Eastwood's character in the Dollars trilogy is the quintessential anti-hero, but off-screen he was a real lifesaver. When a scene called for a bridge to be blown up, he urged his co-star Eli Wallach to retreat to a much safer distance. "I know about these things," he told Eli. Just minutes later, the bridge was blown up prematurely due to confusion over the Spanish word "vaya!" ("go!"). Had Wallach not taken the advice, the explosion would have killed him. A keen golfer, Eastwood also saved the life of Pebble Beach tournament director Steve John. He reportedly recognised the look of panic in John's face as he choked on a piece of cheese, and quickly performed a textbook Heimlich manoeuvre.
