The Legend of Clint Eastwood
Every Which Way But Loose, 1979
This roughhouse comedy with a monkey costar was designed to please nobody but the mass audience. "Every Which Way goes in every which direction to no particular avail," Frank Rich wrote in TIME. "It is nearly impossible to sit through. Chase scenes, barroom brawls and barehanded boxing matches follow in dizzying succession, but the movie rarely lurches forward. Director James Fargo (Caravans) seems to delight in disorienting the audience: it is a major chore to figure out who is punching whom, not to mention why. . An orangutan called Clyde does cute monkeyshines that recall the heyday of Jack Lescoulie and J. Fred Muggs on the Today show." Those hijinks were the movie's highlight, and led to a Clint-and-Clyde sequel, Any Which Way You Can.