The Beguiled (1971)

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

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Albert Maltz (screenplay), Irene Kamp (screenplay),

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page, Elizabeth Hartman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	John McBurney
Geraldine Page	...	Martha
Elizabeth Hartman	...	Edwina
Jo Ann Harris	...	Carol
Darleen Carr	...	Doris
Mae Mercer	...	Hallie
Pamelyn Ferdin	...	Amy
Melody Thomas Scott	...	Abigail (as Melody Thomas)
Peggy Drier	...	Lizzie
Patricia Mattick	...	Janie (as Pattye Mattick)
Charlie Briggs	...	1st Confederate Captain (as Charles Briggs)
George Dunn	...	Sam Jefferson
Charles Martin	...	2nd Confederate Captain
Matt Clark	...	Scrogins
Patrick Culliton	...	Miles Farnswoth

Storyline

During the civil war, injured Yankee soldier, John McBurney is rescued on the verge of death by a teenage girl from a southern boarding school. She manages to get him back to the school, and at first the all-female staff and pupils are scared. As he starts to recover, one by one he charms them and the atmosphere becomes filled with jealousy and deceit.

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Plot Keywords:

soldier | girl | jealousy | confederate | yankee | 

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Taglines:

His love... or his life...

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 1971 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Betrogen

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malpaso Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

When McB is playing cards the deck has both the pictures (hearts, spades, etc) and the number in the corner. They didn't put #s on cards until 1864 and it was extremely rare to see a deck with them until 20-30 years after the war

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Quotes

Cpl. John McBurney: I've just been thinking about all the advantages a one-legged man has. He saves on socks. He doesn't have to worry about trimming as many toenails... fewer corns and bunions. I've been contemplating asking her to cut off the other one.

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Connections

Featured in Eastwood on Eastwood (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Dove She is a Pretty Bird"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by Clint Eastwood

User Reviews

Deliciously erotic, disturbingly macabre

Clever psychosexual drama about a wounded Union soldier (Clint Eastwood) who seeks refuge in an isolated Confederate school for young women during the Civil War. Slowly, Eastwood begins to seduce every girl in sight, until the tables are turned and he becomes the pursued in an unsettling, gothic-toned finale. Never has a film been so deliciously erotic yet disturbingly macabre at the same time.

This is undoubtedly Eastwood's finest hour (those who tune in for "Dirty Harry" will indeed be surprised), while the rest of the cast gives uniformly superb performances. Try to see the film on video, as television prints usually delete crucial flashback scenes between Geraldine Page and Patrick Culliton.