during the brief period between clint eastwood string of spaghetti western and his dirty harry film and he and director don siegel team up to make this unusual picture . eastwood play an injured union army corporal during the civil war who be take in by a southern school for girl until he recover from his wound . it have be a while since the young woman ( most of which seem to be teenager ) have have a man on the premise and so they be reluctant to turn him in to the local rebel soldier . the resulting situation be often humorous and shock and erotic and or even downright grotesque a eastwood slowly regain his strength and begin to brood over the establishment . the basic storyline almost sound like the making of a porno film . we have a masculine male suddenly surround by young nubile woman . most of them be sexually attract to him . and he be more than willing to spread the love amongst them . the material never really slip down to the level of tasteless and however . eastwood and siegel and and cinematographer bruce surtees be such skilled filmmaker and that the film always retain it dignity . eastwood john mcburney be like no other character he have ever play . mcburney be an amoral and conniving and and lustful charlatan . he know that most of the woman and even the young want his bod and and he let more than one of them have a shot at him . mcburney often use flattery to butter the woman up and then use his rugged good look to reel them in . he be like a drunken player at a cocktail party and often hit on different woman even in the same scene . eventually and his lustful way cause him great agony and loss in a way you must see for yourselves . this author would not dream of reveal the specific consequence of his action and but there be little doubt he have them come . eastwood give a typically great performance . he seem to be have a blast with the role until thing turn really ugly and then he turn mean and ugly . geraldine page be a treat a the steely btch who run the school . we know she want mcburney as much a the other girl and but with her checkered past show to u in flashback and we find out that isn not all she after . mae mercer a a slave belonging to the school give a great performance and too . she obviously know mcburney be a skunk from the beginning and and she never let his phony charm bring her guard down . this be a character you will want to know more about after the film be over . she seem to have a great knowledge of the world than anyone else in the film . the beguile do poorly in it theatrical release . nobody be quite sure what to make of it and and some of it content no doubt raise a few eyebrow in 1971. for example and in an early scene we see eastwood romantically kiss a 12 yr old girl . be he just try to keep her quiet when the rebel soldier get close and or be he really enjoy it . probably both . a fantasy sequence later on even show clint get it on with not only page and but her young assistant . truly some interesting going on in this one . it a good thing eastwood become the star he do and or this one might have be long forgotten . highly recommended . positive star . the hound .