Clint Eastwood as Frank

[noodles_leone]

What I meant was in a modern film (not a remake of OUTITW) just having Eastwood play a despicable child killer or something similar would possibly have the same impact that Fonda did then.

Ok... so i still agree with myself

[titoli]

No, I insist. It couldn't have the same impact because Eastwood's screen persona given to him by Leone is that of a sob: what has this got to do with the one Fonda had until 1968?

[cigar joe]

He's still a "good" SOB though, practically all heroes are some form of good SOB nowadays.

[T.H.]

ok, so I missed the point. I have to give the edge to Fonda but Eastwood would invoke a pretty strong reaction.

[Rudra]

Now i'm a bit confused... What are we talking about?

the experience of a modern viewer seing Clint now in a remake VS the 1968 audience seing fonda at the time

OR

a modern viewer seing OUATITW now VS a modern viewer seing a remake with Clint?

First of all, I would to thank the members of the board for their valuable contributions to the thread. What I meant through this thread was, how Clint would have fared had he been given the chance to play Frank's character in O.U.A.T.I.T.W. back in 1968. I know Clint Eastwood is ten years younger to Charles Bronson and with a little make-up he would have been made to appear older than he really was at that time (38?) Of course, it is difficult to imagine that Clint would have surpassed Henry Fonda, but I am sure he too would have come up with as strong performance as Fonda's, had he been offered the role then.

[Groggy]

He's still a "good" SOB though, practically all heroes are some form of good SOB nowadays.

CJ, in so positing you're completely dodging the OP's original question.

[cigar joe]

Grogs, I obviously didn't understand his original question, now that he's clarified it I say definitely and emphatically say NO.

[Groggy]

Fair enough.

[JFM]

Morgan Freeman?

[Colonel Günther Ruiz]

Morgan Freeman?

Now that might be interesting.   

[Huey]

I saw an interview Henry Fonda gave and he said himself that he was well aware of people reacting to his role in terms of "My God! It's Henry Fonda".  If Eastwood had played Frank, it would have been the same transition from Blondie to Frank as Lee Van Cleef had already undergone when changing from Mortimer to Setenza.  It would simply have been a near-baddie taking the plunge and being the baddie.

A few people have said John Wayne would have caused a stir in a role like Frank but even he was an anti-hero at times, especially in The Searchers and to a degree in Liberty Valance.  It is no stretch of the imagination to see Wayne playing Frank having seen him as Ethan Edwards.

One "good guy" who could have played Frank superbly would have been William Holden: see The Wild Bunch for proof.

[The Firecracker]

One "good guy" who could have played Frank superbly would have been William Holden: see The Wild Bunch for proof.

Warren Oates could've played Cheyenne.
No?
I wouldn't want it that way but I could see it.

[cigar joe]

Jimmy Stewart could probably have pulled of Frank also with the same shock value.

[Groggy]

Jimmy Stewart could probably have pulled of Frank also with the same shock value.

Yeah but I don't see him doing it convincingly.

[moviesceleton]

Yeah but I don't see him doing it convincingly.

That would be totally hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja90EpsZ7Zs