Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Budd Boetticher (story)
Albert Maltz (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 June 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | War | Western

Tagline:

CLINT EASTWOOD...the deadliest man alive...takes on a whole army with two guns and a fistful of dynamite!

Plot:

Set in Mexico, a nun called Sara is rescued from three cowboys by Hogan, who is on his way to do some reconnaissance...

Plot Keywords:

French | Cowboy | Reconnaissance | Mexico | Nun

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 14	11:00 PM	AMC
Wed. July 15	12:30 PM	AMC
Fri. July 24	9:45 AM	AMC

Cast

Shirley MacLaine	...	Sara
Clint Eastwood	...	Hogan
Manuel Fábregas	...	Col. Beltran (as Manolo Fabregas)
Alberto Morin	...	Gen. LeClaire
Armando Silvestre	...	1st American
John Kelly	...	2nd American
Enrique Lucero	...	3rd American
David Estuardo	...	Juan
Ada Carrasco	...	Juan's mother
Pancho Córdova	...	Juan's father (as Poncho Cordoba)
José Chávez	...	Horatio (as Jose Chavez)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
José Ángel Espinosa 'Ferrusquilla'		(as José Ángel Espinoza)

Also Known As:

Dos mulas para la hermana Sara (Mexico)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA | Mexico

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | South Korea:12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Cuaútla, Morelos, Mexico

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

The Finnish title of the film is "Kourallinen dynamiittia", which translates into English as "Fistful of Dynamite". This is actually the alternative English title of dollar-trilogy director Sergio Leone's film Giù la testa (1971).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: While Sister Sara is climbing the railway bridge to place the dynamite, electrical cables are visible on the background.

Quotes:

Hogan: Sister Sara, you're gonna slow me up some, but I'm gonna take you to one of those guerilla bands you're looking for.
Sara: Do you belong to one of them?
Hogan: Till I get paid, yeah.
Sara: Paid? You mean in gold?
Hogan: Well, let's put it this way: they pay me off in tortillas, I'm gonna shoot 'em right in the eye.
Sara: But the Juaristas are too poor to hire anybody.
Hogan: Well, I made a deal to work out a plan to take the garrison. If it pays off then I get half the French treasury.
Sara: Then you don't have any sympathy for their cause?
Hogan: Not theirs or anybody else's. See I spent two years in a war in the States. Right now, all I'm interested in is money.
Sara: If money is all you care about then why did you fight in that war?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Norm Macdonald/Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg (#25.3)" (1999)

Nuns and Cowboys: together at last.

The most used formula for Westerns would have to be this: approximately two to five people thrown together by dire circumstances where they're forced to brave the wilds with only their wits, each other and maybe a couple rifles. They focus mainly on character development, character interaction and the bond that develops during these manliest of adventures. Now, given this, what better combination of people is there than a nun and a cowboy? You're right! There isn't any!

Now just because the leading lady is a nun, don't think there isn't any sexual tension. It's sexual tensions abound! Not only that but it's a fun, well-made movie. Shirley MacLaine was great and, lets face it, Clint Eastwood was born to make westerns. Well, maybe not "make" them ... but he's a great cowboy. Well directed, well paced, good story, good acting and it stars a nun and a cowboy. The opening music didn't "do it" for me but even that would probably grow on me. I fully endorse this movie. Look for "Two Mules for Sister Sara" T-shirts with myself in the background giving the thumbs-up.