Split Picks: Clint Eastwood's 'Bronco Billy' Vs. 'Honkytonk Man'

Clint Eastwood has cut an iconic on-screen figure for longer than almost anyone. The lean, sneering Western star made his name in front of the camera on TV’s Rawhide, and as The Man With No Name for Sergio Leone. His second career as a director, often directing himself, has made Eastwood an icon twice over and seen him helm more bonafide classics than almost anyone. On the latest episode of Split Picks, Eastwood enthusiasts Bennett Glace and Michael Glover Smith discuss probably the two least-seen of Clint Eastwood’s many directorial triumphs: Bronco Billy (1980) and Honkytonk Man (1982). Both films star Eastwood as struggling artists and send him out on the road alongside a makeshift family. Bronco Billy’s title character, William McCoy, serves as “head ramrod” for an old-fashioned Wild West Show fallen on hard times. McCoy and the film only ever briefly lose their unflappable sense of optimism as they tour the Western states and play to thinning crowds. Honkytonk Man puts a more pessimistic spin on similar material. Eastwood plays Red Stovall, an alcoholic, tubercular country musician with one last chance to be somebody. He hits the road with his nephew (Eastwood’s son, Kyle) to try out for the Grand Ole Opry before it's too late. The discussion touches on films from throughout Eastwood’s long career as well as subjects including the Razzies, and, of course, the director’s infamous speech at the Republican National Convention.