With the exception of John Wayne, no other actor is more synonymous with the Western than Clint Eastwood. In fact, even in films that aren’t part of the Western genre that Eastwood takes part in, audiences still find themselves reveling in the persona that the actor established in films such as The Outlaw Josey Wales and A Fistful of Dollars. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Kelly’s Heroes. Released in 1970 and featuring a stacked cast that saw Eastwood star alongside Donald Sutherland, Tully Savalas, Don Rickles, Gavin MacLeod, and Carol O’Connor, Kelly’s Heroes is a boisterous action-packed heist film set during the Second World War.
The plot, which involves Private Kelly (Eastwood) leading a rag-tag group of individuals behind enemy lines to steal a cache of gold, might sound familiar if you’re a fan of many Western films. In fact, Kelly’s Heroes is best described as a “World War II Western,” with gunslinging action and a host of characters who are over the top in their personalities, all of which culminate in a secret mission to steal Nazi gold. With fast-paced action sequences and a slightly farcical tone underneath, Kelly’s Heroes is a cast-driven adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Assembling the Perfect Ensemble Cast
A major aspect that makes any Western film memorable is its colorful cast of characters who share widely different personalities from one another. Eastwood’s portrayal of Kelly is akin to his role as “The Man with No Name” from Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy. A soldier with a checkered past and strong acumen for leadership and surviving the odds, Kelly is the cowboy who rides into town with no fear. Complementing Eastwood’s portrayal of the cool and level-headed Kelly is Telly Savalas as Big Joe. Big Joe is the strong hand of the group, the decorated combat veteran and muscle that any posse needs when they go into town to “smoke out” a group of outlaws.
Rounding out the ensemble cast, along with Eastwood and Savalas, is Don Rickles as Crapgame. Crapgame, a money-hungry soldier who’s eager to join Kelly’s mission to help swipe the ill-gotten gold from the Nazis, might be the gambler in any other Western film. Don Rickles’s natural ability to bring comedic timing and delivery to the role makes for excellent comic relief and bolsters the farcical tone of Kelly Heroes that coincides with the fast-paced action. However, if there’s one performance that steals the show in Kelly’s Heroes, it’s Donald Sutherland as Oddball.
Oddball, who, along with his crew in a group of tanks, is the modern version of the cavalry, rides into town and saves the day at the last moment. With Kelly’s Heroes being an updated western of sorts, Oddball might also be seen as the group’s wildcard. There’s no denying that Sutherland’s portrayal of the character and his dialogue are heavily influenced by popular culture that reflects the time period in which Kelly’s Heroes was made. Oddball can best be described as a cross between a hippie and a beatnik, especially with the constant chastizing of his subordinate Moriarty (Gavin MacLeod) to “knock it off with the negative waves.”
Related
What’s your favorite Donald Sutherland movie (or movies)?
The great Donald Sutherland passed away on June 20, 2024, leaving behind more than half a century of great cinema. What’s your favorite movie with Donald Sutherland, or your favorite performance of his? Animal House is phenomenal, but he’s only in it for a small amount of time, for instance. I think my favorite film with Sutherland is Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now, both as a masterful movie and a perfect performance, though I think he’s even better in Ordinary People. He’s also pitch perfect in M*A*S*H but that’s not as great a film in my opinion, even if it’s wonderful.
Crafting a World War II-Western Hybrid
The all-star cast of Kelly’s Heroes and the characters they portray certainly establish the film’s dynamic as a World War II Western. Accentuating the Western theme is the plot device of a search for hidden gold. From Rio Lobo to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, a group of unlikely characters coming together to find a missing treasure has been the driving point for many Western films. Juxtaposing this narrative with a film that takes place in World War II allows for action and excitement to take place, some that go far beyond just a shoot-out or a posse taking down a group of outlaws.
Kelly’s Heroes incorporates scenarios and scenes familiar to fans of the Western genre and updates them for the time period in which the film takes place. The most famous nod to the Western genre sees Kelly, Big Joe, and Oddball walking down a deserted street, ready to face down a Tiger tank. Not only does the scene incorporate the image of the three as gunfighters heading off to a shoot-out, but the accompanying music, with its swelling orchestral feel, is reminiscent of a Sergio Leone Western. Even the film’s conclusion sees the heroes head off into the sunset as they’ve accomplished the task that brought them together in the first place, albeit by truck and not on horseback.
All-Star Packed With Action and Entertainment
With its star-studded cast and memorable characters, Kelly’s Heroes is an excellent slice of 1970s action cinema that proves that tropes and patterns from one particular genre don’t have to be exclusive to one format. In a decade when Eastwood would rule the box office in multiple performances, Kelly’s Heroes is one of the actor’s most memorable. The format that made Kelly’s Heroes an instant classic was repeated in 1999 with Three Kings, proof-positive of the impact made by the film across multiple generations.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
