It was the last movieClint Eastwoodever made with the man he considered his directorial mentor, and next month, you’ll be able to see it for free. 1979’sEscape From Alcatraz, the final collaboration between Eastwood andDon Siegel, is coming to the free, ad-supported streaming service Pluto. You’ll be able to stream it starting on August 1. Siegel was legendary for directing action-adventure films with tough, individualistic leads; he and Eastwood were a match made in heaven. They made five films together: the neo-WesternCoogan’s Bluff, the seminal cop thrillerDirty Harry, the revisionist WesternTwo Mules for Sister Sara, the Civil War dramaThe Beguiled, and, finally, the fact-based prison thrillerEscape From Alcatraz.
As an aspiring director, Eastwood modeled himself after Siegel, and gave the veteran director a cameo role in his own directorial debut, the suspense thrillerPlay Misty for Me. However, there’s a reasonEscape From Alcatrazwas their last collaboration. Eastwood was attached to star and wanted to direct it himself, but Siegel bought the rights to the script and took the helm of the picture. It caused a rift between the two men, and they’d never work together again. However, after Siegel died in 1991, Eastwood dedicated his farewell to the Western genre,Unforgiven, to his two directorial mentors, Siegel andSergio Leone.
What Is ‘Escape From Alcatraz’ About?
Based on true events,Escape From Alcatrazis set in the infamous title prison in San Francisco Bay; the movie was filmed on location there, years after it was decommissioned. Eastwood playsFrank Morris, a career criminal and the mastermind of several previous prison breaks; he’s transferred to Alcatraz in 1960. Befriending several fellow inmates, includingCharley Butts(Billy Madison’sLarry Hankin) and bank-robbing brothersJohn and Clarence Anglin(Tremors’Fred WardandSudden Impact’sJack Thibeau), he soon formulates a plan for another daring escape. Under the nose of the warden (The Prisoner’sPatrick McGoohan), Eastwood and his crew plot and ultimately execute a scheme that involves braving the treacherous waters of the bay in their own homemade inflatable raft. In real life, nobody knows what happened to Morris and the Anglins once they escaped the prison’s walls; the film, too, ends on an ambiguous note.
The film was the last great success of Siegel’s career. It grossed $43 million USD on an $8 million budget, making it the 15th-highest-grossing film of the year. It was also hailed by critics and holds a 97% Fresh rating onRotten Tomatoes.
Escape From Alcatrazwillstream for free on Pluto starting on August 12, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
Escape from Alcatraz
