El Cid (1961)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers (WGA):

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

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
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:
Antonio Mayans	...	(uncredited)
Paul Muller	...	Arabian Assistant Doctor (uncredited)
Rosalba Neri	...	Harem girl (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

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
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
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

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

Production Companies

• Rank Organisation, The (in association with)
• Samuel Bronston Productions
• Dear Film Produzione

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film (1962) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Miramax Films (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Hafbo (1961) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Best Film & Video Corp. (USA) (VHS)
• ClassicLine (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Genius Products (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Miriam Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• United Video (video)
• VCI Home Video (video)
• Video Film Express (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (remastered)

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:

It wasn't until viewing the finished film at the premiere that Dr. Miklós Rózsa discovered that roughly 20% of his score had been eliminated. He didn't do another score for producer Samuel Bronston.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When he is fighting another king's champion, the figure of Rodrigo, as he is being run into by his opponent's horse, is clearly a motionless stick-figured dummy with Rodrigo's armor on it.

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

Indellible

I watched this on the big screen when I was very very young, but this epic film left an indellible impression on me. I have to consider this to be one of the best films I ever watched.

Heston and Loren made a beautiful pair in this epic. The transformation of Loren's hatred to love for Heston was a highlight of the show.

A few scenes that stood out in my mind was: 1. The jousting scene 2. The scene where Heston catapulted buns into the besieged city and won the heart of the people. 3. The epic fighting scene at the beach where arrows rained upon the shielded soldiers ...and who can forget the famous riding scene at the very end with the already dead Rodrigo tied to the mount riding out of the city that one last time. Combined with the underlying score, that was one of the most moving scenes of all times. Years later, when I happened upon the show on TV again, I still could not help but felt a little misty in my eyes when I watched that last scene.