Clint or The Duke

For my money it's John Wayne.
The Shootist, Wayne's last movie is one of all-time favorites. I also love the two Rooster Cogburn flicks and the Cowboys. Red River is pretty good too.

 

Perhaps it's Wayne because he created an archetype, but he was bound to it. To a modern eye, I think his characters border on being caricatures. Call me a heathen if you want, but Eastwood's just the better actor.

 

Dirty Harry Callaghan is the fucking man.

 

Eastwood. I never cared for Wayne.

 

Eastwood's the better actor, but his westerns were average.

 

I also never cared for the way people reacted to Wayne's war movies -- like he was a war hero, or something.

 

The Duke was the blowhard who made you laugh because he was so full of himself.
Clint's characters really didn't give a shit what you thought of him.

Funny thing about the two, The Duke was so impressed with Dirty Harry he made McQ, a by-his-own-rules cop in Seattle. He also made Brannigan, set in London.

I think Eastwood has a better sense of himself as an actor, you look at the roles he's taken and imagine Wayne's "look at me" take on them and they just don't work. But I think Eastwood could have done most of Wayne's roles in his sleep.
But again, different eras. Wayne was a movie star, Eastwood more of an actor.

 

I agree that Eastwood is the better actor, but not when it comes to westerns.

 

Eastwood by miles no matter what kind of movie it is.

 

And let's give a little credit to John Ford, he made Wayne the mythical figure, just as Leone helped define Eastwood's "man of few words" persona.

 

I'll vote for Eastwood, given the phrasing of the question.

Imagine, though, a young Duke sauntering through Pale Rider.

 

I named my dog after the Duke.