“Two Mules for Sister Sara” Clint Eastwood x Shirley MacLaine, Western x Romantic Comedy *Note! Contains spoilers.

From Elizabeth Taylor to Shirley MacLaine

The original screenplay was written by Budd Boetticher, a film director who had been making westerns throughout his life, including " The Last Chief " (1953), " Seven Outlaws " (1956), and " The Bullets " (1957). He had envisioned this film as a project starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr, following " White Sands " (1957) directed by John Huston.

" White Sands " is set in 1945, in the midst of World War II. It depicts the survival of a US Marine and a nun on an isolated island in the South Pacific where the battle against the Japanese army continues. Inspired by this plot, Budd Boetticher created a story in which "a cowboy played by Robert Mitchum and a nun played by Deborah Kerr are attracted to each other." Boetticher also added the setting that "the nun's true identity is a Mexican aristocrat who fled to America from the revolutionary army." In " White Sands ," the love between a rough man and a woman who serves God never comes to fruition, but he thought that introducing the idea that the nun was a disguise would strengthen the aspect of the love story.

"Two Mules for Sister Sara" (c) Photofest / Getty Images

Budd Boetticher was keen to direct the film himself, but the script was sold. Producer Martin Luckin decided to adapt it into a film, and asked Mexican screenwriter Albert Maltz to rewrite it. In the end, Sister Sarah was changed from an aristocrat to a prostitute who was helping the revolutionaries.

Universal Pictures initially considered Elizabeth Taylor for the role of Sister Sarah. With her exotic beauty, she would have been the perfect choice to play a Mexican nun. However, she wanted to film in Spain to accompany her husband, actor Richard Burton, and the studio suggested filming in Mexico. The two parties eventually fell out of touch, and Elizabeth Taylor declined the role.

So the new cast member was Shirley MacLaine. She was a star on a par with Elizabeth Taylor, and at this point had been nominated for an Academy Award three times. She had enough name value to draw the audience. But her translucent white skin made her look very un-Mexican. The story was hastily rewritten to show Sara as a "foreigner who came to Mexico from the United States," which made it a little hard to understand why she was lending her support to the revolutionaries.

Two mules for Sister Sarah