Clint Eastwood labeled the screenplay for his 1970 war movieKelly’s Heroesas “…one of the best antiwar stories I’ve ever seen,” but felt a studio recut ruined the movie’s message.TheDollarsmovie trilogyestablished Eastwood’s movie career, and the period between 1966’sThe Good, the Bad and the Uglyand 1971’sDirty Harrysaw him working to establish himself as a true movie star. This led to some misfires likePaint Your Wagon, but one of the gems from this era isKelly’s Heroes.
ThisClint Eastwood war moviecast him as the titular Kelly, who leads a misfit crew of soldiers who aim to rob a French bank filled with Nazi gold. The setup is vaguely reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan(as in it follows a group of soldiers as they venture into enemy terrority in search of something), butKelly’s Heroesis considerably more lighthearted. It’s an ensemble action-comedy, butwhile Eastwood lovedKelly’s Heroes’original script, he wasn’t so pleased with the final result.
Clint Eastwood Feels MGM’s Recut Of Kelly’s Heroes Ruined A More Interesting Movie
Kelly’s Heroes dropped the antiwar angle
Eastwood spoke at length about his disappointment withKelly’s HeroesinConversations with Clint: Paul Nelson’s Lost Interviews with Clint Eastwood, 1979-1983.Clint claims the initial script (titledThe Warriors) was an exceptional piece of work, stating “It was one of the best antiwar stories I’ve ever seen, but it was subtle, it was never preachy.” The story still had plenty of action, but it had heart too. Eastwood recalls that, as scripted and shot, there were moments of humanity that tiedKelly’s Heroestogether that were later cut by MGM.
We had a scene with [Telly] Savalas and myself and some of the guys: it’s the whole deal about why and the philosophies of war. It wasn’t an explanatory thing that stopped and explained what was happening; it just gave you a feeling of the guys in a different mood other than running around shooting and telling a lot of jokes. This thing had been completely dehumanized.It’d just become a massive action thing in which the special effects were great and there was a lot of action. But there was too much action. There needed to be some reason for this whole caper being there.
At this time, MGM was in financial trouble, so according to Clint they just wanted to push the film out the door to generate money fast. Even after Eastwood personally offered to restore some of these key sequences back into the movie, the studio wasn’t interested.Eastwood wasn’t a fan of the final title either, telling Nelson that “Kelly’s Heroeswas"a dumb title.“He believes the studio was trying to tie his film into the popular sitcomHogan’s Heroes. As for the final product, Eastwood feels regret over what it could have been.
It had some nice things in it. It’s an all right picture. I’m not putting it down, I just think it could have been a very, very good movie with a little something added special.
To the movie’s leading man, MGM turned this antiwar dark comedy into a silly shoot ‘em up caper,where the heroes mowed down Nazis and had a great time doing so. Eastwood hopedKelly’s Heroeswould be more interesting than that, so even if it did well and has its fans, he feels the whole venture was a missed opportunity.
Kelly’s Heroes Was Intended As An Antiwar Film
Kelly’s Heroes makes war look kind of fun
The comedy present inKelly’s Heroeswas always meant to be there, as can be seen from the hammy performances of Donald Sutherland as tank driver Oddball and Don Rickles. The movie is practically the dictionary definition of a Sunday afternoon adventure, butMGM removing around 20 minutes of footage also snipped the heart out ofKelly’s Heroes. The scenes that were cut were part of what attracted the cast and crew to the movie, including Eastwood. He wanted there to be some humanity between explosions.
Clint Eastwood originally wanted hisDirty HarryandThe Beguiledhelmer Don Siegel to helmKelly’s Heroes, but he was too busy; Eastwood claims Siegel “loved” the original screenplay.
Some of the deleted scenes include a sequence between Eastwood’s Kelly and Telly Savalas’s Big Joe, where they talk about their hatred of the war; this scene also gives more insight into Kelly’s backstory and why he was demoted.Other cut sequences include Kelly coming across a badly wounded German soldierand other dramatic moments between members of the squad. On the surface, it doesn’t sound like much was removed, but for Eastwood, these pieces took the soul out ofKelly’s Heroes.
Eastwood’s words might come as a surprise to those who watchedKelly’s Heroes.It might not be considered one ofClint Eastwood’s best movies, but it’s a fun, breezy watchwith an incredible cast and the setpieces are well-staged. It speaks to the talent involved that it still works so well, even when the original intent was chopped out. It feels like an unofficial sequel to Eastwood and director Brian G. Hutton’s other World War 2 adventure,Where Eagles Dare, with the two making a great double bill.
Source: Conversations with Clint: Paul Nelson’s Lost Interviews with Clint Eastwood, 1979-1983
Kelly’s Heroes
Cast
Kelly’s Heroes is a war comedy film set during World War II, directed by Brian G. Hutton. Starring Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, and Donald Sutherland, the film follows a group of American soldiers who, upon discovering information about a hidden cache of Nazi gold, embark on a rogue mission to retrieve it. Balancing humor with action, Kelly’s Heroes offers a unique take on the war genre.
Clint Eastwood
Discover the latest news and filmography for Clint Eastwood, known for Dirty Harry and Unforgiven.
