Stronghold (1951)

Director:

Steve Sekely

Writer:

Wells Root (story)

Release Date:

15 February 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

In 1850s Mexico, the beautiful owner of a silver mine is kidnapped by a bandit leader, who needs money to finance his revolt against the Emperor Maximilian.

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Juarez | Civil War | Battle | Politics

Cast

Veronica Lake	...	Mary Stevens
Zachary Scott	...	Don Miguel Navarro
Arturo de Córdova	...	Don Pedro Alvarez
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Irene Ajay
Alfonso Bedoya
Felipe de Alba
Rock Galbin
Gilberto González
Yadin Jiminez
Rita Macedo
Gustavo Rojo

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

Mexico | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company:

Lippert Pictures

Trivia:

Filmed simultaneously with Furia roja (1951), with different stars taking the main roles but with all other roles played by the same actors in both films, and with all scenes that do not feature the starring actors using identical footage.

Movie Connections:

Alternate language version of Furia roja (1951)

Stronghold & Furia Roja: Two different versions

The previous commentary might lead people to erroneously believe that both Veronica Lake and Sarita Montiel appear in "Stronghold." Actually Miss Lake appears in the English version only (Stronghold) while Sarita Montiel substitutes her -playing the same part- in the Spanish version whose title is "Furia Roja." There are other casting differences -check entry for "Furia Roja."

Also it is interesting to note the differences in the final edits of both films. The Mexican version has a scene at the beginning which shows the leading lady (Sarita Montiel) still trying to defend her destroyed U.S. Southern plantation while her father's dead body is laid out at a chapel surrounded by slaves. Her brother,(Gustavo Rojo) who is fighting for the North, shows up to check on his family and she almost shoots him since he is wearing the enemy uniform. After the initial confusion, the lady informs her brother that she and their mother (Fanny Schiller) would be moving to their property in Mexico "to forget the horrors of the war and find peace."

The English version starts with both mother and daughter (in this case Veronica Lake and Fanny Schiller) in a vessel arriving in Mexico. My opinion is that the Mexican version is more complete and coherent.