The Original Dirty Harry
The script, Dead Right, was first offered to Frank Sinatra and
Paul Newman. Sinatra nearly had the role, but had to turn it down due to a wrist
injury prior to filming. Newman was concerned about the political message of the
film, and is said to have suggested Eastwood for the part.
It's also rumoured that the role was intended for John Wayne, but that he declined due
to the violent nature of the film.
The original character of Dirty Harry was that of an older, New York cop nearing
retirement. After the role went to Eastwood, the part was rewritten to accommodate
more action sequences.
Eastwood approached Siegel with four drafts of the film- the original and three
rewrites. (One of which is credited to Terrence Malick.)
John Milius has long maintained that he was asked to revise the script at the last
minute. To this day, he claims credit for the version of the "Do I Feel
Lucky" speech that appears in the film.
The first choice for director was between Irvin Kershner or Sidney Pollack.
Kershner ended up being set to direct, only to be left out after Sinatra declined.
Eastwood and Siegel almost chose Seattle as the film's setting, but ultimately decided
to change it to San Francisco. It seems they had both seen the San Francisco 49er's
last game at Kezar Stadium, and decided it would be a perfect place to film a showdown.
Scorpio
The character was based on the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized San Francisco in the late
sixties and was never caught. He once sent the city a note threatening to hijack and
kill a busload of schoolchildren, which is where the inspiration for Scorpio's similar
feat originated.
Audie Murphy was first approached to play Scorpio. He was killed in a plane crash
in 1971, before his decision on the role was known.
Andrew Robinson was apparently a little too convincing as the mad killer,
Scorpio. He received death threats after the film's release and eventually had to
get an unlisted phone number. He also found trouble getting in to auditions- many
producers really thought he was crazy.
Look carefully at Scorpio's outfit, and you'll notice a peace symbol belt buckle.
While the press had their own interpretation of this, Siegel's explanation of it was
simply, "It reminds us that no matter how vicious a person is, when he looks in the
mirror he is still blind to what he truly is".
The original draft had Scorpio meeting his end at the hands of a sharpshooter- not
Dirty Harry.
Cameos
Character actor Albert Popwell had a total of four roles throughout the
series:
Dirty Harry- The bank robber who doesn't feel lucky.
Magnum Force- J.J. Wilson the pimp
The Enforcer- Big Ed Mustapha
Sudden Impact- Horace King
Director Don Siegel can be seen walking by Harry's car, as Harry and Chico return to
headquarters. Siegel's son, Kristoffer Tabori, also appears briefly as a
hippie. The two previously shared a scene with Eastwood in the Siegel-directed Coogan's
Bluff. They had cameos as passengers on the escalator.
The sequence where Harry disrupts the bank robbery, (by four black men), had Siegel
worried that Harry would be taken for a bigot. He devised a follow-up scene where
Harry's injuries are treated by a black intern that appears to be an old friend of
Harry's. When the studio refused to okay the short scene, Siegel was forced to film
it quickly, using Second Assistant Director Charles Washburn as the intern.
Two actresses were used to portray Anne Mary Deacon. The photographs that are
sent to the mayor feature Melody Thomas Scott, who had previously appeared with Eastwood
in The Beguiled. However, the body that Harry witnesses being lifted out of
the ground was played by Debralee Scott, (no relation).
The opening scenes in the Mayor's office were filmed in then-Mayor Alioto's office.
A section of the Philippine police force requested a print of the movie for use as a
training film!
