TCM 24-Hour Clint Eastwood Marathon

On Monday, May 31, beginning at 6 a.m. (ET), TCM will celebrate Clint Eastwood’s extraordinary career with a 24-hour marathon of some of his most popular films. In addition, TCM will air the world television premiere of The Eastwood Factor, an all-new, feature-length documentary narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman and written and directed by critic and film historian Richard Schickel, who wrote for Time and Life magazines for more than 43 years.

TCM’s May 31 celebration of Clint Eastwood will feature TCM premieres of Dirty Harry (1971) and its first sequel, Magnum Force (1973). Also included will be such enduring hits as the war epics Where Eagles Dare (1969) and Kelly’s Heroes (1970); the American western Hang ‘Em High (1968); and the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns A Fistful of Dollars (1965), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966).

The Eastwood Factor offers a rare, personal look at Hollywood icon and legend. This new film presents Eastwood both at his home and visiting film locations and sites where his movies were created, including the costume department and the Eastwood Scoring Stage on the Warner Bros. lot. Eastwood’s candid, intelligent and often humorous interviews about his body of work and the choices he made, along with abundant clips from his movies, come together to form an up-close and personal portrait of one of the great movie icons. The end result is a clear reminder of why Eastwood’s career as both a great filmmaker and actor has been so enduring.

Below is a complete schedule of TCM’s celebration of Clint Eastwood’s extraordinary career (all times shown are Eastern):

Monday, May 31

6 a.m. The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) – This offbeat, comic western features Ginger Rogers and Carol Channing as a couple of gals trying to sell girdles in the old West. Amazingly, Eastwood plays Channing’s love interest.

8 a.m. A Fistful of Dollars (1964) – This atmospheric and exciting Sergio Leone spaghetti western is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1961 samurai film Yojimbo, with Eastwood taking the role played by Toshiro Mifune in the original. Eastwood’s character comes into a town with two warring gangs, and he proceeds to play them against each other for his own gain. This film made Eastwood an international star and, thanks to Ennio Morricone’s legendary score, changed the way westerns sounded for decades to come.

9:45 a.m. For a Few Dollars More (1965) – Eastwood is back as the nameless gunslinger in this sequel, which finds the character forming an uneasy partnership in order to track down an outlaw. A scene in which Lee Van Cleef strikes a match on the neck of Klaus Kinski is particularly memorable.

Noon The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Sergio Leone’s third film in the Dollars trilogy features Eastwood, Van Cleef and Eli Wallach as three gunmen hunting for a Confederate government treasure chest. After the film’s tremendous success, composer Ennio Morricone’s theme is now a pop culture icon.

3 p.m. Hang ‘Em High (1968) – Continuing the success he enjoyed with spaghetti westerns, Eastwood starred in this American take on the sub-genre. He plays a hanged man who survives and goes on the hunt for the men who strung him up. The outstanding supporting cast includes Ed Begley, Inger Stevens, Pat Hingle, Ben Johnson and Bruce Dern.

5 p.m. Where Eagles Dare (1969) – This rip-roaring World War II action flick recaptures the excitement of the old Republic serials. The story involves a group of soldiers sent to rescue an American officer held captive by Germans in a mountain-top castle. Richard Burton co-stars.

8 p.m. Kelly’s Heroes (1970) – Eastwood returns to World War II with this funny, action-filled movie about a gold heist behind enemy lines. Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, Carroll O’Connor, Gavin MacLeod and Harry Dean Stanton star.

10:30 p.m. The Eastwood Factor (2010) – Film critic and historian Richard Schickel engages in an intimate conversation with the legendary actor and filmmaker as they tour the Warner Bros. lot and other locations that have been a part of Eastwood’s career. The special will also feature abundant clips from Eastwood’s films, including scenes from Invictus (2010), Gran Torino (2009), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Mystic River (2003), Bridges of Madison County (1995), Unforgiven (1992), Bird (1988), The Outlaw Josie Wales (1976) and more.

12:15 a.m. Dirty Harry (1971) – Eastwood introduced one of his greatest characters, rule-bending cop Harry Callahan, in this taut action film about the hunt for a serial killer in San Francisco. Harry Guardino, John Larch and Andy Robinson co-star under the direction of Don Siegel.

2 a.m. Magnum Force (1973) – In this, the first of several sequels to Dirty Harry, Eastwood is back as Callahan, this time involved in an investigation that may lead right back to the police department. Hal Holbrook, David Soul, Robert Urich and Tim Matheson co-star in this macho thriller written by John Milius and Michael Cimino.

4:15 a.m. The Eastwood Factor (2010) – Encore.