Two Mules for Sister Sara is an American western movie starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine set during the French intervention in Mexico. It was released in 1970 and directed by Don Siegel.
Story
The film opens with its star saving a naked woman from being gang-raped. He’s more than a little surprised when the attractive woman, Sister Sara (Shirley MacLaine), dons a habit. It seems she’s deeply committed to a group of Mexican revolutionaries fighting against the French. Hogan (played by Eastwood), agrees to escort her to the camp, since he’s already arranged to help them attack the French garrison, in exchange for a portion of the garrison’s strongbox if they are successful.
As they travel, there are some revelations that Sara might not be quite what she seems. She sneaks a few puffs of one of Hogan’s discarded cigars and shows a fondness for the odd shot of whiskey after harrowing encounters. Near Santa Maria, Hogan’s attempt to blow up a French ammunition train is foiled by an arrow in the shoulder, but after bandaging him, Sara helps the mercenary set off the planted charge with a rifle. When they reach the camp of Juarista commander Col. Beltran (Manolo Fabregas), Sister Sara displays a detailed knowledge of the layout of the French garrison while revealing her true identity, which comes as a surprise to no one but Hogan.
Production
Budd Boetticher, a long term resident in Mexico and renown for his series of Randolph Scott Westerns wrote the original 1967 screenplay that was bought with the provision that Boetticher would direct. Boetticher had planned the film for Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr who had played a man of action and a nun in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison. Kerr’s character was a member of the Mexican aristocracy escaping the vengeance of the Mexican Revolution with Mitchum’s cowboy protecting her as he led her to safety to the United States. Carrol Case sold the screenplay to Martin Rackin who had Albert Maltz, also living in Mexico, rewrite the story. Maltz’s version had Clint Eastwood playing a soldier of fortune for the Juaristas and Shirley MacLaine playing a revolutionary prostitute.Boetticher expressed disgust with MacLaine’s bawdy character obviously not looking like a nun as opposed to his idea of a genteel lady whose final revelation would have been more of a surprise to the audience.
Though Boetticher was friends with both Eastwood and director Don Siegel, Siegel understood Boetticher’s dislike of the final film. Boetticher asked Siegel how he could make an awful film like that with Siegel replying that it was a great feeling to wake up in the morning and know there was a cheque in the mail whilst Boettcher replied it was a better feeling to wake up in the morning and be able to look at yourself in the mirror.
Eastwood had been shown the script by Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of Where Eagles Dare with the view of Taylor playing the female role. The role eventually went to MacLaine after Taylor did not wish to do the film, with Eastwood believing that the studio was keen on MacLaine as they had high hopes for her film Sweet Charity (film) where she played a taxi dancer.
Bruce Surtees was a camera operator on the film and acted as a go between between Siegal and Gabriel Figueroa that led him to work on Siegel’s next film The Beguiled. Figueroa used many photographic filters for effects in the film.
Pop Culture Influences
Shock rocker Alice Cooper released a song on his 2001 album Dragontown entitled “Sister Sara”, which is about a woman posing as a nun while living a life of sin.
Cast
- Shirley MacLaine … Sara
- Clint Eastwood … Hogan
- Manuel Fábregas as Manolo Fábregas… Col. Beltrán
- Alberto Morin … Gen. LeClaire
- Armando Silvestre … First Bandit
- John Kelly … Second Bandit
- Enrique Lucero … Third Bandit
- David Estuardo … Juan
- Ada Carrasco … Juan’s mother
- Pancho Córdova … Juan’s father
- José Chávez … Horatio
