The Beguiled (1971)

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Thomas Cullinan (novel)
Albert Maltz (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 May 1971 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

One man...seven women...in a strange house!

Plot:

While imprisoned in a Confederate girls boarding school, a Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts.

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Civil War | Confederate | Yankee | Boarding School

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Cpl. John McBurney
Geraldine Page	...	Martha Farnsworth
Elizabeth Hartman	...	Edwina Dabney
Jo Ann Harris	...	Carol
Darleen Carr	...	Doris
Mae Mercer	...	Hallie
Pamelyn Ferdin	...	Amelia ('Amy')
Melody Thomas Scott	...	Abigail (as Melody Thomas)
Peggy Drier	...	Lizzie
Patricia Mattick	...	Janie (as Pattye Mattick)
Charlie Briggs	...	1st Confederate Captain
George Dunn	...	Sam Jefferson
Charles Martin	...	2nd Confederate Captain
Matt Clark	...	Scrogins
Patrick Culliton	...	Soldier
Buddy Van Horn	...	Soldier (as Wayne 'Buddy' Van Horn)

Directed by
Don Siegel		(as Donald Siegel)

Writing credits
Thomas Cullinan		(novel)
Albert Maltz		(screenplay) (as John B. Sherry) and
Irene Kamp		(screenplay) (as Grimes Grice)

Produced by
Don Siegel	....	producer (as Donald Siegel)
Claude Traverse	....	associate producer
Jennings Lang	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Bruce Surtees

Film Editing by
Carl Pingitore

Production Design by
Ted Haworth

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin		(as John Austin)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joseph C. Cavalier	....	unit production manager (as Joe Cavalier)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burt Astor	....	assistant director
Joseph C. Cavalier	....	second unit director (as Joe Cavalier)

Sound Department
John L. Mack	....	sound (as John Mack)
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Stunts
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Other crew
Scott Hale	....	dialogue coach
Dominic Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone	....	caterer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jennings Lang
• Malpaso Company, The

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema Internazional Corporation (1973) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Universal Pictures Professional Cosmetics  cosmetics
• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1971) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (cut) | UK:X | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:M | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | USA:R (certificate #22657) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Ashland-Belle Helene Plantation - State Highway 75, Geismer, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Jennings Lang

Trivia:

Other titles contemplated by Universal Pictures were "Pussy-footing Down at the Old Plantation" and "On One I Walked".

Quotes:

Martha Farnsworth: If the pain gets too great, I'll ask Hallie to bring you some (wine).
Cpl. John McBurney: Well, this does seem like a good occasion, and I would love some wine.
Martha Farnsworth: It was offered for your pain, not for your pleasure!
Cpl. John McBurney: To be sure, ma'am. It's just that sometimes the two go together.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Eastwood on Eastwood (1997) (TV)

Despite Everything THE BEGUILED Works Very Well

THE BEGUILED is indeed a memorable movie , but when you think about it in any great detail this should have been a disaster of a movie

1 ) There are no likable characters . Think about it , Eastwood's anti hero is a bush-wacker while the girls - Some of whom are serious jail bait - are hypocrits . Who are we supposed to be cheering for ?

2 ) Nothing much happens

3 )The downbeat ending . Everyone loves happy endings right ? Just think how regarded THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION wouldn't have been if it wasn't for the feel good factor

4 ) You could see this being marketed as a western when it was released and still being marketed as such every time it's shown on television and all the western fans being disappointed when they find out it's not a western

And yet THE BEGUILED works because of these things . Eastwood is hardly the most versatile actor in the history of Hollywood but he's most impressive here while the supporting cast shine . Don Siegel direction is very restrained , some people might say the directing is flat and they wouldn't be entirely inaccurate and that's by no means a criticism but he does concentrate on a slightly brooding atmosphere

Perhaps the reason this movie works so well is down to the timing of its production . By the early 1970s conservative Hollywood was finally waking up to new ideas and new themes even though there was still reluctance by the studios to go over board . The movie is blatantly about repressed sexual desire but there's no explict sex . Can you imagine this being remade today with Brad Pitt playing the Union soldier who stumbles into the girls school with 19 year old starlets with implants playing 15 year olds ? Now that would be a disaster

As it is THE BEGUILED is a haunting story worthy of Poe or Ambrose Bierce and shouldn't be remade