It was some time last year when a rather nice collection of original press
stills appeared for auction. Whilst I had a great deal of these in my
collection, I realised I had been rather slow in scanning the majority of mine
for the dedicated Beguiled page. Instead I took the time in restoring most of
the photos that was in the auction. A lot of them were in pretty rough shape
and included creases and even emulsion loss. However, I finally finished them
today for posting here. Also, going through my files I found a nice collection
that I had gathered up over the years which featured co-star Pamelyn Ferdin who
played Amy in the film. Inside the folder I also found an old document where I
had made some notes, from various interviews with Ferdin. There was some really
nice stuff to be discovered actually. So I thought I would merge the photos,
along with the material I had on Ferdin and can be found towards the bottom
half of this post. I will in the near future also be updating the Beguiled page
with these. But in the meantime do enjoy them – NONE of these have ever been
featured on the Beguiled page.
Pamelyn Ferdin on The Beguiled:
Don Siegel was great. He treated me like an adult. I had been in the
business for so long that I really was a very professional adult even though I
was a kid. I was a teen who knew my lines, was prepared, and didn't kid around.
I was very serious about my work and I think Don Siegel really appreciated
that. It was a hard film. We were on location in Louisiana for six months. It
was hot and humid. I think he appreciated my ability to be just one of the
other actors and not have to baby me or treat me in a special way to get me to
say my lines. I was prepared every day and I think Clint Eastwood appreciated
that, too.
Working with Clint:
He was wonderful. He had children about my same age. He was a little
bit homesick at the time we were in Louisiana. It's really just him and me at
the beginning of the movie. In between scenes, he would talk about his kids. He
called me his "little dove." At the end of the movie, he gave me two
doves to keep.
In the opening sequence where I
find Mr. Eastwood wounded in the woods and I'm hiding out with him, some
confederate soldiers pass by. The scene called for him to cover my mouth with
his hand to make sure I didn't scream out and give away our hiding spot. But at
the last minute, Clint and Don decided he ought to kiss me instead. My first on
screen kiss was from Clint Eastwood! How great is that? Although I must say, as
a hard working actress who had been in show business since the age of four, the
kiss for me was just part of the work; and my reaction was to look surprised
(even though I wasn't!) Both Clint and Don thought they had surprised me with
their change in the script, but even at that age, I had a feeling they were up
to something, and my surprised look was well thought out at the very moment he
kissed me. They printed that take, and I knew my reaction was great because
both Clint and Don thought they had really surprised me!
Clint Eastwood and I wait between
takes while filming The Beguiled. Eastwood was wonderful and very kind to me.
Throughout the production he’d talk to me, telling me about his two small
children back home in Carmel and how much he missed them. He doted on me.
‘Whadaya think, little dove?’ he’d ask me after a take. ‘Pretty good, Mr.
Eastwood’ I'd say, ‘How about you? ‘He gave me a gift after filming The
Beguiled. His nickname for me was
"Dove" from a song, "The Dove She Is a Pretty Bird" he sang
in the movie, which is why the photo is inscribed "To Pamelyn, my
Dove." He wrote, "No more mushrooms, please!”
I was the last actor cast for
that film. Even though the part of Amy was written for a 16-year-old and I had
just turned 11, my agent got me an appointment at Universal to read for the
casting director. After I read from the script, the casting director made a
phone call then asked me to follow him down the hall. I was brought to Don
Siegel’s office, where I was asked to read again. I read, and Siegel said
nothing. I left hoping I did well enough to get called back for a second
interview. Instead, a few days later, my agent called to tell my parents to
pack my bags for a trip to Louisiana.
You know that was one of Clint's
favourite movies at the time too because he really felt it was a departure.
Unfortunately it didn't do well money wise, at the box office. He thought he
did a good job in that movie and it was a stretch for him because he played an
entirely different character. I think he was very much looking forward to
having that movie come out and unfortunately I guess it was not distributed
very well or something because I think it could have been a lot bigger than it
was.
When we wrapped our location
shooting in Louisiana, Eastwood gave me a pair of white doves as a gift. I
loved them and had them for many years.
Above: Posing for portraits on the first day of filming
"The Beguiled," April 1970. It was about 7am. because director Don
Siegel wanted to catch the morning fog along the bayou where we were shooting.
I remember it was bitter cold and I was barefoot
Above: Calling for help for the wounded McB in The
Beguiled. The authentic plantation in Darrow, Louisiana, had everything needed
for the movie but a gate, so a skilled crew of set builders from Universal put
one up, making it look just as old as the rest of the plantation.
