Originally Posted by NFrameFred

Smith & Wesson ( and those of us that love the 29) owe Clint Eastwood a debt of thanks. Elmer may have been the daddy of it but Clint made EVERYBODY want one.

Just think - one of the first choices to play Harry Callahan was Frank Sinatra. I liked Frank for a lot of reasons, but it would have been a mediocre and short-lived series if fate had not taken it to Clint. One story goes that Frank had injured his wrist and didn't think he wanted to hold the big gun and fire it one handed, even with movie blanks. Don't know if it's true, but it's hard to imagine anyone else but Eastwood in that role now. Clint made Harry an icon.