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{{Short description|Film production company}}
{{Infobox_Company
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
| company_name = Malpaso Productions
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
| company_logo =
{{refimprove|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Malpaso Productions
| logo =
| caption =
| caption =
| company_type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| foundation =
| foundation = 1967
| founder =[[Irving Leonard (accountant)|Irving Leonard]]<br>[[Clint Eastwood]]
| founder =[[Irving Leonard (financial adviser)|Irving Leonard]]<br>[[Clint Eastwood]]
| location_city = [[Burbank, California]]
| location_city = [[Burbank, California]]
| location_country = <!--modifies "Headquarters" entry-->
| location_country = [[United States]]
| location = [[United States]]
| locations = <!--# of locations-->
| locations = <!--# of locations-->
| key_people = Clint Eastwood<br>[[Robert Lorenz]]<br>David Valdes<br>Fritz Manes<br>Robert Daley
| key_people = [[Clint Eastwood]]<br>[[Robert Lorenz]]<br>David Valdes<br>Fritz Manes<br>Robert Daley<br>Keith Dillin
| industry = [[Film industry|Film]]
| industry = [[Film industry|Film]]
| products = [[Film|Motion pictures]]
| products = [[Film|Motion pictures]]
Line 22: Line 25:
| divisions =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| subsid =
| homepage =
| homepage =
}}
}}
{{Clint Eastwood sidebar}}
{{Clint Eastwood series}}
'''Malpaso Productions''', originally known as '''The Malpaso Company''', is [[Clint Eastwood]]'s [[production company]]. It was established in 1967 by Eastwood's financial adviser [[Irving Leonard (accountant)|Irving Leonard]] for the film ''[[Hang 'Em High]]'', using profits from the [[Dollars trilogy]]. Leonard had served as President of the Malpaso Company until his death in December 1969.
'''Malpaso Productions''' is [[Clint Eastwood]]'s [[production company]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/exec/clint-eastwood|title=Clint Eastwood|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> It was established in 1967 as '''The Malpaso Company''' by Eastwood's financial adviser [[Irving Leonard (financial adviser)|Irving Leonard]] for the film ''[[Hang 'Em High]]'', using profits from the ''[[Dollars Trilogy]]''. Leonard served as President of the Malpaso Company until his death on December 13, 1969.


==History==
==Name origins==
The name is derived from [[Mal Paso Creek]], located south of [[Carmel-by-the-Sea, California|Carmel]], [[California]], where Eastwood has spent much of his life. The creek has very steep side slopes and had only one crossing (a ford only 10 feet above sea level) until 1935, when a concrete bridge was constructed for State Highway 1. The name "Mal Paso" is Spanish for "bad pass" or "bad step." When Eastwood agreed to take the role of the [[Man with No Name]], his agent told him that it would be a "bad step" for his career. After the [[Dollars Trilogy]] made it big and Eastwood decided to run his own production company, he thought "Malpaso" would be an appropriately ironic choice.<ref>{{cite web|title=Clint Eastwood|publisher=The Biography Channel|url=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/53:172/2/Clint_Eastwood.htm|accessdate=June 11, 2008}}</ref>


The name is derived from [[Malpaso Creek]] (Spanish for "bad step", or "misstep"), located south of [[Carmel-by-the-Sea, California]]. Eastwood had received U.S. Army basic training at nearby [[Fort Ord]], where he remained as a lifeguard until discharged in 1953.<ref>{{cite web |title=Military People |url=https://www.militaryhub.com/military-people?id=35 |website=www.militaryhub.com |access-date=June 1, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> On December 24, 1967, Eastwood bought five parcels totaling {{convert|283|acre|ha|0}} of land along Malpaso Creek from Charles Sawyer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mutual Water Company Subscription Agreement - Victorine Ranch Mutual Water Company |url=http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/victorine/mutual-water-company-subscription-agreement.pdf |access-date=June 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223100536/http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/victorine/mutual-water-company-subscription-agreement.pdf |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He later added more land until he owned {{convert|650|acres}}. The land bordered the south bank of Malpaso Creek from the eastern side of Highway 1 to the coastal ridge. He sold it to Monterey County in 1995 for $3.08 million.<ref name=weekly0129>{{cite web |url=http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/local_news/eastwood-s-odello-donation-helped-the-movie-mogul-and-the/article_3ffc9c65-a248-53b7-8617-6f67ebba1f37.html |title= Eastwood's Odello donation helped the movie mogul and the county | first1=Richard |last1=Pitnick |date=January 29, 1998 |access-date=October 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rancho Cañada Village|url=http://www.pineconearchive.com/ranchocanada.pdf|newspaper=Carmel Pine Cone|access-date=December 7, 2016}}</ref> Near the coast, a trail and later a road ran from Carmel to Big Sur during the 1800s. The creek has very steep side slopes and there was only one crossing (a ford only {{convert|10|feet}} above sea level) until the Malpaso Creek Bridge was built in 1935 as part of Highway 1.
The company is known for being efficiently run, with movies being filmed in much less time than most production companies.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford History of World Cinema|pages=472–473|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1999|author=Edward Buscombe}}</ref>

== Founding ==

When Eastwood agreed to take the role of [[Man with No Name|The Man with No Name]] in ''[[A Fistful of Dollars]]'' in 1964, his agent told him that it would be a "bad step" for his career. The ''[[Dollars Trilogy]]'' was surprisingly successful. After filming ''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'' in 1968, Eastwood grew annoyed about the money he considered wasted during these big productions. He wanted more creative control over his films and decided to form his own production company. He thought the choice of "Malpaso" was appropriate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Clint Eastwood|publisher=The Biography Channel|url=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/53:172/2/Clint_Eastwood.htm|access-date=June 11, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216002011/http://thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/53%3A172/2/Clint_Eastwood.htm|archive-date=February 16, 2009}}</ref>

[[Irving Leonard (financial adviser)|Irving Leonard]], Eastwood's financial adviser, organized the company for Eastwood following the success of and using the earnings from the ''Dollars Trilogy''.<ref name="McG162">{{cite book |last= McGilligan |first= Patrick |title= Clint: The Life and Legend |publisher= [[HarperCollins]] |year= 1999|isbn=0-00-638354-8|location=London|page=162}}</ref> The first feature they produced was the 1968 film ''[[Hang 'Em High]]''. Leonard served as President of the Malpaso Company and associate producer of Eastwood's films from ''Hang 'Em High'' until his death in 1969.<ref name="Smith1993">{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Paul|title=Clint Eastwood|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nS341uc3UPIC&pg=PA50|access-date=January 13, 2011|date=January 1, 1993|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-85728-158-3|page=50}}</ref><ref name="Institute1997">{{cite book|author=American Film Institute|title=The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1961-1970|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s1k1RsGvFwwC&pg=PA450|access-date=January 13, 2011|year=1997|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-20970-1|pages=450–}}</ref>
Eastwood is known for very tight [[shooting schedule]]s, finishing his films on schedule and on budget, or earlier and under budget, typically in much less time than most production companies.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford History of World Cinema|pages=472–473|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1999|author=Edward Buscombe}}</ref>

Few film production companies such as Malpaso Productions have been involved with one studio for releasing its motion pictures. [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] has served as the distributor of many of Clint Eastwood's produced, directed and starred films, a relationship that has lasted for nearly half a century and resulted in more than 40 features.<ref>{{cite web|title=Happy Birthday Clint Eastwood|url=https://www.warnerbros.com/news/articles/2020/05/31/happy-birthday-clint-eastwood|access-date=June 2, 2020}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
===The Malpaso Company===
*''[[Hang 'Em High]]'' (1968)
*''[[Coogan's Bluff (film)|Coogan's Bluff]]'' (1968)
*''[[Paint Your Wagon (film)|Paint Your Wagon]]'' (1969)
*''[[Two Mules for Sister Sara]]'' (1970)
*''[[The Beguiled]]'' (1971)
*''[[Play Misty for Me]]'' (1971)
*''[[Dirty Harry]]'' (1971)
*''[[Joe Kidd]]'' (1972)
*''[[High Plains Drifter]]'' (1973)
*''[[Breezy]]'' (1973)
*''[[Magnum Force]]'' (1973)
*''[[Thunderbolt and Lightfoot]]'' (1974)
*''[[The Eiger Sanction (film)|The Eiger Sanction]]'' (1975)
*''[[The Outlaw Josey Wales]]'' (1976)
*''[[The Enforcer (1976 film)|The Enforcer]]'' (1976)
*''[[Every Which Way but Loose (film)|Every Which Way but Loose]]'' (1978)
*''[[Escape from Alcatraz (film)|Escape from Alcatraz]]'' (1979)
*''[[Any Which Way You Can]]'' (1980)
*''[[Firefox (film)|Firefox]]'' (1982)
*''[[Honkytonk Man]]'' (1982)
*''[[Sudden Impact]]'' (1983)
*''[[Tightrope (film)|Tightrope]]'' (1984)
*''[[City Heat]]'' (1984)
*''[[Pale Rider]]'' (1985)
*''[[Heartbreak Ridge]]'' (1986)
*''[[Ratboy]]'' (1986)
*''[[Bird (1988 film)|Bird]]'' (1988)


===Malpaso Productions===
===1960s===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
*''[[The Gauntlet (film)|The Gauntlet]]'' (1977)
!Year
*''[[The Dead Pool]]'' (1988)
!Title
*''[[Pink Cadillac (film)|Pink Cadillac]]'' (1989)
!Director
*''[[White Hunter Black Heart]]'' (1990)
!Distributor
*''[[The Rookie (1990 film)|The Rookie]]'' (1990)
!Names
*''[[Unforgiven]]'' (1992)
!Notes
*''[[A Perfect World]]'' (1993)
|-
*''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]'' (1995 with [[Amblin Entertainment]])
| rowspan="2" |1968
*''[[The Stars Fell on Henrietta]]'' (1997)
|''[[Hang 'Em High]]''
*''[[Absolute Power (film)|Absolute Power]]'' (1997)
|[[Ted Post]]
*''[[Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (film)|Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil]]'' (1997)
|[[United Artists]]
*''[[True Crime (1999 film)|True Crime]]'' (1999, with [[The Zanuck Company]])
| rowspan="3" |The Malpaso Company
*''[[Space Cowboys]]'' (2000, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[Village Roadshow Pictures]])
|co-production with [[Leonard Freeman|Leonard Freeman Productions]]; first film
*''[[Blood Work (film)|Blood Work]]'' (2002)
|-
*''[[Mystic River (film)|Mystic River]]'' (2003, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[Village Roadshow Pictures]])
|''[[Coogan's Bluff (film)|Coogan's Bluff]]''
*''[[Million Dollar Baby]]'' (2004, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[Lakeshore Entertainment]])
|[[Don Siegel]]
*''[[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|Flags of Our Fathers]]'' (2006, [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] with [[DreamWorks Pictures]] and [[Amblin Entertainment]])
|[[Universal Pictures]]
*''[[Letters from Iwo Jima]]'' (2006, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]], [[DreamWorks Pictures]] and [[Amblin Entertainment]])
|
*''[[Rails & Ties]]'' (2007)
|-
*''[[Changeling (film)|Changeling]]'' (2008, with [[Universal Pictures]], [[Relativity Media]] and [[Imagine Entertainment]])
|1969
*''[[Gran Torino (film)|Gran Torino]]'' (2008, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[Village Roadshow Pictures]])
|''[[Paint Your Wagon (film)|Paint Your Wagon]]''
*''[[Invictus (film)|Invictus]]'' (2009, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[Spyglass Entertainment]])
|[[Joshua Logan]]
*''[[Hereafter (film)|Hereafter]]'' (2010, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]], [[Amblin Entertainment]] and [[The Kennedy/Marshall Company]])
|[[Paramount Pictures]]
*''[[J. Edgar]]'' (2011, with [[Warner Bros. Pictures]], [[Imagine Entertainment]] and [[Wintergreen Productions]])
|top production billing went to [[Alan Jay Lerner|Alan Jay Lerner Productions]]
|}


==References==
=== 1970s ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
<References/>
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Distributor
!Names
!Notes
|-
|1970
|''[[Two Mules for Sister Sara]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Don Siegel]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Universal Pictures]]
| rowspan="15" |The Malpaso Company
|co-production with Sanen Productions
|-
| rowspan="3" |1971
|''[[The Beguiled (1971 film)|The Beguiled]]''
| rowspan="2" |co-production with [[Jennings Lang|Jennings Lang Productions]]
|-
|''[[Play Misty for Me]]''
|[[Clint Eastwood]]
|-
|''[[Dirty Harry]]''
|[[Don Siegel]]
|[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|
|-
|1972
|''[[Joe Kidd]]''
|[[John Sturges]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Universal Pictures]]
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1973
|''[[High Plains Drifter]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
|
|-
|''[[Breezy]]''
|
|-
|''[[Magnum Force]]''
|[[Ted Post]]
|[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|
|-
|1974
|''[[Thunderbolt and Lightfoot]]''
|[[Michael Cimino]]
|[[United Artists]]
|
|-
|1975
|''[[The Eiger Sanction (film)|The Eiger Sanction]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
|[[Universal Pictures]]
|co-production with [[Richard D. Zanuck|Zanuck]]/[[David Brown (producer)|Brown]] Productions
|-
| rowspan="2" |1976
|''[[The Outlaw Josey Wales]]''
| rowspan="4" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|
|-
|''[[The Enforcer (1976 film)|The Enforcer]]''
|[[James Fargo]]
|
|-
|1977
|''[[The Gauntlet (film)|The Gauntlet]]''
|[[Clint Eastwood]]
|
|-
|1978
|''[[Every Which Way but Loose|Every Which Way But Loose]]''
|[[James Fargo]]
|
|-
|1979
|''[[Escape from Alcatraz (film)|Escape from Alcatraz]]''
|[[Don Siegel]]
|[[Paramount Pictures]]
|
|}


==External links==
=== 1980s ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
* {{imdb company|id=0010258|company=Malpaso Productions}}
!Year
* {{imdb company|id=0102264|company=Malpaso Company}}
!Title
!Director
!Distributor
!Names
!Notes
|-
|1980
|''[[Any Which Way You Can]]''
|[[Buddy Van Horn]]
| rowspan="13" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
| rowspan="9" |The Malpaso Company
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1982
|''[[Firefox (film)|Firefox]]''
| rowspan="3" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
|
|-
|''[[Honkytonk Man]]''
|
|-
|1983
|''[[Sudden Impact]]''
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1984
|''[[Tightrope (film)|Tightrope]]''
|[[Richard Tuggle]]
|uncredited scenes directed by [[Clint Eastwood]]
|-
|''[[City Heat]]''
|[[Richard Benjamin]]
|
|-
|1985
|''[[Pale Rider]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1986
|''[[Heartbreak Ridge]]''
|
|-
|''[[Ratboy]]''
|[[Sondra Locke]]
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1988
|''[[The Dead Pool]]''
|[[Buddy Van Horn]]
|Malpaso Productions
|
|-
|''[[Bird (1988 film)|Bird]]''
|[[Clint Eastwood]]
|The Malpaso Company
|
|-
|''[[Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser]]''
|[[Charlotte Zwerin]]
| rowspan="2" |Malpaso Productions
|
|-
|1989
|''[[Pink Cadillac (film)|Pink Cadillac]]''
|[[Buddy Van Horn]]
|
|}


=== 1990s ===
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
[[Category:Malpaso Productions films|*]]
!Year
[[Category:Companies established in 1967]]
!Title
[[Category:Companies based in Burbank, California]]
!Director
{{film-studio-stub}}
!Distributor
!Names
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1990
|''[[White Hunter Black Heart|White Hunter, Black Heart]]''
| rowspan="5" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
| rowspan="6" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
| rowspan="9" |Malpaso Productions
|
|-
|''[[The Rookie (1990 film)|The Rookie]]''
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Unforgiven]]''
|
|-
|1993
|''[[A Perfect World]]''
|co-production with [[Mark Johnson (producer)|Mark Johnson Productions]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |1995
|''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]''
|co-production with [[Amblin Entertainment]]
|-
|''[[The Stars Fell on Henrietta]]''
|[[James Keach]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1997
|''[[Absolute Power (film)|Absolute Power]]''
| rowspan="3" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
|[[Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group|Sony Pictures Releasing]]
|co-production with [[Columbia Pictures]] and [[Castle Rock Entertainment]]
|-
|''[[Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (film)|Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|co-production with [[Silver Pictures]]
|-
|1999
|''[[True Crime (1999 film)|True Crime]]''
|co-production with [[Richard D. Zanuck|The Zanuck Company]]
|}


=== 2000s ===
[[es:Malpaso Productions]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
[[fr:Malpaso Productions]]
!Year
[[no:Malpaso Productions]]
!Title
[[pt:Malpaso Productions]]
!Director
[[fi:Malpaso Productions]]
!Distributor
!Names
!Notes
|-
|2000
|''[[Space Cowboys]]''
| rowspan="6" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
| rowspan="4" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
| rowspan="10" |Malpaso Productions
|co-production with [[Andrew Lazar|Mad Chance Productions]], [[Village Roadshow Pictures]] and Clipsal Films
|-
|2002
|''[[Blood Work (film)|Blood Work]]''
|
|-
|2003
|''[[Mystic River (film)|Mystic River]]''
|co-production with [[Village Roadshow Pictures]] and NPV Entertainment
|-
|2004
|''[[Million Dollar Baby]]''
|co-production with [[Lakeshore Entertainment]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2006
|''[[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|Flags of Our Fathers]]''
|[[Paramount Pictures]]/[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|co-production with [[DreamWorks Pictures]] and [[Amblin Entertainment]]
|-
|''[[Letters from Iwo Jima]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|co-production with [[DreamWorks Pictures]] and [[Amblin Entertainment]]
|-
|2007
|''[[Rails & Ties]]''
|[[Alison Eastwood]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2008
|''[[Changeling (film)|Changeling]]''
| rowspan="3" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
|[[Universal Pictures]]
|co-production with [[Relativity Media]] and [[Imagine Entertainment]]
|-
|''[[Gran Torino]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
|co-production with [[Village Roadshow Pictures]]
|-
|2009
|''[[Invictus (film)|Invictus]]''
|co-production with [[Spyglass Media Group|Spyglass Entertainment]]
|}

=== 2010s ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Distributor
!Names
!Notes
|-
|2010
|''[[Hereafter (film)|Hereafter]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
| rowspan="9" |[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
| rowspan="9" |Malpaso Productions
|co-production with [[Amblin Entertainment]] and [[The Kennedy/Marshall Company]]
|-
|2011
|''[[J. Edgar]]''
|co-production with [[Imagine Entertainment]] and Wintergreen Productions
|-
|2012
|''[[Trouble with the Curve]]''
|[[Robert Lorenz]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|''[[Jersey Boys (film)|Jersey Boys]]''
| rowspan="6" |[[Clint Eastwood]]
|co-production with [[RatPac-Dune Entertainment]] and [[GK Films]]
|-
|''[[American Sniper]]''
|co-production with [[Village Roadshow Pictures]], [[RatPac-Dune Entertainment]], [[Andrew Lazar|Mad Chance Productions]] and [[Bradley Cooper|22nd & Indiana Pictures]]
|-
|2016
|''[[Sully (film)|Sully]]''
|co-production with [[Village Roadshow Pictures]], [[RatPac-Dune Entertainment]], Flashlight Films, [[The Kennedy/Marshall Company]] and Orange Corp
|-
| rowspan="2" |2018
|''[[The 15:17 to Paris]]''
|co-production with [[Village Roadshow Pictures]] and [[RatPac-Dune Entertainment|Access Entertainment]]
|-
|''[[The Mule (2018 film)|The Mule]]''
|co-production with Imperative Entertainment and [[Bron Studios|Bron Creative]]
|-
|2019
|''[[Richard Jewell (film)|Richard Jewell]]''
|co-production with [[Appian Way Productions]], [[Kevin Misher|Misher Films]] and [[Jonah Hill|75 Year Plan Productions]]
|}

=== 2020s ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Title !! Director !! Distributor !! Names !! Notes
|-
| 2021
| ''[[Cry Macho (film)|Cry Macho]]''
| rowspan="2"|[[Clint Eastwood]]
| rowspan="2"|[[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
| rowspan="2"| Malpaso Productions
|
|-
| TBA
| ''[[Juror No. 2|Juror #2]]''
|co-production with Dichotomy and [[Gotham Group]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Clint Eastwood}}
{{Film Studio}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1967 establishments in California]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1967]]
[[Category:Clint Eastwood]]
[[Category:Companies based in Burbank, California]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies based in California]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies established in 1967]]
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]

Latest revision as of 03:43, 5 March 2024

Malpaso Productions
Company typePrivate
IndustryFilm
Founded1967
FounderIrving Leonard
Clint Eastwood
Headquarters
Burbank, California
,
United States
Key people
Clint Eastwood
Robert Lorenz
David Valdes
Fritz Manes
Robert Daley
Keith Dillin
ProductsMotion pictures
ServicesFilm production
A 1993 photograph of Clint Eastwood This article is part of
a series about
Clint Eastwood

Malpaso Productions is Clint Eastwood's production company.[1] It was established in 1967 as The Malpaso Company by Eastwood's financial adviser Irving Leonard for the film Hang 'Em High, using profits from the Dollars Trilogy. Leonard served as President of the Malpaso Company until his death on December 13, 1969.

Name origins[edit]

The name is derived from Malpaso Creek (Spanish for "bad step", or "misstep"), located south of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Eastwood had received U.S. Army basic training at nearby Fort Ord, where he remained as a lifeguard until discharged in 1953.[2] On December 24, 1967, Eastwood bought five parcels totaling 283 acres (115 ha) of land along Malpaso Creek from Charles Sawyer.[3] He later added more land until he owned 650 acres (260 ha). The land bordered the south bank of Malpaso Creek from the eastern side of Highway 1 to the coastal ridge. He sold it to Monterey County in 1995 for $3.08 million.[4][5] Near the coast, a trail and later a road ran from Carmel to Big Sur during the 1800s. The creek has very steep side slopes and there was only one crossing (a ford only 10 feet (3.0 m) above sea level) until the Malpaso Creek Bridge was built in 1935 as part of Highway 1.

Founding[edit]

When Eastwood agreed to take the role of The Man with No Name in A Fistful of Dollars in 1964, his agent told him that it would be a "bad step" for his career. The Dollars Trilogy was surprisingly successful. After filming Where Eagles Dare in 1968, Eastwood grew annoyed about the money he considered wasted during these big productions. He wanted more creative control over his films and decided to form his own production company. He thought the choice of "Malpaso" was appropriate.[6]

Irving Leonard, Eastwood's financial adviser, organized the company for Eastwood following the success of and using the earnings from the Dollars Trilogy.[7] The first feature they produced was the 1968 film Hang 'Em High. Leonard served as President of the Malpaso Company and associate producer of Eastwood's films from Hang 'Em High until his death in 1969.[8][9]

Eastwood is known for very tight shooting schedules, finishing his films on schedule and on budget, or earlier and under budget, typically in much less time than most production companies.[10]

Few film production companies such as Malpaso Productions have been involved with one studio for releasing its motion pictures. Warner Bros. Pictures has served as the distributor of many of Clint Eastwood's produced, directed and starred films, a relationship that has lasted for nearly half a century and resulted in more than 40 features.[11]

Filmography[edit]

1960s[edit]

Year Title Director Distributor Names Notes
1968 Hang 'Em High Ted Post United Artists The Malpaso Company co-production with Leonard Freeman Productions; first film
Coogan's Bluff Don Siegel Universal Pictures
1969 Paint Your Wagon Joshua Logan Paramount Pictures top production billing went to Alan Jay Lerner Productions

1970s[edit]

Year Title Director Distributor Names Notes
1970 Two Mules for Sister Sara Don Siegel Universal Pictures The Malpaso Company co-production with Sanen Productions
1971 The Beguiled co-production with Jennings Lang Productions
Play Misty for Me Clint Eastwood
Dirty Harry Don Siegel Warner Bros. Pictures
1972 Joe Kidd John Sturges Universal Pictures
1973 High Plains Drifter Clint Eastwood
Breezy
Magnum Force Ted Post Warner Bros. Pictures
1974 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Michael Cimino United Artists
1975 The Eiger Sanction Clint Eastwood Universal Pictures co-production with Zanuck/Brown Productions
1976 The Outlaw Josey Wales Warner Bros. Pictures
The Enforcer James Fargo
1977 The Gauntlet Clint Eastwood
1978 Every Which Way But Loose James Fargo
1979 Escape from Alcatraz Don Siegel Paramount Pictures

1980s[edit]

Year Title Director Distributor Names Notes
1980 Any Which Way You Can Buddy Van Horn Warner Bros. Pictures The Malpaso Company
1982 Firefox Clint Eastwood
Honkytonk Man
1983 Sudden Impact
1984 Tightrope Richard Tuggle uncredited scenes directed by Clint Eastwood
City Heat Richard Benjamin
1985 Pale Rider Clint Eastwood
1986 Heartbreak Ridge
Ratboy Sondra Locke
1988 The Dead Pool Buddy Van Horn Malpaso Productions
Bird Clint Eastwood The Malpaso Company
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser Charlotte Zwerin Malpaso Productions
1989 Pink Cadillac Buddy Van Horn

1990s[edit]

Year Title Director Distributor Names Notes
1990 White Hunter, Black Heart Clint Eastwood Warner Bros. Pictures Malpaso Productions
The Rookie
1992 Unforgiven
1993 A Perfect World co-production with Mark Johnson Productions
1995 The Bridges of Madison County co-production with Amblin Entertainment
The Stars Fell on Henrietta James Keach
1997 Absolute Power Clint Eastwood Sony Pictures Releasing co-production with Columbia Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with Silver Pictures
1999 True Crime co-production with The Zanuck Company

2000s[edit]

Year Title Director Distributor Names Notes
2000 Space Cowboys Clint Eastwood Warner Bros. Pictures Malpaso Productions co-production with Mad Chance Productions, Village Roadshow Pictures and Clipsal Films
2002 Blood Work
2003 Mystic River co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment
2004 Million Dollar Baby co-production with Lakeshore Entertainment
2006 Flags of Our Fathers Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with DreamWorks Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
Letters from Iwo Jima Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with DreamWorks Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
2007 Rails & Ties Alison Eastwood
2008 Changeling Clint Eastwood Universal Pictures co-production with Relativity Media and Imagine Entertainment
Gran Torino Warner Bros. Pictures co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures
2009 Invictus co-production with Spyglass Entertainment

2010s[edit]

Year Title Director Distributor Names Notes
2010 Hereafter Clint Eastwood Warner Bros. Pictures Malpaso Productions co-production with Amblin Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company
2011 J. Edgar co-production with Imagine Entertainment and Wintergreen Productions
2012 Trouble with the Curve Robert Lorenz
2014 Jersey Boys Clint Eastwood co-production with RatPac-Dune Entertainment and GK Films
American Sniper co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Mad Chance Productions and 22nd & Indiana Pictures
2016 Sully co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Flashlight Films, The Kennedy/Marshall Company and Orange Corp
2018 The 15:17 to Paris co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures and Access Entertainment
The Mule co-production with Imperative Entertainment and Bron Creative
2019 Richard Jewell co-production with Appian Way Productions, Misher Films and 75 Year Plan Productions

2020s[edit]

Year Title Director Distributor Names Notes
2021 Cry Macho Clint Eastwood Warner Bros. Pictures Malpaso Productions
TBA Juror #2 co-production with Dichotomy and Gotham Group

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Clint Eastwood". Variety.
  2. ^ "Military People". www.militaryhub.com. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  3. ^ "Mutual Water Company Subscription Agreement - Victorine Ranch Mutual Water Company" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 23, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  4. ^ Pitnick, Richard (January 29, 1998). "Eastwood's Odello donation helped the movie mogul and the county". Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  5. ^ "Rancho Cañada Village" (PDF). Carmel Pine Cone. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  6. ^ "Clint Eastwood". The Biography Channel. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  7. ^ McGilligan, Patrick (1999). Clint: The Life and Legend. London: HarperCollins. p. 162. ISBN 0-00-638354-8.
  8. ^ Smith, Paul (January 1, 1993). Clint Eastwood. Taylor & Francis. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-85728-158-3. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  9. ^ American Film Institute (1997). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1961-1970. University of California Press. pp. 450–. ISBN 978-0-520-20970-1. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  10. ^ Edward Buscombe (1999). The Oxford History of World Cinema. Oxford University Press. pp. 472–473.
  11. ^ "Happy Birthday Clint Eastwood". Retrieved June 2, 2020.
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