupation as an actor and actually became a symbol of American hegemony during especially volatile periods of geopolitical developments.
Ranging from John Ford to Howard Hawks, Wayne worked with some of the most talented filmmakers in Hollywood while cementing his status as the face of the industry. However, over the years, there were many iconic projects that he turned down as well. Including classics like High Noon and Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, Wayne backed out of incredible opportunities due to his political convictions and demands for script changes.
While he didn’t always regret the gems he missed out on, there’s one particular film that Wayne admitted he made a “mistake” in turning down. That film was none other than Don Siegel’s beloved 1971 neo-noir Dirty Harry, featuring Clint Eastwood in one of the most iconic roles of his long and illustrious career. It revolves around an unhinged cop who doesn’t play by the rules, embarking on a disturbing journey to stop a demented psychopath.
According to the reports that emerged at the time, Wayne was very interested in the lead role and actually campaigned in order to get it. The role was offered to him, alongside other big names such as Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Steve McQueen and many more, before it eventually fell in Eastwood’s lap. Looking back, it’s obviously impossible to imagine anyone other than Eastwood as Harry Callahan because of the unique dynamism he brought to the role.
Although some sources reported that Warner Bros. went with Eastwood because they thought Wayne was too old for the part, Wayne also made the decision to back away from the project and pursue something else. That’s exactly why he viewed Dirty Harry as a missed opportunity, especially because it was exactly the kind of role that appealed to him. When looking back on the chance, he said: “I made a mistake with that one.”
Interestingly, Wayne also didn’t like Eastwood’s approach to westerns and wrote a letter claiming that High Plains Drifter didn’t represent everything that made the genre so great. Eastwood once revealed: “John Wayne once wrote me a letter saying he didn’t like High Plains Drifter. He said it wasn’t really about the people who pioneered the West. I realised that there’s two different generations, and he wouldn’t understand what I was doing.”