Captain from Castile (1947)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Samuel Shellabarger (novel)
Lamar Trotti (writer)

Release Date:

January 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Romance

Tagline:

Master of Women's Hearts . . . . . . . Conqueror of a New World.

Plot:

The invasion of Mexico by Cortez, as seen by a young Spanish officer fleeing the Inquisition.

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Inquisition | Spain | Expedition | Caballero

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Pedro De Vargas
Jean Peters	...	Catana Perez
Cesar Romero	...	Hernando Cortez
Lee J. Cobb	...	Juan Garcia
John Sutton	...	Diego De Silva
Antonio Moreno	...	Don Francisco De Vargas
Thomas Gomez	...	Father Bartolome Romero
Alan Mowbray	...	Prof. Botello (the astrologer)
Barbara Lawrence	...	Luisa De Carvajal
George Zucco	...	Marquis De Carvajal
Roy Roberts	...	Capt. Alvarado
Marc Lawrence	...	Corio

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12

Filming Locations:

Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Jean Peters had never acted before this film. She replaced Linda Darnell, who was originally cast in the lead but shortly before production began 20th Century-Fox took her off the picture and gave her the lead in Forever Amber (1947). Peters was given the lead in this picture based on a screen test she had taken at Fox just a week before filming began that had impressed the film's producers.

Quotes:

Pedro De Vargas: [finding Botello lying on the ground] Botello, what happened?
Prof. Botello: [groans] What misery! I'm lucky to be alive! Oh, my poor head!
Pedro De Vargas: But what happened?
Prof. Botello: You won't tell on me, Pedro lad?
Pedro De Vargas: Of course not!
Prof. Botello: I was just taking a stroll with one of those Indian ladies - ugly as sin, of course, color of mud, but charming, dear boy, charming.
Pedro De Vargas: You know the penalty for touching an Indian!
Prof. Botello: Now, now, Pedro, you know orders don't apply to a cockroach like me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Conquistadors" (2000)

Excellent "old school" adventure film.

The first time I saw a version of "Captain from Castile" was on a black and white TV in the late Fifties and it became one of my favorite films which I have seen at least ten times and will continue to pull it out. It was a pleasant surprise to see the full version in color as I thought it was shot in black and white

This doesn't have the spectacular effects of today's films. It is just an excellent "old school" adventure film which deals with honor and loyalty which are pretty much lacking in today's films. It fired my young imagination and encouraged me to read the book by Samuel Shellabarger upon which it was based.

It has a wonderful cast including Ty Power, Jean Peters, Lee J. Cobb, John Sutton, Caesar Romero, and a lot of veterans in minor rolls including Jay Silverheels (Tonto). Alfred Newman's score is good.

Power was great as usual and Jean Peters turns in an excellent performance -- this was her first film.

Much of the film was shot in Mexico following the actual route that Cortez followed when he was conquering the Aztecs. (Check out the live volcano in the background that was erupting while the film was shot. That ain't a painted background.)

I highly recommend this film especially if you haven't seen a Tyrone Power film because this is one of his best.