4 Film Favorites: Clint Eastwood Comedy

Hit Hard. Laugh Harder. Eastwood Action Comedies.

Space Cowboys

They trained body and mind for America's leap into space. When the moment came, the brash flyboys of Team Daedalus were replaced. Now, 40 years later, another moment has come. And this time, it's all theirs.

Directing for the 22nd time and starring for the 42nd, Clint Eastwood leads a stellar cast into orbit in this exhilarating high-tech adventure. Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner join him as old-school test pilots whose grasp of outdated technology makes them the only ones able to repair a primitive, deorbiting Russian satellite that imperils Earth. Strap in for "some of the rightest stuff around" (The Wall Street Journal). With an irresistible payload of heart, humor and heroics, Space Cowboys is all-systems-go.

Honkytonk Man

Red Stovall (Clint Eastwood) is a Depression-era rascal whose fire-in-the-belly passion comes from the whiskey he slugs and the dream he chases: singing at the Grand Ole Opry. He takes off on a drive from Oklahoma to audition in Nashville with nephew Whit (Clint's son Kyle Eastwood) along to help keep the car on the road and Red on the straight and narrow.

The elder Eastwood also directs this funny, warmhearted film, which also serves up a beguiling country soundtrack featuring Marty Robbins, Ray Price, John Anderson, Frizzell and West, Linda Hopkins for a scorching touch of the blues - and Eastwood himself. Richly nostalgic and marvelously acted, Honkytonk Man hits all the right notes for solid entertainment.

Every Which Way But Loose

Philo Beddoe is your regular, easygoing, truck-driving guy. He's also the best barroom brawler west of the Rockies. And he lives with a 165-pound orangutan named Clyde. Like other guys, Philo finally falls in love - with a flighty singer who leads him on a screwball chase across the American Southwest. Nothing's in the way except a motorcycle gang, two sneaky off-duty cops and legendary brawler Tank Murdock.

Every Which Way But Loose was a change of pace for Clint Eastwood- and it proved to be one of his most popular films. With a soaring country score and a solid supporting cast including Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Beverly D'Angelo and the great Ruth Gordon, it's in every which possible a grand time for all.

Any Which Way You Can

They're back. Philo Beddoe, the easygoing truck driver and bare-knuckle brawler, and his 165-pound orangutan friend Clyde get into more mischief in this faster and funnier sequel to Every Which Way But Loose.

Clint Eastwood stars again as Philo, now thinking he'll "retire" from fighting. But a new contender lures him back- and mobsters Philo's girl (Sondra Locke) to ensure he'll turn up for the showdown.

Ruth Gordon as Ma, Geofrey Lewis as Orville and those hapless motorcycle morons called the Black Widows all return in fine form. Songs by Glen Campbell, Jim Stafford and Snuff Garrett make up a tuneful country score, including an Eastwood/Ray Charles duet on "Beers to You." As ever, Clyde steals the show, particularly in a courtship scene with the lady orangutan of his dreams. Any Which Way You Can, and you'll be entertained.