Blood and Sand (1941)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Rouben Mamoulian

Writers:

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (novel)
Jo Swerling (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 May 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Love flamed in the shadow of death!

Plot:

Illiterate peasant Juan Gallardo rises meteorically to fame and fortune in the bullfight arena only to sow the seeds of his own fall.

Plot Keywords:

Bullfighter | Fame | Loyalty | Train | Crucifix

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Juan Gallardo
Linda Darnell	...	Carmen Espinosa
Rita Hayworth	...	Doña Sol des Muire
Alla Nazimova	...	Señora Augustias Gallardo (as Nazimova)
Anthony Quinn	...	Manola de Palma
J. Carrol Naish	...	Garabato
John Carradine	...	Nacional
Lynn Bari	...	Encarnacíon
Laird Cregar	...	Natalio Curro
Monty Banks	...	Antonio López (as William Montague)
Vicente Gómez	...	Guitarist (as Vicente Gomez)
George Reeves	...	Captain Pierre Lauren
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Don Jóse Álvarez (as Pedro deCordoba)
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Pedro Espinosa
Victor Kilian	...	Priest

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #7216) | Sweden:15 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Rita Hayworth's first Technicolor film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the scene when Doña Sol des Muire sings to Juan Gallardo on his first visit to her home, she accompanies herself on the guitar, but while she strums the fingers of her other hand never move to change chords as she plays.

Quotes:

Natalio Curro: [to a tableful of sycophants at an outdoor restaurant] I understand Gallardo has one more contract to fulfill - the corrida next Sunday afternoon. I predict he will make his exit in a cloud of rotten oranges and dead cats. I hold him directly responsible for the death of Nacional, and I should say so in my article tomorrow. The trouble with Gallardo is he has cats in his belly. His father was the same way. Like father, like son.
Juan Gallardo: [after Curro suddenly realizes Gallardo has overheard him] That's the second time you've said things about my father. As for you, you've probably never been baptized.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Budd Boetticher: An American Original (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

El Albaicin

Tyrone Power in the Valentino role...Hayworth as the siren...

20th Century Fox gave Tyrone Power one of his most famous roles as the bullfighter torn between the love of a noble woman, his wife (Linda Darnell), and the tempestuous "other woman" (Rita Hayworth). A technicolor remake of the 1922 classic with Valentino, the studio spared no expense in making this a lavish, well-paced version of the tale depicting the rise and fall of a great bullfighter.

While establishing Power as a romantic hero of swashbuckling roles, it made a star of Rita Hayworth who, up until this time, was seen mostly in low-budget films. If anything, 'Blood and Sand' assured of the stardom she sought.

Especially interesting in one of his more flamboyant character roles is Laird Cregar as the critic of the art of bullfighting, alternately praising and damning the hero and eventually getting his comeuppance from Power.

Directed with great style by Rouben Mamoulian, it is still the best version of the story to date, photographed in the lush technicolor of the 1940s.

You may be interested in looking at my article on Laird Cregar that appeared in the March 2001 issue of CLASSIC IMAGES.