El Cid (1961)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

14 December 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Action | 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 | Moor | Siege | Battle | Spanish

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 8 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
Carlo Giustini	...	Bermúdez
Gérard Tichy	...	King Ramírez (as Gerard Tichy)
Fausto Tozzi	...	Dolfos
Barbara Everest	...	Mother Superior
Katina Noble	...	Nun
Nerio Bernardi	...	Soldier
Franco Fantasia	...	Soldier
Herbert Lom	...	Ben Yussuf
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Naschy
Antonio Mayans	...	(uncredited)
Paul Muller	...	Arabian Assistant Doctor (uncredited)
Rosalba Neri	...	Harem Girl (uncredited)
Robert Rietty	...	Fanez (voice) (uncredited)
Virgilio Teixeira	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Mann

Writing credits (WGA)
Fredric M. Frank		(story)
Philip Yordan		(screenplay) and
Fredric M. Frank		(screenplay) and
Ben Barzman		(screenplay) originally uncredited

Produced by
Samuel Bronston	....	producer
Jaime Prades	....	associate producer
Michal Waszynski	....	associate producer (as Michael Waszynski)

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Robert Krasker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Lawrence

Production Design by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Set Decoration by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Costume Design by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Makeup Department
Grazia De Rossi	....	hair stylist
Mario Van Riel	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Leon Chooluck	....	production manager
Guy Luongo	....	production manager
Tadeo Villalba	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
José López Rodero	....	assistant director (as José Lopez Rodero)
José María Ochoa	....	assistant director
Luciano Sacripanti	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Stanley Detlie	....	property master (as Stan Detlie)
Maciek Piotrowski	....	paintings and drawings
José María Alarcón	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)
Julián Martín	....	painter (uncredited)
Vicente Sempere Sempere	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Verna Fields	....	sound editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recordist
Jack Solomon	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Jack Erickson	....	special effects
Alex Weldon	....	special effects

Stunts
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Manuel Berenguer	....	director of photography: second unit
Carl Gibson	....	head grip
John Harriss	....	camera operator
Norton Kurland	....	supervising electrician
John Harris	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gloria Musetta	....	wardrobe director

Editorial Department
Magdalena Paradell	....	assistant to editor

Music Department
Edna Bullock	....	music editor
Lucie Svehlova	....	orchestra leader (Tadlow re-recording ) (uncredited)
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pat Miller	....	script supervisor
Armondo Linus Acosta	....	design consultant (uncredited)
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	fencing instructor (uncredited)
Julio Sempere	....	second assistant to director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Bronston Productions
• Dear Film Produzione (in association with)

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Hafbo (1961) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film (1962) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• Media Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan for VCI Home Entertainment)
• Miramax Films (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Video Film Express (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Genius Products (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Miriam Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (remastered)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• Best Film & Video Corp. (1994) (USA) (VHS) (restored version)
• ClassicLine (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• EMS (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• United Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• United Video (video)
• VCI Home Video (video)
• Vestron Video (1983) (USA) (video) (CED VideoDisc)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

182 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (some 35 mm prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Belmonte, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Company:

Samuel Bronston Productions

Trivia:

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Charlton Heston himself was not overly impressed by the finished film, suggesting in his 1995 autobiography "In the Arena" that the film might have been better if William Wyler had directed it instead of Anthony Mann.

Goofs:

Continuity: After talking with Rodrigo on their wedding night, Jimena has a stern look on her face. With the next cut, slightly closer, she is visibly upset with tears already streaming down her face.

Quotes:

Jimena:Why did you come?
El Cid:I tried not to come. I tried, I told my love it had no right to live. But my love won't die...
Jimena:Kill it.
El Cid:You kill it! Tell me you don't love me.
Jimena:[long pause] I cannot. Not yet. But I will make myself worthy of you Rodrigo, I will learn to hate you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Batman: A Death Worse Than Fate (#1.10)" (1966)

Soundtrack:

The Falcon and the Dove

One of the classic epic films of all time

In 1961 Anthony Mann's epic tale of the Spanish hero "El Cid" burst across the wide screens of theatres. This was the kind of film that 70mm was made for. Charlton Heston is Rodrigo de Bivar, and Sophia Loren is his legendary love, Chimene. Their course of love will not be a smooth one. When he kills her father as a matter of honor, she vows vengeance and sets in motion the series of events which will forever change their lives. The Christian Spaniards are ruled by local kingdoms each vying for rule of the nation. When one king challenges El Cid's monarch, Heston volunteers to fight to the death to determine the fate of the city of Calahorra, and at the same time vindicate himself of the treason he was accused of by Loren's father. This fight for Calahorra is one of the most memorable action sequences ever committed to film. It opens with Miklos Rozsa's heraldic fanfare as the two knights take their places on the jousting field. The two kings watch from either side. The ensuing duel is brutal with a predictable, but decisive outcome. The lovers are eventually married, but only to be separated again as El Cid is called to protect Spain from the marauding Moors swarming across the Mediterranean from Africa. The Spanish Moors join with the Cid to take the city of Valencia where the enemy will attack. It is here that one of the great battle scenes takes place, actually filmed in the shadow of the walled city of Peniscola on the coast of Spain. The two armies charge eachother in a cacaphony of horses, shouts and Rozsa's rousing musical score. The sky is darkened by the thousands of flying arrows streaking across to the enemy. This is the kind of movie that they just don't make anymore. What a pity! The final sequence shows the eerie onslaught of the Spanish army lead by the fallen El Cid strapped to his steed and causing the Moors to flee in terror at his seeming resurrection. Rozsa's organ music swells as El Cid rides into the sunset along the deserted beach and into immortality. In the mid 90's after many years of not being available, "El Cid" was shown again in its 70mm splendor. It was then released on video. The superb Criterion laserdisc version contains the full Technirama letterboxed image and a restored mult-channel soundtrack in Dolby Digital. An excellent supplementary section has interviews with Charlton Heston and others. Heston says that "El Cid" would have been an even more enduring classic if William Wyler ("Ben-Hur") had directed it. However, Anthony Mann has nothing to be ashamed of. Aside from some wooden acting and some scenery chewing here and there, the richness of the story and the elaborate production design, paired with the fine performance of Heston and Miklos Rozsa's impassioned score, surely place "El Cid" in the Hall of Fame of great film epics.