Madron

Jerry Hopper's Israel-set, savagely sun-baked spaghetti western 'His Name was Madron' (1970) is an amiable adventure with grizzled, gun-happy brigand Madron (Richard Boone) and kindly, but ever resourceful nun Sister Mary (Leslie Caron) making for an engaging ill-matched pair of travellers, fractiously bound together upon their increasingly desperate journey to a save haven beyond the ever encroaching threat of mercilessly vengeful Apache Warrior Sam Red!

Comparisons to Siegal's beloved 'Two Mules for Sister Sarah' are inevitable, but the delightful Riz Ortolani score, and his memorable theme 'Till Love Touches Your Life' certainly lends 'His Name was Madron' some additional appeal. The burly charismatic character actor Paul L. Smith makes the most of his all-too brief cameo, and while the amorous sparks never fully ignite between hard-bitten loner Madron and his nun sexier companion Sister Mary their lively performances are likeable enough, with the tall, crag-faced Boone making for a convincingly capable, sharp-shooting outlaw whose calloused trigger finger is fatefully softened by Mary's healing hands! As a scintillating aside, Leslie Caron's dazzlingly lustrous, delectably dark chestnut hair is a truly ravishing sight; Hell!!?? It's more than enough to lead a God-fearing man like me off the path of righteousness! Amen!!!!!

Madron is directed by Jerry Hopper who co-adapts the screenplay with Edward Chappell from a story written by Leo McMahon. It stars Richard Boone, Leslie Caron and Gabi Amrani. Filmed in Israel and Hollywood, cinematography is by Marcel Grignon and Adam Greenbereg and music is by Riz Ortolani.

A nun (Caron) survives a wagon train massacre and teams up with a gunslinger (Boone) in a battle for survival.

I'd like to say that the fact the similar themed Two Mules for Sister Sarah was released the same year is the reason this is little known. But that simply isn't true. For Madron (AKA: His Name Was Madron) is a poor movie, saved from stinker damnation by Boone's fun performance as the grizzled title character. Film consists of Boone and Caron trekking thru the barren sands finding each other as they fight off bandits and injuns in a series of poorly executed action scenes. Script is weak and plot holds no surprises, like wouldn't you know it, once Nun Caron throws off the Habbit, she's a foxy babe! The Israeli vistas hold up as a Western backdrop, but they are barely realised by the photography and the colour is decidedly flat, while the score and title song (Till Love Touches Your Life-Richard Williams & Jan Daley) sounds like something from a soft core porn movie of the 70s. The ending has a decent enough kick to it, and the odd spurt of violence lifts the film out of its stupor; with one scene probably more fitting for Soldier Blue, but really this is only one for Boone enthusiasts. 5/10

I am surprised that the other users did not mention the comparison between this film and Don Siegel's TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARAH, two different movies though, but in the new Italian western wave however. I prefer this one, despite the fact it is less good, but so downbeat, very gloomy with a very good Dick Boone's performance. I love this movie.

The movie is enthralling, it has deepness, it is the hard core gunfighter who has lost all hope on mankind, including himself, and trapped by circumstances in a desert with a beautiful pure woman...and slowly regains hope in mankind, in himself, and ultimately falls in love...his last love...and sacrifices his life so that she may live...all enshrined in the nostalgic spell of the award winning score...a beautiful movie...

MADRON is your typical kind of western with one twist: it was shot largely in Israel, in various sun-scorched desert locales which do a good job of standing in for the Old West. Otherwise, it's a middling kind of film that doesn't really have a lot going for it, as the production is kind of sloppy. The photography never really brings out the best of the surroundings and the characters are rather flat.

The protagonist is Leslie Caron, playing an uptight nun who survives an Indian massacre at the film's opening. She's rescued by Richard Boone's titular gunfighter, and the two then go on a trek through the land, fighting off various bad guys all the while. A handful of cheap action scenes prop up MADRON, but they're quite poorly conceived and lacking in excitement. Boone is the best thing in this and is reminiscent of Bud Spencer at times. Paul L. Smith (Bluto in POPEYE) has a minor role. The famous Italian film composer Riz Ortolani supplied the music, but that opening song really has dated in the worst kind of way.