In 1971 Clint Eastwood starred in a gritty crime thriller called "Dirty Harry" as Inspector Harry Callahan. A very very streetwise and unorthodox policeman.
The movie was a breakout role for Clint Eastwood who had made a name for himself as the star of spaghetti western classics like "For a few dollars more" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The part of Callahan had been rejected by John Wayne, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen before Eastwood grabbed the role. He transferred his character from the western movies to the urban San Francisco environment and the rest is history. The movie made on a budget of $4 million went to gross $35 million at the box office and spawned the sequels - Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact and Dead Pool.
The character was noted for using "excessive force," ruthless methods, and "the end justifies the means" principle without much regard for the rules and legal regulations of his profession. Often, his methods are as vicious, taunting, sadistic and violent as the behavior of the criminals he opposes.
Lets not forget that the character popularized the Magnum handgun! In a scene in "Magnum Force" he's creeping towards the hideout of some baddies and is spotted by one of them. The thug who sees him says to his men - "he can't be a cop, his gun is too big"
My Favourite Quote - "Nothing wrong with shooting as long as the right people get shot"
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