While Eastwood's gunslinging future in movies like The Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider, and Unforgiven.

Eastwood’s cool and charismatic onscreen persona turned him into a Spaghetti Western icon during the 1960s, but in the previous decade, he floundered in several underwhelming releases like The First Traveling Saleslady. As just one of several collaborations between Eastwood and the director Arthur Lubin, even if these films left a lot to be desired, they helped open the door for his future success. While audiences have forgotten about The First Traveling Saleslady, it stands as a fascinating time capsule into Eastwood’s early career.

Clint Eastwood's First Western Was A Quickly-Forgotten Flop The First Traveling Saleslady

This Ginger Rogers Western Comedy Was Not A Hit At The Time

Even though The First Traveling Saleslady does not live up to Eastwood’s best work, it’s still enjoyable to see the fresh-faced actor before he became a household name. As a ing love interest, Eastwood played the soldier Lt. Jack Rice, who falls for the bright-eyed singer Molly Wade (Carol Channing), who’s helping her friend Rose Gillray (Rogers) design a new corset to sell as a traveling saleswoman. With themes of female empowerment and women in the workplace, it’s fascinating to see how The First Traveling Saleslady explored feminist themes in the year 1897

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Eastwood’s performance here did not feature any of the witty one-liners or gritty stoicism that made him such a Western icon in the years that followed.

While Eastwood only had a handful of lines in The First Traveling Saleslady, his future status as a Hollywood leading man was immediately clear as he radiated movie-star charisma. As a well-mannered soldier who was immediately smitten by the feisty charm of Molly, Eastwood’s performance here did not feature any of the witty one-liners or gritty stoicism that made him such a Western icon in the years that followed. Although the role of Lt. Rice was small, Eastwood played it well and acted as an example of progressive masculinity that contrasted with the regressive beliefs of other male characters.

Although The First Traveling Saleslady primarily explored Rose Gillray's attempts to stand up against male ranchers after they tried to stop her from selling barbed wire to farmers, Eastwood’s role as a young cavalry officer was a mostly unrelated romantic subplot for Molly. Through the comedic and at times flirtatious interactions between Lt. Rice and Molly, The First Traveling Saleslady was able to offer some lighthearted fun to balance the more serious themes of Rose’s battle against the powers that be.

The First Traveling Saleslady Also Marked An Early Role For Gunsmoke's James Arness

Arness Played The Cattle Rancher Joel Kingdom

For a forgotten box office flop, it’s impressive just how much star power The First Traveling Saleslady boasted, as it also counted the Gunsmoke star James Arness among its cast. Arness had a far bigger role than Eastwood as he played the cattle rancher Joel Kingdom, who found himself at odds with Rose’s plans to sell barbed wire. Rose’s business venture interfered with Joel’s aims, and he did everything in his power to convince farmers, rangers, and even the sheriff's department that barbed wire was injuring cattle and its sale should be banned.

Arness was a compelling villain who brought the same great characterization as he did playing Gunsmoke’s Marshal Matt Dillon to his role in The First Traveling Saleslady. However, despite a wealth of talent behind the film, The First Traveling Saleslady did not connect with viewers and stands as one of RKO Radio Pictures' most forgettable films.

For those interested in the rising careers of Clint Eastwood and James Arness, or even the career slump that Ginger Rogers was beginning to experience, The First Traveling Saleslady offers great value as a historical artifact. However, it’s best appreciated as a snapshot into several Hollywood stars at a fascinating time in their careers rather than as a genuinely compelling Western movie.