Clint Eastwood

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"Marty, who do you think you are? Clint Eastwood?"

—Dave McFly

"Clint Eastwood" was the alias of Marty McFly during his visit to 1885. Marty realized he could not use his real name when he met his great-great-grandmother Maggie McFly and did not want her to suspect they were related. As he quickly tried to think of a new name, a glance at his fringed shirt reminded him that he had told Emmett Brown that Clint Eastwood never wore anything like it.

When Marty encountered Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen in the Palace Saloon, he continued to use the alias, thinking the name alone would give him a reputation of being as tough as Clint Eastwood himself. However, since motion pictures were yet to be invented, Buford only thought it was a "stupid name". In contrast, back in 1985A, Biff Tannen enjoyed watching A Fistful of Dollars featuring Eastwood in a western role, where Marty got his inspiration.

Marty was thenafter always referred to as "Mister Eastwood" by the townsfolk and his own family. During the duel with Buford Tannen on Monday, September 7th, he took a page out of Eastwood's film and hid a cast iron stove door underneath his clothing, absorbing the gunshot. Had he not fought Tannen face on in the street, "Clint Eastwood" would have been known as the "biggest yellowbelly in the West" and "branded a coward for the rest of his days", which might have prevented the real Clint Eastwood from having a film career in the future.

When it was thought that Marty supposedly was killed going over Shonash Ravine, it was renamed "Eastwood Ravine".

[edit] Behind the scenes

"What kinda stupid name is that?"

—Buford Tannen to Marty (Clint Eastwood)

The real Clint Eastwood was quite entertained at the usage of his name throughout the movie.

Ironically, Clint Eastwood's film Pale Rider was number one at the box office for one week after its release on June 28, 1985... until it was replaced at the top spot by Back to the Future. Actor Jeffrey Weissman had a small role in Pale Rider.

As pointed out by Bob Gale and Neil Canton on commentary on Part III, the third movie was filmed at the same location as Pale Rider, using the same locomotive and some of the same buildings. The DeLorean Time Machine is parked on the railroad tracks near a building that had been constructed for Pale Rider.

[edit] Appearances

• Back to the Future Part II (the real Eastwood is featured in A Fistful of Dollars)
• Back to the Future Part III
• Back to the Future Part III novelization