10 Things You Didn't Know About Clint Eastwood

6. He Did His Own Climbing In The Eiger Sanction

The dark side of 1975's The Eiger Sanction is one of serious cast and crew injury, and even death. This prompted Eastwood, feeling that the stunt work was too dangerous for him to ask a stunt double to do it for him, to perform all of his own climbing. Before filming began, he took a three-day climbing course in Yosemite National Park, and then continued to practice by himself for months following. Despite the notorious treachery surrounding mountaineering on the north face of the Eiger, the imposing centrepiece of the film, all of what is seen on screen was done for real. In a Hollywood world of CGI and special effects, it's just a little bit more exciting to know that when Clint cuts the rope above a 1,000 foot drop, that's really him dangling there above open space. Production of the film also marked the final ascension of the Totem Pole in Monument Valley. The production team were only permitted to film there on the understanding that all of the pitons that had accumulated over the years were removed on the way down. Yet again, Eastwood did the climb for real, making him the last person to climb the famous rock formation.