Harrison Ford

The Six Pack

Six action movies featuring actors way above the traditional age limit.

by Matt Prigge

Spencer Tracy, Bad Day at Black Rock (1955): Who best to take on a town of tough-guy bigots including Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine? Fifty-five-year-old Spencer Tracy, that’s who. And what’s more badass than a badass with an AARP card? One who also fucks shit up with only one arm.

Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine, Emperor of the North (1973): In Robert Aldrich’s sprightly Depression-era thriller, Marvin, 49, is an esteemed railcar-riding hobo while Borgnine, 56, is a feared, crazy-eyes-wielding conductor murderously intent on keeping his train tramp-free. Do these two get into a climactic fogie fight with hammers, chains and axes that sort of puts The Bourne Ultimatum to shame? Yes. Yes they do.

John Wayne, Brannigan (1975): Until the 83-year-old Paul Newman decides to end his career by stomping the asses of the High School Musical cast, the oldest action star remains the Duke, who was 68 and still throwing punches, speeding cars and slowly drawing his gun as a renegade Chicago cop in London. One year later The Shootist gave him an autumnal send-off; here he’s under the delusion he still has the motor skills of 1974’s McQ.

Clint Eastwood, In the Line of Fire (1993): Dirty Harry has spent his late period wisely, mostly directing and acting only in age-sensitive roles. But at 63 his wrinkly bod was jumping roofs and romancing Rene Russo, with only the infrequent allusion to weary bones and life pre-Viagra.

Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa (2006): Nuts to Rambo, where Sly spends most of the action passages cloaked in darkness or standing behind a giant machine gun, blowing baddies to literal bits. (Ew!) The real credibility strain is how a 59-year-old could enter the ring with a feisty up-and-comer. Movie magic ain’t that magical.

Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): Thank Christ Ray Winstone is there to pick up the pace, eh?