Essay by Daniel Nader
Their film personas appear to be the most
polar of opposites – Woody Allen, the quintessential
neorotic, the little man lost in the chaos of the modern
world, and Clint Eastwood, the taciturn,
indestructible cowboy, striding fearlessly across the
plains. But looking at their biographies side by side, it
is surprising to see the many remarkable similarities
they share in their lives and careers.
They are near-contemporaries – Clint was born in
1930, and Woody in 1935. They both entered the film
world as outsiders, almost by accident. Clint worked
at a variety of menial jobs as a young man, describing
himself as basically a “drifter”. One of his teachers
suggested he should try drama, but Clint had no
interest in pursuing a career in acting. Later on he
spent some time in the military, working as a
Woody began writing gags for radio while he was
swimming instructor at a US base during the Korean
still at school. He soon progressed to writing for
War. He also had the task of screening films at the
television, as an anonymous staff writer on programs
base, and made some friends who were involved in
such as the Sid Caesar Show. He also began to
the film industry. These friends introduced him to
perform stand-up comedy, developing the “nebbish”
producers and other professionals in the entertainment
character he would become most famous for. Though
world, in the hope of getting him established as an
he would gain a reputation as an intellectual, the
actor. He signed up reluctantly to one of the studio
young Woody was far from studious. His favourite
acting schools to learn his craft, while performing
reading material during his school years were comic
many small or uncredited roles in various films. One
books.
of the most notable of these early roles was as a
Clint’s early acting career looked very
young lab assistant in Return of the Creature (a
unpromising. His studio released him from his
sequel to Creature from the Black Lagoon).
contract, along with another unsuccessful candidate,