Frank Sinatra was originally cast to play Dirty Harry, but a broken wrist he suffered while filming the Manchurian Candidate prevented him from hoisting Harry Callaghan’s signature beast of a gun. So he had to quit. John Wayne was then offered the role, but he turned it down because he didn’t “like being offered Sinatra’s rejections.” Producers then went after Robert Mitchum, but he turned it down because he thought the role was a “piece of junk.” Burt Lancaster was then offered the role, but he turned it down because he didn’t agree with the movie’s violence. Finally Eastwood was offered the script and the rest was movie history ~ Mr Google