as Herb Bill McKinney as Dallas, Treasurer Biker William O'Connell as Elmo, Sergeant-at-Arms Biker John Quade as Cholla, the Biker Leader Dan Vadis as Frank, Assistant Head Biker Gregory Walcott as Putnam Hank Worden as Trailer Court Manager Screenwriter Jeremy Kronsberg has a small role as Bruno the biker, while martial artist Gene LeBell also features as another Biker. Orangutan Manis co-stars as the ape, Clyde. Making uncredited appearances are Harry Guardino as James Beekman, Mel Tillis as emcee/performer at the Palomino honky tonk club, and Phil Everly as singer at the Palomino honky tonk club. Production The script, written by Jeremy Joe Kronsberg, had been turned down by many other big production companies in Hollywood. Eastwood unexpectedly took a liking to the project himself, seeing it as a way to broaden his appeal to the public. Most of Eastwood's production team and his agents reportedly thought it was ill-advised. Bob Hoyt, whom Eastwood had contacts with (through his Malpaso secretary Judy Hoyt and Eastwood's long-term friend Fritz Manes), thought it showed promise and eventually convinced Warner Brothers to buy it. An orangutan named Manis was brought in to play Clyde; also cast were Geoffrey Lewis as the dimwitted Orville, Beverly D'Angelo as his girlfriend, and Sondra Locke as Lynn Halsey-Taylor, the country and western barroom singer. Eastwood spoke about using the orangutan for the main role, "Clyde was one of the most natural actors I ever worked with! But you had to get him on the first take because his boredom level was very limited." The film has a contemporary western theme, displaying the blue collar aspects of the western United States, with many scenes shot in rural locations, cheap motel rooms, industrial facilities, and honky-tonk bars. The film was shot on location, including the California communities of Bakersfield, North Hollywood, San Fernando, Sun Valley, Ukiah, and Van Nuys. It was also filmed in Colorado, including parts of Denver, Aurora and historic Georgetown. A few scenes were also filmed in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos, all in New Mexico. The 34-year-old Locke "reluctantly" got an abortion late in the shoot. This was three years into her cohabitation with Eastwood. Title origin The film's title refers to the Eddie Rabbitt song of the same name from the soundtrack, in which the singer complains that his girlfriend turns him "every which way but loose"; i.e., he cannot bring himself to leave