Clint Eastwood dismissed Arthur Penn’s 1976 western *The Missouri Breaks* as “ridiculous”, arguing that its weak screenplay undermined the film despite its high-profile cast of Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. His comments matter because they reflect a leading western star’s view that strong material, rather than the genre itself, determines whether such films succeed.

Eastwood suggested Brando’s eccentric performance — including dressing as an older woman — showed that the actor had little faith in the script and chose to improvise for amusement. The film, written by Thomas McGuane, follows a cattle rustler opposing a powerful landowner; it received a poor critical reception on release, despite later gaining some defenders.