80/80 - Chuck Norris is Dirty Harry (well sort of!)

There was a period in the late Seventies when Clint Eastwood and Gauntlet co-writer, Dennis Shryack were working on developing a Dirty Harry script, that would show the human side of the ageing cop. The script saw the Harry character battling organised crime and losing most of the battles and would end with the character's death.

Clint was excited about the project and was looking forward to burying the Harry character once and for all. Just before the film was due to go into production Jo Haims, writer of Play Misty for Me and Breezy died of cancer. Jo was Clint's age and the star was hit hard by her death. He brooded on it for a great many months.

The new Dirty Harry movie with its theme of mortality and death didn't appeal to Clint anymore and he pulled the rug on the project.


"I think the script probably cut too close to home. Clint was feeling his mortality about himself and his favourite character." Writer, Dennis Shrayack.

The script's rights reverted back to Shrayack and it would eventually become the Chuck Norris vehicle, Code of Silence. And Clint decided to go back to the western with, what he called, a nod to Shane. That film would be the excellent Pale Rider and afterwards Clint let it be known that he was looking for another Dirty Harry vehicle.