In 1975, Locke was cast in "The Outlaw Josey Wales" as the love interest of Clint Eastwood's eponymous character. Locke said she chose the role for its exposure, following a run of unremarkable credits. She took a pay cut just to be in the film; her salary for "Josey Wales" was $18,000 – less than half of what she'd earned for her previous job. The film was one of the top 15 grossing films of 1976 and revived Locke's career. She followed it up with a lead role alongside Eastwood in the popular action film "The Gauntlet" (1977), the duo replacing Steve McQueen and Barbra Streisand, who bowed out from the production due to a reported clash of egos. Its pre-publicity touted Locke as "the first actress ever to be in a Clint Eastwood movie and get equal billing on screen with the macho star." Eastwood unblushingly predicted that she would win an Oscar for her performance. Locke wasn't even nominated and received mixed critical response at best: on the upside, Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" said "Locke is not only pretty, but also occasionally genuinely funny" and "Los Angeles Times" critic Kevin Thomas stated that Locke "has not received such a rich opportunity since her Academy Award-nominated debut"; in contrast, Gene Siskel of the "Chicago Tribune" said "she's wasted here" and "TV Guide" felt that "Locke is simply repulsive."