Clint Eastwood's Most Forgotten Western Is Also His Funniest
Summary
- Clint Eastwood’s “Two Mules for Sister Sara” is a lesser-known, humorous Western.
- The film features Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine as a comedic duo in a story filled with zingers and quips.
- Although not a major hit, “Two Mules for Sister Sara” marked a turning point in Eastwood’s career, showcasing his versatility and willingness to share screen time.
One of Clint Eastwood’s least talked about Westerns is also his funniest outing in the genre. Eastwood spent years on Western series Rawhide, before accidentally becoming a screen icon when he signed on for a low-budget Italian film called A Fistful of Dollars. This 1964 movie redefined the genre, and set the template for the Spaghetti Westerns that followed. Eastwood exited Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy as an exciting new leading man, and became one of the last movie stars to make his name with Westerns.
Throughout his American movies in the 1960s and 1970s, he would return for an “Oater” in between more contemporary projects like the Dirty Harry movies. He may have fronted less than 20 Westerns during his career, but it’s a case of quality over quantity. Some of the most famous Clint Eastwood Westerns include High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales and, of course, Unforgiven, his final offering in the genre. Dotted among those classics are lesser sung efforts, including his first American film as a lead, Hang ‘Em High.
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Two Mules For Sister Sara Is Clint Eastwood’s Funniest Western
Two Mules was a buddy comedy before that subgenre even existed
Of all the Clint Westerns from this period,
Two Mules for Sister Sara
is easily the one with the most zingers and quips.
There are also Eastwood Westerns that have slipped through the cracks of time. 1972’s Joe Kidd is a passable timewaster, but it’s far from essential. Another forgotten Clint is Two Mules for Sister Sara, where his mercenary accompanies the titular nun (Shirley MacLaine) across Mexico. They wind up in various violent misadventures, and eventually a romance rears its head. Two Mules for Sister Sara is rarely talked about now, though in contrast to most Clint Westerns, it’s the lightest and breeziest of the bunch.
Most of Eastwood’s outings in the genre are dark, violent affairs. The Outlaw Josey Wales has great one-liners, but it’s still an anti-war film about a man avenging his murdered family. Two Mules for Sister Sara plays like a variation on the 48 HRS-style buddy film before that subgenre really existed. They don’t share much romantic chemistry, but Eastwood and MacLaine make for a winning comedic duo, and the film is at its best when it’s focusing on them and not the wider narrative.
Eastwood is playing a more relaxed take on The Man with No Name, complete with his tendency to smoke cigars or having no issue shooting people in the back. There’s also a fun (if predictable) third act twist involving MacLaine’s Sara, but once the final setpiece kicks in, it gets a little dull. Still, of all the Clint Westerns from this period, Two Mules for Sister Sara is easily the one with the most zingers and quips.
Eastwood first offered
Two Mules for Sister Sara
to Elizabeth Taylor, the then-wife of his
Where Eagles Dare
co-star Richard Burton.
Two Mules Marked A Quiet Turning Point In Clint’s Career
Eastwood was still working on his movie stardom when Two Mules for Sister Sara arrived
Eastwood has been a major star for so long, it might be hard for younger viewers to recall a time when he wasn’t. Clint was still climbing the Hollywood ladder when Two Mules for Sister Sara was released, which is why he is billed second after Shirley MacLaine on the poster and the credits. Moving forward, Eastwood’s name would (almost) always be first in the credits, regardless of who he was starring alongside. This even includes The Bridges of Madison County, where he stars alongside none other than Meryl Streep.
One of the few exceptions to this star billing rule is 1993’s
A Perfect World
, where Kevin Costner’s name comes first since he has far more screentime than Eastwood.
Two Mules for Sister Sara found the screen legend at an interesting place in his career, with the Siegel-directed Dirty Harry taking his fame to a whole different level the very next year. The Eastwood in Two Mules is a less refined take on his usual screen persona, and one who is totally willing to let his co-star outshine him during their scenes. He still gets to shoot plenty of people and toss dynamite, however.
Why Two Mules For Sister Sara Is Largely Forgotten
This Clint adventure ranks low in his Western filmography
Two Mules for Sister Sara performed fine financially, but it wasn’t a megahit. Reviews were mixed, and on any ranking of Clint or Shirley MacLaine’s best films, it’s not going to score very high. Two Mules for Sister Sara is a fun adventure with a pair of true movie stars, but it is quite disposable and fluffy too.
The film also arrived in between Eastwood’s Dollar films and just before Dirty Harry, so in the timeline of his career, Two Mules got lost in the shuffle. That’s not to say it isn’t worth seeking out, but it’s no lost masterpiece. Two Mules for Sister Sara is still Clint’s funniest Western adventure, and one of his least conventional.
Two Mules for Sister Sara
- Director
- Don Siegel
- Release Date
- May 28, 1970
- Studio(s)
- The Malpaso Company , Sanen Productions
- Budget
- $2.4 Million
