El Cid (1961)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers (WGA):

Fredric M. Frank (story)
Philip Yordan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 December 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

The GREATEST ROMANCE and ADVENTURE in a THOUSAND YEARS!

Plot:

Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz ("El Cid" to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour...

Plot Keywords:

Spain | Epic | Siege | Beautiful Woman | Horse Riding

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	El Cid Rodrigo de Bivar
Sophia Loren	...	Jimena
Raf Vallone	...	Count Ordóñez
Geneviève Page	...	Princess Urraca (as Genevieve Page)
John Fraser	...	Prince Alfonso
Gary Raymond	...	Prince Sancho
Hurd Hatfield	...	Arias
Massimo Serato	...	Fanez
Frank Thring	...	Al Kadir
Michael Hordern	...	Don Diego
Andrew Cruickshank	...	Count Gormaz
Douglas Wilmer	...	Moutamin
Tullio Carminati	...	Priest
Ralph Truman	...	King Ferdinand
Christopher Rhodes	...	Don Martín

Runtime:

182 min

Country:

Italy | USA | UK

Language:

Latin | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 (2008) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bamburgh Beach, Bamburgh, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

El Cid's sword "Tizona" can still be seen in the Army Museum (Museo Del Ejército) in Madrid. Soon after his death, it became one of the most precious possessions of the Castilian royal family. And in 1999, a small sample of the blade underwent metallurgical analysis which partially confirmed that it was made in Moorish Cordoba in the eleventh century, although the report does not specify whether the larger-scale composition of the blade identifies it as Damascus steel. In 2006 "El Museo Del Ejércitp" (The Army Museum) was moving from Madrid to Toledo and apparently the sword was not available to be seen in public. El Cid also had a sword called Colada.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The bearded assassin who kills Prince Sancho gets his comeuppance from the Cid outside the castle gates. The same character is later seen in the background during Cid's deathbed scene.

Quotes:

El Cid: Our dream was short.
Jimena: I know. There is no place hidden for a man like you. There must be thousands who would gladly part. Why you? Why me?
El Cid: Please, let me carry away an image of you smiling.
Jimena: It would be a lie. I will beseech God with my prayers. I will tell Him He must bring you back to me. I must tell God how much I need you.
El Cid: Then we *will* see each other again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Bold and the Beautiful: (#1.1675)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Phir tere shehar mein

Totally Utterly Brilliant

Having recently seen it for the umpteenth time (lost count) I can only say that Charlton Heston was the right choice, (Who else?) and Sophia Loren was totally beyond compare. So many of the "minor" characters were so good, Douglas Wilmer's Moutamin, brilliant and Genevieve Page, a wonderful Urraca, there was a subtle performance for you, just a trifle not quite appropriate, in her very obvious affection for the younger brother - a trifle suspicious, but she played it perfectly. Charlton Heston, obviously dominated the film, as was right. But, one question is left, who played Bavieca (The Horse Dear,) he lived about 2-1/2 years after the death of his beloved master and no one else could ride him, he is buried at Valencia, but where ?