High plains, region in the united states, comprising the southern portion of the great plains, or, in its most specific sense, the northern portion of the llano estacado (“staked plain”). in the latter sense, the high plains may be said to cover the northernmost panhandle of texas, northeastern. Directed by clint eastwood. with clint eastwood, verna bloom, marianna hill, mitchell ryan. a gun-fighting stranger comes to the small settlement of lago and is hired to bring the townsfolk together in an attempt to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.. High plains drifter is a 1973 american western film directed by and starring clint eastwood, written by ernest tidyman, and produced by robert daley for malpaso company and universal pictures.eastwood plays a mysterious stranger, meting out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town. the film was influenced by the work of eastwood's two major collaborators, film directors sergio leone and don.