Clint Eastwood called *Bronco Billy* (1980) his most personal film, despite it being far removed from the westerns and crime roles that made him famous. He related to Billy McCoy, a struggling Wild West show owner who had left shoe sales behind to pursue a dream, and said he had always loved the film.

The article links that connection to Eastwood’s own path: before becoming a Hollywood cowboy, he was a lifeguard from Oakland, while Billy had been a shoe salesman from New Jersey. The film, which also starred Sondra Locke, made a profit, though it was not considered one of Eastwood’s strongest works; Locke received a nomination for the first Worst Supporting Actress Razzie.