Every Which Way but Loose (1978)

The San Fernando Valley adventures of trucker turned prize-fighter Philo Beddoe and his pet orangutan Clyde.

Director:

James Fargo

Writer:

Jeremy Joe Kronsberg

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Philo Beddoe
Sondra Locke	...	Lynn Halsey-Taylor
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Orville
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Echo
Walter Barnes	...	Tank Murdock
George Chandler	...	Clerk at D.M.V.
Roy Jenson	...	Woody
James McEachin	...	Herb
Bill McKinney	...	Dallas
William O'Connell	...	Elmo
John Quade	...	Cholla
Dan Vadis	...	Frank
Gregory Walcott	...	Putnam
Hank Worden	...	Trailer Court Manager
Ruth Gordon	...	Ma

Storyline

Philo Beddoe is an easy-going trucker and a great fist-fighter. With two friends - Orville, who promotes prize-fights for him, and Clyde, the orangutan he won on a bet - he roams the San Fernando Valley in search of cold beer, country music and the occasional punch-up. But he is floored himself by a dainty little country and western singer, who gives him the slip when she realizes he's getting too serious. Phil, Clyde and Orville set off in pursuit, pestered by bikers.

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Plot Keywords:

orangutan | biker leader | headband | outlaw gang | pet owner relationship | 

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Taglines:

Clint Eastwood will turn you Every Which Way But Loose

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Coming of Philo Beddoe

Filming Locations:

Cottonwood Court, 1742 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,272,000, 24 December 1978, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$106,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., The Malpaso Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Clint Eastwood's sixth film for Warner Brothers.

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Goofs

When Philo is walking Clyde before they take Clyde to the zoo, the two of them walk in front of an adult theater and store in Denver, Colorado. Minutes later we see them driving toward Santa Fe, NM.

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Quotes

Cholla: The very first thing we do is find out who we're talking about. I mean, we don't even know where to find him.
Elmo: How are we gonna find him?
Cholla: Well it appears to me that there can't be too many guys driving around this valley with an ape.

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Connections

Referenced in Last Man Standing: Ryan vs. John Baker (2013)

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Soundtracks

Under The Double Eagle
Music by Josef Franz Wagner (uncredited)
Adapted by Steve Dorff (as S. Dorff) and Snuff Garrett (as T. Garrett)

User Reviews

Clint And Clyde

In Every Which Way But Loose, Clint Eastwood not only shares the screen with lady love Sondra Locke, but with an orangutan named Clyde. He had to call on all his skills to keep the film from being stolen by an ape.

This and its sequel Every Which Way You Can will never be at the top of Clint's cinema achievements, but it's a nice rollicking comedy about a bare knuckle fighter. If it were set in today's times instead of the Seventies, Eastwood's Philo Beddoe would be on the extreme fighting channel.

Seeing Clint's living quarters reminded me of John Wayne's similar arrangements in True Grit with Chin Lee and General Sterling Price the cat. Clyde's quite a bit more the handful than a cat. He lives with Geoffrey Lewis who is his second and corner man in the bare knuckle fighting business and handles all the wagers and Lewis's mother a 'helpless' little old lady with a shotgun, deliciously played by Ruth Gordon.

Making his living as a bare knuckle fighter, Clint just seems to run into people determined to take him down. That includes an involvement with aspiring country singer Sondra Locke whom he spends a good deal of money on and who then takes a powder on him. She's heading east so Clint, Lewis, and Clyde are as well. Along the way they pick up sharp shooting Beverly D'Angelo who saves them on one occasion.

The legendary bare knuckle champion is Denver Tank Murdoch and as that 20th century philosopher Ric Flair opined, to be the best you have to beat the best. So Clint is heading to Denver to find both Locke and Walter Barnes who plays Tank Murdoch with his three amigos.

He also manages to arouse the anger of John McQuade and his Black Widow Biker gang. These people are the sorriest biker gang ever depicted on the big screen. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE manages to best this crowd of losers. But they never give up.

Best in the film are Ruth Gordon and Clyde, not necessarily in that order. I've often thought that the Academy Awards should have a best animal performance in a given year. That year the Oscar gold would have been taken by the orangutan. I wish the film had elaborated a little more on when Eastwood and Lewis break into a zoo to get Clyde's male needs satisfied.

For a lighter and brighter side of Clint Eastwood, don't miss Every Which Way But Loose.