The 1980 action comedy Any Which Way You Can was a massive box office hit
In short: Clint Eastwood returned as Philo Beddoe in this sequel to Every Which Way but Loose, featuring bare-knuckle boxing, a biker gang, and an orangutan named Clyde. Despite mixed critical reception, the film dominated the 1980 holiday box office, becoming one of the year's highest-grossing releases in North America.
Directed by Buddy Van Horn in his feature debut, the film follows Philo Beddoe as he is coerced back into the underground fighting circuit. The plot centers on a high-stakes match against a martial arts-trained fighter named Jack Wilson. The production, filmed in California and Wyoming, leaned into its eclectic mix of action, country music, and comedy, earning a reputation as a genial, if uneven, piece of entertainment.
The film's performance at the box office was notable for its strength during the 1980 holiday season. Opening on December 17, it secured the top spot at the U.S. box office with over $8 million in its first weekend. It maintained its momentum through the following week, even seeing a 26% increase in revenue. By the end of its run, it stood as the 5th highest-grossing film of 1980, accumulating over $70 million across the United States and Canada.
Behind the scenes, the production was marked by controversy regarding the treatment of the orangutan playing Clyde. While the original animal from the first film had aged out, a replacement named Buddha was used. Allegations surfaced in the book Visions of Caliban, citing witnesses who claimed the animal was mistreated and ultimately killed by trainers. Although makeup artist William Munns later disputed these accounts, the incident remains a dark footnote in the film's history, exacerbated by the lack of legal protections for primates at the time.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Any Which Way You Can
- Also: Wikidata — Any Which Way You Can · CC0
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