Why is Clint Eastwood rich?

[Chichiri]

Two reasons:

1) Let's face it, he's a badass. Always has been, always will be, and his politics doesn't change that.

2) The revelation of his badass-ery came in the late 60s, during which time a lot of people could afford to see a lot of movies. How were they able to do that? Because we had a strong middle class and high tax rates on the 1%. Without a strong middle class, fewer people can afford to see movies.

So really, Clint Eastwood is trying to cut the throat of the next Clint Eastwood.

The Good, the Bad, and the Selfish.

[SugarShack]

1. Just don't understand why he speaks for a guy who said let it die, after clint's detroit coming back

commercial for superbowl

[cali]

2. people saw a lot of movies during the depression

I don't think it's so much that people can't afford to go to the movies as it is, DVDs, Netflix streaming, bit torrent downloads, etc.

the middle class isn't doing well but they're still buy lots of iphones, video games, going to disneyworld, etc.

[onenote]

3. +1

Eastwood is rich today because he has become the producer and/or director of many of his movies, not just an actor in them. By the way, the OP's timeline is a bit off. Eastwood got his start in television, which obviously wasn't dependent on movie revenues. The Dirty Harry movies were in the 70s and 80s and they weren't his highest grossing movies. (Oddly, two of his highest grossing films are Any Which Way You Can and Bridges of Madison County). In any event, movie attendance may be down, but he's making lots of money as are others in the film industry who weren't around in the 60s, like James Cameron.

[WI_DEM]

4. I like many of his films and he's...

a good director. If I hate him for speaking at GOP convention then I have to hate Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne, too, when they spoke at GOP conventions. But I can't.

[1-Old-Man]

5. I read somewhere that he made massive investments in California real estate

and cashed in before the bust.

[lightcameron]

6. The movie industry is almost recession-proof.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500184_162-20091150.html

Lots of other stories about this online.

[apocalypsehow]

7. I helped make him rich, and I'm going to continue to do so

at every opportunity: I like his movies, both the ones he directs and the ones he acts in.

Unlike a lot of folks around here, not every single thing in my life is saturated with politics: I can like Eastwood's work without buying his politics. People who make every single choice in their lives based upon their political beliefs are sad human beings, who are using politics to fill up the empty spot at the core of their being.

P.S. I like Ted Nugent's music, too, and still listen to it, even though he is a disgusting right-wing gun fanatic in his personal life. Yes, folks: it is possible to compartmentalize. Some of you need to learn how to do it.


Edit: typo.