Eastwood made a ton of excellent movies, and to my mind none that were real stinkers.
In my opinion, the Best Three Clint Eastwood Movies, in which he was an actor are:

Unforgiven
The Outlaw Josey Whales
Absolute Power

Other Eastwood Movies Worthy of Mention

Honkey Tonk Man
In the Line of Fire
A Perfect World
Pale Rider

Josey Wales
Pale Rider
Gran Torino

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Dave

Dirty Harry
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Unforgiven

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John

NOT 'The Gauntlet'

Josey Wales - one of the best western movies ever!

Dirty Harry - gotta go with the original!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - The definitive spaghetti western!

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Even older, even crankier....

The Outlaw Josey Wales
Pale Rider
Joe Kidd


TV Rawhide I guess I like the westerns.

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Psalm 23:4

^^^^^This is a tough one but I am going to go with this answer.

I rather enjoy:

Where Eagles Dare
Paint Your Wagon
Space Cowboys

I'm afraid I got bored with the typical Eastwood Westerns and Cop movies, and Paint Your Wagon was a bit more of a "stretch" for his abilities. (Yeah, I know a lot of people hate it.)

I had a special girl (my wife) and went to see 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'. I thought the first half was crummy and disgusting (at that time girls were still ladies) and we walked out halfway through the it. Some people told me I had missed a great movie.

Who saw this and what did you think about it?

high plains drifter-Joe Kidd-Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Kellys Heroes.

Dirty Harry
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Unforgivin

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

I liked the Eiger Sanction. I went to school with Brenda Venus who co-starred in that movie. I like all his other films also.

I'm with Robotech in that I couldn't get into the westerns as well, either. Maybe not his best movies, but I liked him in

Play Misty for Me
Paint Your Wagon (tho much credit to Lee Marvin, also)
Kelly's Heroes.

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2 Blessed 2B Stressed

Nor Beguiled.

Tough question. Tonight I'll go with Josey Wales, Unforgiven, and Dirty Harry.

Tomorrow night I might post something different for second and third but Josey Wales would still be first, I think.

No way to pick just three top Clint favorites. It depends on what mood im in at the time of picking.

I like most of his movies but have a special fondness for movies like:

Firefox, Kelly's Heroes, Where Eagles Dare, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Eiger Sanction, Dirty Harry, Escape From Alcatraz, Gran Torino etc etc.

Unforgiven is not just his best, but one of the best ever. Your opinion may vary, mistakenly.....

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I used to be disgusted..

Josey Wales, Fistful of Dollars, Dirty Harry. Honorable mention and tough to leave out: High Plains Drifter, Unforgiven. Have to mention Every Which Way but Loose just to get it in the thread. Not top 3 but a funny, silly movie with an even sillier cast.

Unforgiven is probably his best "film" from a production and depth standpoint, but the other 3 just so define both Eastwood and entire genres of movies (spaghetti westerns and cop movies) I can't wedge it in that top 3.

"My mule don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him."

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Chuck M

Hey, Don't be knockin "The Gauntlet"! I might be a little biased about that though. I worked as an extra in The Gauntlet for a couple of days and used the proceeds to order a new 27-2. I still have that gun, and got to chat with Clint briefly too. What's not to like? I like so many of his movies, I don't know which I would actually pick as the best three....

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

Outlaw Josey Wales
Joe Kidd
Gran Torino

But all his westerns we're great IMHO

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Josey Whales on top. Other two are a coin toss between : ( Coogan's Bluff and Joe Kidd) or ( Dirty Harry and any of the Spagatti trilogy ) .

While not Top Three material , The Gauntlet did have a strong apeal.

1. Dirty Harry
2. The Outlaw Josey Wales
3. Play Misty for Me

I saw it, and about all I recall is them using a anti-tank gun or something to break into a bank. The end. Quite forgettable.

I'd like to see Play Misty for Me again.

Also, relieved to see nobody posted The Bridges of Madison County. Yee--ech!

Josey Wales is THE Clint Eastwood movie. Most quotable western ever. Unforgiven is my second pick too. Not really sure which my third would be, but Dirty Harry is as good as any.

For Clint movies that are NOT in the top three- The Dead Pool, Bronco Billy, The Beguiled and Pale Rider.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

Dirty Harry
Unforgiven
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

(Any of Clint's movies with Sandra Locke in them suck.)

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

Way too many, as Clint (IMHO) was a very talented actor.

One way to look at his filmography is to find the films where he 'changed direction'. Of those I liked:

Play Misty For Me -Creepy
Every Which Way but Loose - Comedy? Who'd a thunk?
Bronco Billy - Different, and that's all I can say.

Classic Eastwood:
Dirty Harry - Too many great lines to post
Pale Rider - A 'Man With No Name Classic'
Hang 'em High - Inger Stevens... What else can I say???

Josey Wales
Unforgiven
Dirty Harry

Honorable Mention
Any Which Way but Loose, Ruth Gordon made up for Sandra Locke
Pale Rider
Magnum Force
Play Misty for Me
Grand Torino
Paint Your Wagon

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

Hate to have three movie limit but here goes my three:

Outlaw Josey Wales
Pale Rider
Two Mules for Sister Sara or Where Eagles Dare coin toss.

"That's my chopper, Charlie!"
"This is my gun, Clyde!"

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Pray for Gridlock

Unforgiven
Josey Wales
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

With a very close to third, For a Few Dollars more.

There is no bad Eastwood movies as there is no bad Smith and Wessons

What jimmyj said.
I really liked "Million Dollar Baby"
Josey Wales
Good Bad Ugly

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Halfway and one more step

My 3 favorites in order of preference...

Kelly's Heroes

Blood Work

Unforgiven

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NULLI SECUNDUS

Josey Wales
Gran Torino
The third one's impossible to pick, I like so many.

Gotta say, the one I've rewatched the most over time has been "Heartbreak Ridge." 95% spot-on perfect, 5% hopelessly bad played-for-humor dreck (mostly involving any scene with the total ham Mario Van Peebles in them).

Many of the characters (Highway, Chozoo, Little Mary, Ring, Powers, Fragetti, Hiponte, even The Swede) remind me so strongly of specific people I knew while in the service that much of it's like watching home movies.

Lots of great movies
Josey Wales
Dirty Harry
Pale Rider/Unforgiven
I also can watch the ones with the orangutan all day long also.

Gran Torino
Unforgiven
Josey Wales

Tom B

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frontsightnsqueaz

Going to go with the three I of the many I own and have watched over and over.

Paint Your Wagon, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Kelly's Heroes

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Bill Bates

1) Dirty Harry

2) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

3) For a Few Dollars More

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I'm with the banned ...

I have always liked Play Misty For Me. I like the Jaguar XK150 that he drives in it, and I know the Monterey area pretty well, so it is interesting to see the places where the movie was filmed.

Well after reading these posts and thinking about it I really like these 3 the best.

Outlaw Josey Wales

Unforgiven

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Difficult to decide as most everything Clint made is good.

I reckon so.

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James
On the Llano Estacado

No sir...I just can't do it. Top 30 movies maybe but 3? No way. I looked at some of the responses and thought "yeah, those 3. Then another response and "oh wait, those three instead. Then another and "well maybe those 3? I finally realized that I just can't do it.

I agree with the comment above about Thunderbolt and Lightfoot but I stuck it out and watched the whole thing. I did get up and walk out of a theater before the middle of Broncho Billy.

I'd also like to comment (question?) about his affection and support of that rhuemy eyed and runny nosed skank Sondra Locke. She makes Madonna look like Doris Day. No discernible talent what so ever and ugly as 5 miles of dirt road. I never understood it. When he finally put her back on the street she sued him for ruining her "career".

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Real men love cats!

Clint, like Duke Wayne, woke up and married a Latina!

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Halfway and one more step

Not a movie, but Clint was great in Rawhide. Great theme song too.

Frankie Laine Rawhide Original Stereo - YouTube

The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Dirty Harry
Gran Torino

That would be my three, but its hard to pick just three.

I always viewed "Kelly's Heroes" as more of an ensemble film though they all have great supporting casts.
For me the 3 are:
Dirty Harry, Unforgiven and Gran Torino. Frankly though it's really hard to limit it to 3.

I never cared for her either but--I still rank Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can--as two of my favorites.

"Right Turn Clyde." Woo waaaa woooo.

The big star was the Trans Am with Jeff Bridges! I believe many of the scenes are taken in Montana. I know the last scene where Clint realizes Jeff has died was at a scenic pull off of I-15 between Cascade and Wolf Creek. Yeah, not the best but it is entertaining.

Ruth Gordon was great. A few cleaner lines I loved her saying:

"Come Back Here With My Oreos Ya Hairy *** & Outsmarted By a Bananahead."

As far as my favorites-here goes

Paint your Wagon - I love that movie Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood were great!!! As was whoever played their wife.

Kelly's Heros

Unforgiven.

Hell, I even liked the one with the monkey and Ruth Gordon



What can I say, I still like the Three Stooges and still think farts in church are funny.

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Forum consigliere

Well maybe in SOME situations but I can tell ya from first hand experience that they ain't too funny if you're 12 years old and sitting right next to your mother. ...

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Real men love cats!