Chrysler Group LLC

250px
Type	Limited liability company
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor(s)	Chrysler LLC (2007–2009) DaimlerChrysler AG (1998–2007)) Chrysler Corporation (1925–1998)
Founded	June 6, 1925
Founder(s)	Walter Chrysler
Headquarters	Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
Number of locations	List of Chrysler factories
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Sergio Marchionne (Chairman and CEO) & Fiat CEO
Products	Automobiles Automotive parts
Revenue	US$ 55.0 billion (2011)[1]
Operating income	US$ 2.0 billion (2011)[1]
Net income	US$ 183 million (2011)[1]
Total assets	US$ 35.449 billion (2010)[1]
Total equity	US$ -4.489 billion (2010)[1]
Owner(s)	Fiat S.p.A. (58.5%)[2] United Auto Workers (41.5%)[3]
Employees	51,623 (December 2010)[1]
Divisions	Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat (USA) Mopar SRT
Website	ChryslerGroupLLC.com

Chrysler Group LLC ( /ˈkraɪslər/) is an American-based, multinational automaker, in global strategic alliance with its majority owner, Italian manufacturer Fiat, since 2009.

Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.^[4] Its core brands which it produces are Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, SRT, Fiat, and Mopar vehicles and products. The Company is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States.^[5]

On June 10, 2009, Chrysler LLC emerged from a government backed Chapter 11 reorganization as Chrysler Group LLC, in alliance with the Italian automaker Fiat.^[6][7] Initially holding a 20% interest in Chrysler Group, Fiat's stake was increased to 58.5% (fully diluted) following acquisition of the equity interests held by the U.S. Treasury (6% on June 3, 2011) and Canada (1.5% on July 21, 2011)^{[8][9][10][11][12]}

History[link]

This section requires expansion with: Under DaimlerChrysler Under private equity firm Cerberus Bankruptcy Rescued by the U.S. Government Taken over by Fiat.

Walter Chrysler

The company was founded by Walter Chrysler (1875–1940) on June 6, 1925,^[13][14] when the Maxwell Motor Company (est. 1904) was re-organized into the Chrysler Corporation.^[15][16]

Walter Chrysler arrived at the ailing Maxwell-Chalmers company in the early 1920s. He was hired to overhaul the company's troubled operations (after a similar rescue job at the Willys-Overland car company).^[17] In late 1923 production of the Chalmers automobile was ended.^[18]

In January 1924, Walter Chrysler launched the well-received Chrysler automobile. The Chrysler was a 6-cylinder automobile, designed to provide customers with an advanced, well-engineered car, but at a more affordable price than they might expect. (Elements of this car are traceable to a prototype which had been under development at Willys during Chrysler's tenure).^[19] The original 1924 Chrysler included a carburetor air filter, high compression engine, full pressure lubrication, and an oil filter, features absent from most autos at the time.^[20][21] Among the innovations in its early years were the first practical mass-produced four-wheel hydraulic brakes, a system nearly completely engineered by Chrysler with patents assigned to Lockheed, and rubber engine mounts to reduce vibration. Chrysler also developed a wheel with a ridged rim, designed to keep a deflated tire from flying off the wheel. This wheel was eventually adopted by the auto industry worldwide.

Following the introduction of the Chrysler, the Maxwell was dropped after its 1925 model year run, although in truth the new line of lower-priced 4-cylinder Chryslers which were then introduced for the 1926 model year were basically Maxwells which had been re-engineered and rebranded.^[22] It was during this time period of the early 1920s that Walter Chrysler assumed the presidency of Maxwell, with the company then ultimately incorporated under the Chrysler name.

Following the introduction of the Chrysler, the Maxwell brand was dropped after the 1925 model year. The new, lower-priced four-cylinder Chryslers introduced for the 1926 year were badge-engineered Maxwells.^[23] The advanced engineering and testing that went into Chrysler Corporation cars helped to push the company to the second-place position in U.S. sales by 1936, a position it would last hold in 1949.

In 1928, the Chrysler Corporation began dividing its vehicle offerings by price class and function. The Plymouth brand was introduced at the low-priced end of the market (created essentially by once again reworking and rebadging Chrysler's four-cylinder model).^[24] At the same time, the DeSoto brand was introduced in the medium-price field. Also in 1928, Chrysler bought the Dodge Brothers^[25] automobile and truck company and continued the successful Dodge line of automobiles and Fargo range of trucks. By the mid-1930s, the DeSoto and Dodge divisions would trade places in the corporate hierarchy.

The Imperial name had been used since 1926, but was never a separate make, just the top-of-the-line Chrysler. In 1955, the company decided to spin it off as its own make and division to better compete with its rivals, Lincoln and Cadillac. Imperial would see new body styles introduced every two to three years, all with V8 engines and automatic transmissions, as well as technologies that would filter down to Chrysler corporation's other models. Imperial was folded back into the Chrysler brand in 1973.

The Valiant was also introduced for 1960 as a distinct brand. In the U.S. market, Valiant was made a model in the Plymouth line for 1961 and the DeSoto make was discontinued during 1961. With those exceptions per applicable year and market, Chrysler's range from lowest to highest price from the 1940s through the 1970s was Valiant, Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial.^[26]

Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand as part of the purchase of American Motors (AMC) on August 5, 1987, for somewhere between US$1.7 billion and $2 billion, depending on how costs were counted.^[27] Chrysler then established the Jeep/Eagle division, along with the Eagle brand that was discontinued a decade later as part of the DaimlerChrysler merger at that time. In 2001, the Plymouth was also discontinued. Currently, Dodge is the full line automobile brand, with the Chrysler brand marketing upscale cars. The Jeep brand focuses on SUVs, while the RAM brand offers small commercial vans and a variety of pick-up trucks.

Corporate governance[link]

Chrysler House landmark executive offices in the Detroit Financial District

• Sergio Marchionne, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
• Richard Palmer, Chief Financial Officer
• Reid Bigland, Dodge brand; U.S. sales chief & President and CEO Chrysler Canada^[28]
• Fred Diaz, Ram brand; Chrysler Mexico/Latin America^[28]
• Olivier Francois, Chrysler brand and marketing
• Ralph Gilles, Design and SRT brand^[28]
• Michael Manley, Jeep and international sales
• Pietro Gorlier, Mopar parts and service

Source:^[29]

Sales and marketing[link]

Chrysler Headquarters and Technology Center in Auburn Hills in Metro Detroit

Domestic sales[link]

It is reported that Chrysler was heavy on fleet sales in 2010, hitting as high as 56 percent of total sales in February of that year. For the whole year, 38 percent of sales of Chrysler were to fleet customers. The industry average was 19 percent. However, the company hopes to reduce its fleet sales to the industry average in 2011 with a renewed product lineup.^[30]

Global sales[link]

Chrysler is the smallest of the "Big Three" U.S. automakers (Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors). Chrysler is the world's 13th largest vehicle manufacturer as ranked by OICA in 2010.^[31] Total Chrysler vehicle production was about 1.58 million that year.

Marketing[link]

Lifetime powertrain warranty[link]

In 2007, Chrysler began to offer vehicle lifetime powertrain warranty for the first registered owner or retail lessee.^[32] The deal covered owner or lessee in U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, for 2009 model year vehicles, and 2006, 2007 and 2008 model year vehicles purchased on or after July 26, 2007. Covered vehicles excluded SRT models, Diesel vehicles, Sprinter models, Ram Chassis Cab, Hybrid System components (including transmission), and certain fleet vehicles. The warranty is non-transferable.^[33] After Chrysler's restructuring, the warranty program was replaced by five-year/100,000 mile transferrable warranty for 2010 or later vehicles.^[34]

Let's Refuel America[link]

In 2008, as a response to customer feedback citing the prospect of rising gas prices as a top concern, Chrysler launched the "Let's Refuel America" incentive campaign, which guaranteed new-car buyers a gasoline price of $2.99 for three years.^[35] With the U.S. purchase of eligible Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles, customers could enroll in the program and receive a gas card that immediately lowers their gas price to $2.99 a gallon, and keeps it there for the three years.

Lancia co-branding[link]

Chrysler plans for Lancia to codevelop products, with some vehicles being shared. Olivier Francois, Lancia's CEO, was appointed to the Chrysler division in October 2009. Francois plans to reestablish the Chrysler brand as an upscale brand.^[36]

Ram trucks[link]

From Oct 2009, Dodge's car and truck line were split into two, "Dodge" for cars, minivans and crossovers and "Ram" for light and medium duty trucks and other commercial-use vehicles.^[37]

Calendar year	U.S. Chrysler sales	%Chg/yr.
1999[38]	2,638,561
2000	2,522,695	4.4%
2001[39]	2,273,208	9.9%
2002[40]	2,205,446	3%
2003	2,127,451	3.5%
2004[41]	2,206,024	3.7%
2005[41]	2,304,833	4.5%
2006[42]	2,142,505	7%
2007[42]	2,076,650	3.1%
2008[43]	1,453,122	30%
2009[44]	931,402	36%
2010[45]	1,085,211	17%
2011[46]	1,369,114	26%

Imported From Detroit[link]

In 2011, Chrysler unveiled their new "Imported From Detroit" campaign with ads featuring Detroit rapper Eminem, one of which aired during the Super Bowl. The campaign highlights the rejuvenation of the entire product lineup, which includes the new, redesigned and repackaged 2011 200 sedan and 200 convertible, the Chrysler 300 sedan and the Chrysler Town & Country minivan.^[47][48] As part of the campaign, Chrysler sold a line of clothing items featuring the Detroit Fist logo, with proceeds being funneled to Detroit-area charities, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Michigan, Habitat for Humanity Detroit and the Marshal Mathers Foundation.^[49] Following the Eminem ad, there was also an ad for Detriot Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh driving a Chrysler 300 to Portland, Or., to visit his mother, an ad featuring Detroit-born fashion designer John Varvatos cruising through a shadowy Gotham while Kevin Yon's familiar baritone traces the designer's genesis.^[50]

In 2011-3, Chrysler Group LLC filed a lawsuit against Moda Group LLC (owner of Pure Detroit clothing retailer) for copying and selling merchandise with the "Imported from Detroit" slogan.^[51] Chrysler claimed it had notified defendant of its pending trademark application February 14, but the defendant argued Chrysler had not secured trademark for the 'Imported From Detroit' phrase. On 2011-06-18, U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow ruled that Chrysler's request didn't show that it would suffer irreparable harm or that it had a strong likelihood of winning its case. Therefore Pure Detroit's owner, Detroit retailer Moda Group LLC, can continue selling its "Imported from Detroit" products. Tarnow also noted that Chrysler doesn't have a trademark on "Imported from Detroit" and rejected the automaker's argument that trademark law isn't applicable to the case.^[52][53] In 2012-3, Chrysler Group LLC and Pure Detroit agreed to a March 27 mediation to try to settle a year-old lawsuit over the clothing company's use of "Imported from Detroit" slogan.^[54] Pure Detroit noted Chrysler has made false claims about the origins of three vehicles - Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300 and Chrysler Town & Country - none of them are built in Detroit. Pure Detroit also noted Chrysler's Imported From Detroit merchandises aren't being made in Detroit.

In 2011, Eminem settled lawsuit against Audi alleging the defendant had ripped off the Chrysler 300 Super Bowl commercial in the Audi A6 Avant ad.^[55]

Half Time in America[link]

Again in 2012, Chrysler advertised during the Super Bowl. Its two-minute February 5, 2012 Super Bowl XLVI advertisement was titled "Half Time in America". The ad drew the criticism of several leading U.S. conservatives, who suggested that its messaging implied that President Obama deserved a second term and, as such, was political payback for Obama's support for the federal bailout of the company.^[56]

Slogans[link]

• Engineered to the Power of Cars (1998–2001)
• Engineered Beautifully (2004-halfway of 2010)
• Imported From Detroit (2011-current)

Product line[link]

The Dodge Ram, one of Chrysler's best selling vehicles^[42]

• Chrysler — Passenger cars, minivan
• Dodge — Passenger cars, minivan, crossover, and SUV
• Ram — Trucks and commercial vehicles
• Jeep — Off-road vehicles, SUVs and crossovers
• MOPAR — Upscale versions of selected cars, trucks, and SUV's from Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Fiat. (New for 2012) Also brand for dealer service and customer service operations.
• SRT — High Performance. (2013 Viper will be badged as SRT Viper not Dodge Viper) (New for 2012)

Mopar[link]

• Mopar — Replacement parts for Chrysler-built vehicles.
  • Mopar Performance, a subdivision providing performance aftermarket parts for Chrysler-built vehicles.

PHEV Research Center[link]

Chrysler is in the Advisory Council of the PHEV Research Center.

Chrysler Uconnect Web[link]

Chrysler LLC Uconnect Web is a system that brings wireless Internet connectivity to any Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep vehicle, via a Wi-Fi "hot-spot". According to Chrysler LLC, the hotspot range will extend approximately 100 feet (30 m) from the vehicle in all directions, and will combine both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular connectivity. Uconnect is available on several current and was available on several discontinued Chrysler models including the Chrysler 300, Aspen, Sebring, Town and Country, Dodge Avenger, Caliber, Grand Caravan, Challenger, Charger, Journey, Nitro, and Ram.^[57]

Fiat[link]

Fiat Auto plans to sell seven of its vehicles in the U.S. by 2014, while Fiat-controlled Chrysler Group is to supply nine models to sell under Fiat brands in the European market, according to a five-year plan rolled out on April 21, 2010 in Turin, Italy, by Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. At least five of the Fiat Auto models are expected to be marketed in the U.S. under its Alfa Romeo brand. Showing the level of integration envisioned, a product introduction timeline shows Chrysler-built compact and full-size SUVs going on sale in 2012 and 2014, respectively, in both European and North American markets.^[58]

Environmental initiatives[link]

Electric vehicles[link]

This section's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (May 2012)

The first electric vehicle produced by Chrysler was the 1992 Dodge EPIC concept minivan. In 1993, Chrysler began to sell a limited-production electric minivan called the TEVan; however, this minivan did not gain much popularity throughout its lifetime. In 1997, a second generation, called the EPIC, was released. It was discontinued after 1999.

Chrysler intended to pursue new drive concepts through ENVI, an in-house organization formed to focus on electric-drive vehicles and related technologies which was established in September 2007. In August 2009, Chrysler took US$70 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a test fleet of 220 hybrid pickup trucks and minivans. ENVI was disbanded by Nov 2009.^[59]

Hybrid vehicles[link]

The first hybrids of Chrysler, Chrysler Aspen hybrid and Dodge Durango hybrid, were discontinued a few months after production in 2008.^[60]

Chrysler continues to develop The Dodge Ram hybrid.

Chrysler has also been experimenting with a Hybrid Diesel truck for military applications.

Special programs[link]

During World War II, essentially all of Chrysler's facilities were devoted to building military vehicles (Note that the Jeep brand came much later after Chrysler acquired American Motors Corporation). The Chrysler tanks were far superior to Ford or General Motors tanks. They used five Plymouth flathead straight-6 engines in a radial design where the tank could keep going if one engine was disabled.^[61] They were also designing V12 and V16 hemi-engines producing 2,500 hp (1,864 kW; 2,535 PS) for airplanes, but they did made it into production as jets were developed and were seen as the motive type for future aircraft.^[62]

Radar antennas[link]

When the Radiation Laboratory at MIT was established in 1941 to develop microwave radars, one of the first projects resulted in the SCR-584, the most widely recognized radar system of the war era. This system included a parabolic antenna six feet in diameter that was mechanically aimed in a helical pattern (round and round as well as up and down).

One of Chrysler’s most significant contributions to the war effort, however, was not in the field of vehicles but in the radar field. For the final production design of this antenna and its highly complex drive mechanism, the Army’s Signal Corps Laboratories turned to Chrysler's Central Engineering Office. There, the parabola was changed from aluminum to steel, allowing production forming using standard automotive presses. To keep weight down, 6,000 equally spaced holes were drilled in the face (this had no effect on the radiation pattern). The drive mechanism was completely redesigned, using technology derived from Chrysler’s research in automotive gears and differentials. The changes resulted in improved performance, reduced weight, and easier maintenance. A large portion of the Dodge plant was used in building 1,500 of the SCR-584 antennas as well as the vans used in the systems.^[63][64]

Missiles[link]

In April 1950, the U.S. Army established the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC) at Redstone Arsenal, adjacent to Huntsville, Alabama. To form OGMC, over 1,000 civilian and military personnel were transferred from Fort Bliss, Texas. Included was a group of German scientists and engineers led by Wernher von Braun; this group had been brought to America under Project Paperclip. OGMC designed the Army's first short-range ballistic missile, the PGM-11 Redstone, based on the WWII German V-2 missile. Chrysler established the Missile Division to serve as the Redstone prime contractor, setting up an engineering operation in Huntsville and for production obtaining use from the U.S. Navy of a large plant in Warren, Michigan. The Redstone was in active service from 1958 to 1964; it was also the first missile to test-launch a live nuclear weapon, first detonated in a 1958 test in the South Pacific.^[65]

Working together, the Missile Division and von Braun's team greatly increased the capability of the Redstone, resulting in the PGM-19 Jupiter, a medium-range ballistic missile. In May 1959, a Jupiter missiles launched two small monkeys into space in a nose cone on a Jupiter; this was America's first successful flight and recovery of live space payloads. Responsibility for deploying Jupiter missiles was transferred from the Army to the Air Force; armed with nuclear warheads, they were first deployed in Italy and Turkey during the early 1960s.^[66]

Space boosters[link]

In July 1959, NASA chose the Redstone missile as the basis for the Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle to be used for suborbital test flights of the Project Mercury spacecraft. Three unmanned MLRV launch attempts were made between November 1960 and March 1961, two of which were successful. The MLRV successfully launched the chimpanzee Ham, and astronauts Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom on three suborbital flights in January, May and July 1961.

America's more ambitious manned space travel plans included the design of the Saturn series of heavy-lift launch vehicles by a team headed by Wernher von Braun. Chrysler's Huntsville operation, then designated the Space Division, became Marshall Space Flight Center’s prime contractor for the first stage of the Saturn I and Saturn IB versions. The design was based on a cluster of Redstone and Jupiter fuel tanks, and Chrysler built it for the Apollo program in the Michoud Assembly Facility in East New Orleans, one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world. Between October 1961 and July 1975, NASA used ten Saturn Is and nine Saturn IBs for suborbital and orbital flights, all of which were successful,^[67] in fact Chrysler missiles and boosters never suffered a launch failure.

Daimler Chrysler[link]

In 1998, Chrysler and its subsidiaries entered into a partnership dubbed a "merger of equals" with German-based Daimler-Benz AG, creating the combined entity DaimlerChrysler AG.^[68] To the surprise of many stockholders, Daimler subsequently acquired Chrysler in a stock swap,^[69] after the retirement of Chrysler CEO Bob Eaton. Under DaimlerChrysler, the company was named DaimlerChrysler Motors Company LLC, with its U.S. operations generally called the "Chrysler Group". On May 14, 2007, DaimlerChrysler announced the sale of 80.1% of Chrysler Group to American private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., thereafter known as Chrysler LLC, although Daimler (renamed as Daimler AG) continued to hold a 19.9% stake.^[70] The deal was finalized on August 3, 2007.^[71] On April 27, 2009, Daimler AG signed a binding agreement to give up its remaining 19.9% stake in Chrysler LLC to Cerberus Capital Management and pay as much as $600 million into the automaker's pension fund.^[72]

The sale of substantially all of Chrysler's assets to "New Chrysler", organized as Chrysler Group LLC was completed on June 10, 2009. The federal government provided support for the deal with US$6.6 billion in financing, which was paid to "Old Chrysler", and a newly formed company called Old Carco LLC took over the remaining assets and liabilities, which remained in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.^[73] This transfer excluded eight manufacturing sites, the majority of real estate holdings, and equipment leases. Contracts with 789 dealers in the U.S. were also excluded.^[74][75] On May 24, 2011, Chrysler repaid its $7.6 billion loans to the United States and Canadian governments.^[76]

Discontinued brands[link]

• Chrysler Europe (sold to Peugeot)
  • Sunbeam (1901–1976)
  • Humber (1967–1968)^[77]
  • Singer (1905–1970)
  • Commer (1905–1979)
  • Hillman (1907–1976)
  • Karrier (1908–1977)
  • Simca (1934–1977)
  • Barreiros (1959–1978)
• American Motors (AMC) (1954–1988)
  • Hudson (1909–1957)
  • Nash (1917–1957)
  • Rambler (1900–1914; 1950–1969)
• Maxwell (1904–1926)
• Graham Brothers (1916–1929)
• Fargo (1920–1972)
• DeSoto (1928–1961)
• Plymouth (1928–2001)
• Imperial (1955–1975; 1981–1983)
• Valiant (1960–1976) The Valiant was introduced in 1960 as a separate Chrysler brand, then was incorporated into the Plymouth line in the U.S. starting in 1961.
  • Valiant (1962–1981).
  • Valiant (1960–1966) Chrysler marketed the Valiant as a separate Chrysler model in Canada until 1967, when the Canada–United States Automotive Products Agreement of 1965 facilitated exporting the Plymouth Valiant to Canada.
• Eagle (1988–1998)

See also[link]

	Metro Detroit portal
	Companies portal
	Cars portal

Countries[link]

• Chrysler Australia
• Chrysler Fevre Argentina
• Chrysler Canada

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chrysler

• Chrysler LLC corporate website
• Chrysler Official UK brand site
• Chrysler Scientific Labs and Test Services

v t e Chrysler Marques Current Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Defunct AMC (1966–1988) Commer (1905–1979) Barreiros (1959–1978) DeSoto (1928–1961) Eagle (1988–1998) Fargo (1920–1972) Hillman (1907–1976) Humber (1898–1975) Imperial (1955–1975, 1981–1983) Karrier (1908–1977) Plymouth (1928–2001) Singer (1905–1970) Simca (1934–1977) Sunbeam (1901–1976) Valiant (1960–1966) Divisions and subsidiaries Current Chrysler Australia Chrysler Canada Dodge Jeep Mopar Ram Trucks Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Road Track (R/T) Defunct Chrysler-Plymouth (1928–2001) American Motors Corporation (1954–1988) Chrysler Australia (1951–1981) Chrysler Europe (1967–1981) Chrysler UK (1970–1981) Envi (2007–2009) Former EUROSTAR Global Electric Motorcars Chrysler First Financial Services Corporation Joint ventures and alliances Current United States Council for Automotive Research Defunct Diamond-Star Motors DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi alliance GEMA People Walter Chrysler Lee Iacocca C. Robert Kidder Thomas W. LaSorda Sergio Marchionne Louis Rhodes Places Chrysler Building Chrysler Headquarters and Technology Center Factories Proving grounds Products Engines (Hemi, Pentastar) Platforms Transmissions Vehicles Other Big Three Cerberus Capital Management Chrysler Classic Racing Daimler-Chrysler (1998–2007) Fiat SpA History (Chapter 11 reorganization) Category Commons

Clint Eastwood
Eastwood at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Clinton Eastwood, Jr. (1930-05-31) May 31, 1930 (age 82) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, director, producer, and composer
Years active	1955–present
Spouse	Maggie Johnson (1953–84; two children) Dina Ruiz (1996–present; one child)
Children	Kimber Tunis Kyle Eastwood Alison Eastwood Scott Reeves Kathryn Reeves Francesca Fisher-Eastwood Morgan Eastwood

	This article is part of a series on Clint Eastwood
Background · 1960s · 1970s · 1980s · 1990s · 2000s · Politics · Personal life · Awards and honors · Filmography · Discography · Malpaso Productions

Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide (1959–1965). He rose to fame for playing the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy of spaghetti westerns (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) during the late 1960s, and as Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry films (Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, and The Dead Pool) throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These roles, among others, have made him an enduring cultural icon of masculinity.^[1][2]

For his work in the films Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), Eastwood won Academy Awards for Best Director and Producer of the Best Picture, as well as receiving nominations for Best Actor. These films in particular, as well as others including Play Misty for Me (1971), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Tightrope (1984), Pale Rider (1985), Heartbreak Ridge (1986), In the Line of Fire (1993), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), and Gran Torino (2008), have all received commercial success and critical acclaim. Eastwood's only comedies have been Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980), which are his two most commercially successful films after adjustment for inflation.

In addition to directing most of his own star vehicles, Eastwood has also directed films in which he did not appear, such as Mystic River (2003) and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), for which he received Academy Award nominations, and Changeling (2008). He has received considerable critical praise in France, including for several films which were not well received in the United States, and he has been awarded two of France's highest honors: in 1994, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres medal, and in 2007 the Légion d'honneur medal. In 2000, he was awarded the Italian Venice Film Festival Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.

Since 1967, Eastwood has run his own production company, Malpaso, which has produced all except four of his American films. He also served as the nonpartisan mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, from 1986 to 1988. Eastwood has seven children by five women, although he has only married twice.

Early life[link]

Eastwood was born in San Francisco to Clinton Eastwood, Sr. (1906–70), a steelworker and migrant worker, and Margaret Ruth (née Runner; 1909–2006), a factory worker.^[3] He was nicknamed "Samson" by the hospital nurses as he weighed 11 pounds 6 ounces (5.2 kg) at birth.^[4][5][6] After his father died in 1970, Eastwood's mother remarried to John Belden Wood (1913–2004) in 1972, and they remained married until his death 32 years later.^[7] Eastwood is of English, Irish, Scottish, and Dutch ancestry^[3][8] and was raised in a middle class home with his younger sister, Jean (born 1934).^[9][10] His family relocated often as his father worked at different jobs along the West Coast, including at a pulp mill.^[11][12] The family settled in Piedmont, California, where Eastwood attended Piedmont Junior High School and Piedmont Senior High School, taking part in sports such as basketball, football, gymnastics, and competitive swimming.^[13] He later transferred to Oakland Technical High School where the drama teachers encouraged him to enroll in school plays, but he was not interested. As his family moved to different areas he held a series of jobs including lifeguard, paper carrier, grocery clerk, forest firefighter, and golf caddy.^[14]

In 1950, Eastwood began a one-year stint as a lifeguard for the United States Army during the Korean War^[15] and was posted to Fort Ord in California.^[16] While on leave in 1951 Eastwood was a passenger onboard a Douglas AD bomber that ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean near Point Reyes.^[17][18] After escaping from the sinking aircraft he and the pilot swam 3 miles (5 km) to safety.^[19]

Career[link]

Early work[link]

Publicity photo for Rawhide, 1961

According to the CBS press release for Rawhide, Universal Studios (then known as Universal-International) was shooting in Fort Ord when an assistant noticed Eastwood and arranged for him to meet the series' director.^[20] According to Eastwood's official biography, a man named Chuck Hill was instrumental in securing employment for Eastwood at Universal;^[20] Hill, who had contacts in Hollywood, managed to sneak Eastwood into one of Universal's studios, where he showed him to cameraman Irving Glassberg.^[20] Glassberg arranged for Eastwood to have an audition with Arthur Lubin who, although impressed with Eastwood's appearance and 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m) frame,^[21] initially questioned his acting skills, remarking, "He was quite amateurish. He didn't know which way to turn or which way to go or do anything".^[22] Lubin suggested Eastwood attend drama classes, and arranged for his initial contract in April 1954 at $100 (US$865 in 2012 dollars^[23]) per week.^[22] After signing, Eastwood was criticized for his stiff manner, his squint, and for hissing his lines through his teeth, a feature that would become a lifelong trademark.^{[24][25][26][27]}

Eastwood's first acting role was an uncredited bit part as a laboratory assistant in the 1955 film Revenge of the Creature.^[28] He then had uncredited bit parts in several other films, such as Lady Godiva of Coventry and Never Say Goodbye (1956), as well as a small speaking role in Francis in the Navy.^[29][30][31] In 1959, he made a guest appearance on Maverick, opposite James Garner, as a cowardly villain intent on marrying a rich girl for money.^[32] Eastwood had a small part as an aviator in the French picture Lafayette Escadrille and took on a featured role as an ex-Confederate renegade in Ambush at Cimarron Pass, a film which Eastwood viewed as disastrous and the lowest point of his career.^[33][34][35]

In a long sought-after break, Eastwood was cast in the supporting role of Rowdy Yates for the CBS hour-long western series Rawhide in the summer of 1958,^[36][37] although he was not especially happy with his role. Now aged 28, Eastwood felt his character Rowdy was too young and cloddish for him to feel comfortable with the part.^[38] Rawhide premiered in January 1959^[39] and after its release took only three weeks to reach the top 20 in the TV ratings. Although the series never won an Emmy it was a major success for several years, reaching its peak at number six in the ratings between October 1960 and April 1961.^[40] The Rawhide years (1959–65) were some of the most grueling of Eastwood's career. He often filmed for six days a week at an average of twelve hours a day, yet some directors still criticized him for not working hard enough.^[41][40] By late 1963 Rawhide's popularity had declined. Lacking freshness in the scripts, it was canceled in the middle of the 1965–66 television season.^[42] Eastwood made his first attempt at directing when he filmed several trailers for the show, although he was unable to convince producers to let him direct an episode.^[43] In the show's first season Eastwood earned $750 (US$6,042 in 2012 dollars^[23]) an episode. At the time of Rawhide’s cancellation, he received $119,000 (US$877,609 in 2012 dollars^[23]) in compensation.^[44]

1960s[link]

Set of The Good, Bad and the Ugly in Almería in 2009

In late 1963 Eastwood's co-star on Rawhide, Eric Fleming, rejected an offer to star in an Italian-made western called A Fistful of Dollars, to be directed in a remote region of Spain by the then relatively unknown Sergio Leone.^[45] Other actors, including Charles Bronson, Steve Reeves, Richard Harrison, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, and Ty Hardin, were also considered for the role. Knowing that he could play a cowboy convincingly Harrison suggested Eastwood, who in turn saw the film as an opportunity to escape from Rawhide. He signed a contract for $15,000 (US$112,403 in 2012 dollars^[23]) in wages for eleven weeks' work, with a bonus of a Mercedes automobile upon completion.^[46][47] Eastwood later spoke of the transition from a television western to A Fistful of Dollars: "In Rawhide I did get awfully tired of playing the conventional white hat. The hero who kisses old ladies and dogs and was kind to everybody. I decided it was time to be an anti-hero."^[48] Eastwood was instrumental in creating the Man with No Name character's distinctive visual style and, although a non-smoker, Leone insisted Eastwood smoke cigars as an essential ingredient of the "mask" he was attempting to create for the loner character.^[49]

A Fistful of Dollars proved a landmark in the development of spaghetti westerns, with Leone depicting a more lawless and desolate world than in traditional westerns, and challenging stereotypical American notions of a western hero by replacing him with a morally ambiguous antihero. The film's success meant Eastwood became a major star in Italy^[50] and he was re-hired by Leone to star in For a Few Dollars More (1965), the second film of the trilogy. Through the efforts of screenwriter Luciano Vincenzoni, the rights to For a Few Dollars More and the final film of the trilogy (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) were sold to United Artists for approximately $900,000 (US$6.64 million in 2012 dollars^[23]).^[51]

In January 1966 Eastwood met producer Dino De Laurentiis in New York City and agreed to star in a non-western five-part anthology production named Le streghe ("The Witches") opposite De Laurentiis' wife, actress Silvana Mangano.^[53] Eastwood's nineteen-minute installment only took a few days to shoot but his performance did not go down well with critics, with one writing "no other performance of his is quite so 'un-Clintlike' ".^[54] Two months later Eastwood began work on the third Dollars film, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, in which he again played the mysterious Man with No Name. Lee Van Cleef returned to play a ruthless fortune seeker, while Eli Wallach portrayed the cunning Mexican bandit Tuco Ramirez. The storyline involves the search for a cache of Confederate gold buried in a cemetery. During the filming of one scene in which a bridge was to be dynamited, Eastwood urged Wallach to retreat to a hilltop saying, "I know about these things. Stay as far away from special effects and explosives as you can."^[55] Minutes later confusion among the crew over the word "Vaya!" resulted in a premature explosion that could have killed Wallach.^[55]

The Dollars trilogy was not shown in the United States until 1967 when A Fistful of Dollars opened in January, For a Few Dollars More in May, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in December.^[56] All the films were commercially successful, particularly The Good, the Bad and the Ugly which eventually earned $8 million (US$55.8 million in 2012 dollars^[23]) in rental earnings and turned Eastwood into a major film star.^[56] All three films received generally bad reviews, and marked the beginning of a battle for Eastwood to win the respect of American film critics.^[57] Judith Crist described A Fistful of Dollars as "cheapjack",^[58] while Newsweek considered For a Few Dollars More as "excruciatingly dopey".^[57] Renata Adler of The New York Times opined that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (now widely considered one of the finest films in the history of cinema.^[59][60]) was "the most expensive, pious and repellent movie in the history of its peculiar genre".^[61] Time magazine drew attention to the film's wooden acting, especially on the part of Eastwood, although critics such as Vincent Canby and Bosley Crowther of The New York Times praised Eastwood's coolness in playing the tall, lone stranger.^[62] Leone's distinctive cinematography style was widely acclaimed, even by critics who disparaged the acting in the film.^[57]

Stardom brought more "tough guy" roles for Eastwood. He signed up to star in the American revisionist western Hang 'Em High (1968), in which he featured alongside Inger Stevens, Pat Hingle, Dennis Hopper, Ed Begley, Bruce Dern, and James MacArthur,^[63] playing a man who seeks revenge after being lynched by vigilantes and left for dead.^[64] A cross between Rawhide and Leone's westerns, the film earned Eastwood a fee of $400,000 (US$2.67 million in 2012 dollars^[23]) and 25 percent of its net box-office takings.^[63] Using money earned from the Dollars trilogy, accountant and Eastwood advisor Irving Leonard helped establish Eastwood's production company, Malpaso Productions, named after the Malpaso Creek on Eastwood's property in Monterey County, California. Leonard arranged for Hang 'Em High to be a joint production with United Artists^[65] and, when it opened in July 1968, the film became the biggest United Artists opening in history — its box office receipts exceeding all the James Bond films of the time.^[66][67] Hang 'Em High was widely praised by critics, including Archer Winsten of the New York Post who described it as, "a western of quality, courage, danger and excitement".^[10]

Before the release of Hang 'Em High Eastwood had already begun work on the film Coogan's Bluff, about an Arizona deputy sheriff tracking a wanted psychopathic criminal (Don Stroud) through the streets of New York City. He was reunited with Universal Studios for the project after receiving an offer of $1 million (US$6.97 million in 2012 dollars^[23])—more than double his previous salary.^[67] Jennings Lang arranged for Eastwood to meet Don Siegel, a Universal contract director who later became one of Eastwood's close friends, with the two forming a partnership that would last more than ten years and comprise five films.^[68] Filming began in November 1967, before the script had been finalized.^[69] The film was controversial for its portrayal of violence,^[70][71] with Eastwood's role creating the prototype for what would later become the macho cop of the Dirty Harry film series.^{[citation needed]} Coogan's Bluff also became the first collaboration with Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin, who would later compose the jazzy score to several Eastwood films in the 1970s and 1980s, including the Dirty Harry films.

Eastwood was paid $850,000 (US$5.68 million in 2012 dollars^[23]) in 1968 for the war epic Where Eagles Dare,^[72] about a World War II squad parachuting into a Gestapo stronghold in the alpine mountains. Richard Burton played the squad's commander, with Eastwood as his right-hand man. Eastwood was also cast as Two-Face in the Batman television show, but the series was canceled before filming began.^[73]

Eastwood then branched out to star in the only musical of his career, Paint Your Wagon (1969). Eastwood and fellow non-singer Lee Marvin play gold miners who share the same wife (portrayed by Jean Seberg). Bad weather and delays plagued the production, while the film’s budget eventually exceeded $20 million (US$127 million in 2012 dollars^[23]), which was extremely expensive for the time.^[74] The film was not a critical or commercial success, although it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.^[75]

1970s[link]

In 1970, Eastwood starred in the western Two Mules for Sister Sara with Shirley MacLaine and directed by Don Siegel. The film follows an American mercenary who gets mixed up with a whore disguised as a nun and ends up helping a group of Juarista rebels during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico.^[76][77] Eastwood once again played a mysterious stranger—unshaven, wearing a serape-like vest, and smoking a cigar.^[78] Although the film received moderate reviews^[79][80][81] the film is listed in The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.^[82] Later the same year Eastwood starred as one of a group of Americans who steal a fortune in gold from the Nazis in the World War II film Kelly's Heroes with Donald Sutherland and Telly Savalas. Kelly's Heroes was the last film in which Eastwood appeared that was not produced by his own Malpaso Productions.^[83] Filming commenced in July 1969 on location in Yugoslavia and in London.^[84] The film received mostly a positive reception and its anti-war sentiments were recognized.^[83] In the winter of 1969–70, Eastwood and Siegel began planning his next film, The Beguiled, a tale of a wounded Union soldier held captive by the sexually repressed matron of a southern girl's school.^[85] Upon release the film received major recognition in France and is considered one of Eastwood's finest works by the French.^[86] However, it grossed less than $1 million (US$5.98 million in 2012 dollars^[23]) and, according to Eastwood and Lang, flopped due to poor publicity and the "emasculated" role of Eastwood.^[87]

Eastwood with a fan circa 1970

Eastwood's career reached a turning point in 1971.^[88] Before Irving Leonard died he and Eastwood had discussed the idea of Malpaso producing Play Misty for Me, a film that was to give Eastwood the artistic control he desired and his debut as a director.^[89] The script was about a jazz disc jockey named Dave (Eastwood) who has a casual affair with Evelyn (Jessica Walter), a listener who had been calling the radio station repeatedly at night asking him to play her favorite song—Erroll Garner's "Misty". When Dave ends their relationship the fan becomes violent and murderous.^[90] Filming commenced in Monterey in September 1970 and included footage of that year's Monterey Jazz Festival.^[91] The film was highly acclaimed with critics such as Jay Cocks in Time, Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice, and Archer Winsten in the New York Post all praising the film, as well as Eastwood's directorial skills and performance.^[92] Walter was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Actress Award (Drama) for her performance in the film.

Dirty Harry (1971), written by Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink, centers around a hard-edged New York City (later changed to San Francisco) police inspector named Harry Callahan who is determined to stop a psychotic killer by any means.^[93] Dirty Harry has been described as being arguably Eastwood's most memorable character, and the film has been credited with inventing the "loose-cannon cop" genre.^[94][95] Author Eric Lichtenfeld argues that Eastwood's role as Dirty Harry established the "first true archetype" of the action film genre.^[96] His lines (quoted left) have been cited as among the most memorable in cinematic history^{[by whom?]} and are regarded by firearms historians, such as Garry James and Richard Venola, as the force which catapulted the ownership of .44 Magnum pistols to unprecedented heights in the United States; specifically the Smith & Wesson Model 29 carried by Harry Callahan.^[97][98] Dirty Harry achieved huge success after its release in December 1971, earning $22 million (US$126 million in 2012 dollars^[23]) in the United States and Canada alone.^[99] It was Siegel's highest-grossing film and the start of a series of films featuring the character Harry Callahan. Although a number of critics praised Eastwood's performance as Dirty Harry, such as Jay Cocks of Time magazine who described him as "giving his best performance so far, tense, tough, full of implicit identification with his character",^[100] the film was also widely criticized and accused of being fascistic.^{[101][102][103]}

Following Sean Connery's announcement that he would not play James Bond again, Eastwood was offered the role but turned it down because he believed the character should be played by an English actor.^[104] He next starred in the loner Western Joe Kidd (1972), based on a character inspired by Reies Lopez Tijerina who stormed a courthouse in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, in June 1967. During filming, Eastwood suffered symptoms of a bronchial infection and several panic attacks.^[105] Joe Kidd received a mixed reception, with Roger Greenspun of The New York Times writing that it was unremarkable, with foolish symbolism and sloppy editing, although he praised Eastwood's performance.^[106]

In 1973, Eastwood directed his first western, High Plains Drifter, in which he starred alongside Verna Bloom, Marianna Hill, Billy Curtis, Rawhide's Paul Brinegar and Geoffrey Lewis. The film had a moral and supernatural theme, later emulated in Pale Rider. The plot follows a mysterious stranger (Eastwood) who arrives in a brooding Western town where the people hire him to protect them against three soon-to-be-released felons. There remains confusion during the film as to whether the stranger is the brother of the deputy, whom the felons lynched and murdered, or his ghost. Holes in the plot were filled with black humor and allegory, influenced by Leone.^[107] The revisionist film received a mixed reception, but was a major box office success. A number of critics thought Eastwood's directing was "as derivative as it was expressive", with Arthur Knight of the Saturday Review remarking that Eastwood had "absorbed the approaches of Siegel and Leone and fused them with his own paranoid vision of society".^[108] John Wayne, who had declined a role in the film, sent a letter to Eastwood soon after the film's release in which he complained that, "the townspeople did not represent the true spirit of the American pioneer, the spirit that made America great".^[109]

Eastwood directing William Holden in Breezy (1973)

Eastwood next turned his attention towards Breezy (1973), a film about love blossoming between a middle-aged man and a teenage girl. During casting for the film Eastwood met Sondra Locke, an actress who would play major roles in many of his films for the next ten years and would become an important figure in his life.^[110] Kay Lenz was awarded the part of Breezy because Locke, at 28, was considered too old. The film, shot very quickly and efficiently by Eastwood and Frank Stanley, came in $1 million (US$5.24 million in 2012 dollars^[23]) under budget and was finished three days ahead of schedule.^[111] Breezy was not a major critical or commercial success and it was only made available on video in 1998.^[112]

Once filming of Breezy had finished, Warner Brothers announced that Eastwood had agreed to reprise his role as Detective Harry Callahan in Magnum Force (1973), a sequel to Dirty Harry, about a group of rogue young officers (among them David Soul, Robert Urich and Tim Matheson) in the San Francisco Police Force who systematically exterminate the city's worst criminals.^[113] Although the film was a major success after release, grossing $58.1 million (US$304 million in 2012 dollars^[23]) in the United States (a record for Eastwood), it was not a critical success.^[114][115] The New York Times critic Nora Sayre panned the often contradictory moral themes of the film, while the paper's Frank Rich called it "the same old stuff".^[115]