While folks recognize Clint Eastwood as a legendary director, he’s no stranger to the spotlight as a celebrated actor. With his footprints in the industry for several decades, he’s effortlessly waltzed between roles, leaving an unforgettable mark. While his journey has generally been smooth, it hasn’t always been without bumps. During such a wild ride called, Ambush at Cimarron Pass, the entire movie was wrapped up in a mere eight days. Despite its speedy production, this movie made Eastwood want to quit.
Ambush at Cimarron Pass Was Made in Eight Days!
Ambush at Cimarron Pass, a low-budget Western action movie featuring Clint Eastwood, didn’t rank among his best works. In fact, it likely sits on the lower section of the list of projects he is most proud of. Even though it was made in just eight days, according to the actor, it stands out as one of the worst experiences in his acting career. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter he stated,
“It was probably the worst film ever made,–But I had the second lead in it, and an actor named Scott Brady was the lead. And the film was made in eight days. So it was really el speedo grande.”
Against the backdrop of 1867, the film unfolds the tale of a Calvary Sergeant joining forces with two ex-Confederate soldiers to escort a prisoner through Native American lands and Eastwood stepped into the shoes of Keith Williams, one of the soldiers, with a lot of hope in his heart. But well, things didn’t work the way he wanted.
Clint Eastwood Was Ready to Quit Showbiz After Ambush at Cimarron Pass
After the film’s release, Clint Eastwood felt compelled to leave it all behind, seeking a fresh start to escape the trauma he experienced while watching the movie. Speaking in the same THR interview, he said,
“And I saw [the movie]. I went to see it. It was playing a second feature in North Hollywood. I went to see it, and I saw that film, and I said I’m through. I’ve got to go back to school. I’ve got to do something else. I’ve got to get a job of other sorts.–It was so bad I just kept sinking lower and lower in my seat”
In a stroke of luck, Eastwood then unexpectedly found his big break shortly afterward with Rawhide. He revealed,
“And then finally I accidentally ran into somebody out at CBS on Beverly Boulevard and they were doing a Western called Rawhide. And they cast me as one of the leads.”
The rest, as they say, is history. Rawhide transformed him into a legend, making him extremely grateful he didn’t give up.