Dirty Harry

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For other uses, see Dirty Harry (disambiguation).

Dirty Harry is a 1971 film directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan, a San Francisco detective tracking Scorpio, a serial killer. Eastwood's iconic portrayal of the blunt-speaking, unorthodox detective set the style for a number of his subsequent roles, and the box-office success of the film led to the production of four sequels. The "alienated cop" motif was one subsequently imitated by a number of other films.

Eastwood's character also helped popularize (and to a degree, sensationalize) the .44 Magnum, as Harry Callahan is famously shown wielding his S&W Model 29 revolver.

The title role was originally intended for Frank Sinatra, but after he injured his hand in an accident, it was offered to John Wayne, Steve McQueen, and Paul Newman. It was finally accepted by Clint Eastwood.

The Scorpio Killer, the film's antagonist, was based on the real-life Zodiac Killer, who was killing people in San Francisco at that time. The Zodiac killer has never been caught. Audie Murphy was first approached to play the Scorpio Killer, but he died in a plane crash before his decision on the offer could be made. The part went to actor Andrew Robinson, whose portrayal was so chilling that after the film was released he reportedly received several death-threats and was forced to get an unlisted telephone number.

The final scene, in which Callahan throws his badge in the river, is a homage to a similar scene from 1952's High Noon.

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