Hay que matar a B. (1975)

Director:

José Luis Borau

Writers:

José Luis Borau
Antonio Drove

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

In a fictitious South American country there's lots of political tension, the labor-unions have all their members on strike...

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Darren McGavin	...	Pal Kovak
Stéphane Audran	...	Susana (as Stephane Audran)
Patricia Neal	...	Julia
Burgess Meredith	...	Hector
José Nieto		(as Pepe Nieto)
Luis Prendes	...	Commisary
Walter Coy
Pedro Díez del Corral	...	Jani (as Pedro Diez del Corral)
Rina Ottolina	...	Silvana
Perla Cristal	...	Rosita
Vicente Roca	...	Commercial Traveller
María Cristina Heredia	...	Luci (as Cristina Heredia)
Jaime Segura	...	Policeman 1
Ángel Menéndez	...	Judge (as Angel Menendez)
José María Resel	...	Journalist (as Jose Maria Resel)
Jaco Doria
Antonio Ross	...	Official
Luis Ibarrondo	...	Police Chief
Carl Rapp		(as Karl Papp)
Pablo Hoyos	...	Singer (as Pablo Hoyo)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ángel Acinas	...	Policeman 2 (uncredited)
Luis Barboo	...	Assailant 1 (uncredited)
Randi Cooley	...	Sweets Seller (uncredited)
Luis Induni	...	(uncredited)
Irving Lerner	...	Store's Owner (uncredited)
Fernando Navarro	...	Collector (uncredited)
Joaquín Parra	...	Assailant 2 (uncredited)
Juan Ribot	...	Taylor (uncredited)
Fernando Villena	...	Trade Union Employee (uncredited)

Directed by
José Luis Borau		(as Jose L. Borau)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
José Luis Borau		(as Jose Luis Borau)
Antonio Drove

Produced by
José Luis Borau	....	producer (as Jose Luis Borau)
Irving Lerner	....	co-producer
Luis Megino	....	executive producer

Original Music by
José Nieto		(as Jose Nieto)

Cinematography by
Luis Cuadrado

Film Editing by
Pablo G. del Amo

Set Decoration by
Federico G. Mas

Costume Design by
Maiki Marín		(as Maiki Marin)

Makeup Department
Louis Bonnemaison	....	makeup artist (as L. Bonmaison)
Ana Criado	....	hair stylist
Cristóbal Criado	....	makeup artist (as Cristobal Criado)
Luis Criado	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
José G. Jacoste	....	production manager (as Jose G. Jacoste)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
José López Rodero	....	first assistant director (as Jose Lopez Rodero)
Roberto Parra	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Matías Recuenco	....	property master (as Matias Recuenco)
Manuel Romero	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Luis Castro	....	sound effects
Luis Rodríguez	....	sound (as Luis Rodriguez)

Special Effects by
Basilio Cortijo	....	special effects
Pablo Pérez	....	special effects (as Pablo Perez)

Visual Effects by
Emilio Ruiz del Río	....	foreground modeler (as Emilio Ruiz)

Camera and Electrical Department
Luis Cano	....	first assistant camera
Antonio de Benito	....	still photographer
Antonio Escamilla	....	second assistant camera
Teo Escamilla	....	camera operator
Laureano López	....	gaffer (as Laureano Lopez)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Magdalena Fernández	....	wardrobe (as Magdalena Fernandez)
Juana Ramírez	....	wardrobe (as Juanita Ramirez)

Editorial Department
Marisa O'Donnell	....	second assistant editor
José Salcedo	....	first assistant editor (as Jose Salcedo)

Other crew
Salvador Alarcón	....	administrator (as Salvador Alarcon)
José M. Albuerne	....	production assistant (as Jose M. Albuerne)
Pilar S. Fernández	....	production secretary (as Pilar S. Fernandez)
María Teresa Font	....	script supervisor (as Maria Teresa Font)
Patricia Johnson	....	unit publicist
Sunny Meyer	....	public relations
Vicente Montejano	....	second production assistant

Production Companies

• El Imán Cine y Televisión S.A.
• Luis Megino
• Taurean Films

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (197?) (USA) (theatrical) (English-track)

Other Companies

• Audiofilm  sound post-production
• Exa S.A.  sound
• Sadilsa  camera equipment provided by
• Syre  sound

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Spain:97 min | USA:90 min

Country:

Spain | Switzerland

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company:

El Imán Cine y Televisión S.A.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Between Your Legs (1999)

"B Must Die" is an overlooked gem

I caught "B Must Die" one night many years ago at 3:00 am on a local station's Late Late Show. This film can really surprise you. And it can really stick with you. Its one of those films that you keep trying to find out if anyone else has ever seen.

What looks like a typical low-budget, off-the-cuff 1970's attempt at a slick intrigue picture--you know the kind, I am sure--actually shows forethought, consideration, and carefulness despite its modest production values. You keep waiting some stupid, glaring hole in the storyline, or perhaps the editing (as often befalls lower-budget 1970's products) but this never happens and soon you forget about trying to shoot the film down. It is simple and straightforward and unpretentious.

Its got an exotic, (but at the same time gritty and impovershed) foreign locale and good, reliable, American actors. Darren McGavin gives a solid, understated performance as the unwitting dupe of a political assassination plot. He's just a regular guy made into a patsy on account of his finesse with a long-range rifle. The film has just that bit of menace in its villains and restraint on its violence to make you watch it carefully. It doesnt make the unfolding events too obvious or dumbed-down.

But what you really wind up paying attention to is not the plot in this picture at all--the story simply makes a memorable backdrop for the quite tender, bittersweet romance between McGavin and Stephane Audran. For all its puny size, this romance surprisingly evokes the rhythms of other, more famous film romances--like Doctor Zhivago for example. Its got the very same appeal: that of a man and a woman meeting by circumstance and trying to sustain a romance during a melee of larger political events over which they have no control. The romance is tenuous, and therefore somewhat melancholy from the start. McGavin is plainly a haphazard figure who has never had a chance to be in love with a woman like Audran--and the fact that he cant seem to extract himself from the jeopardy he finds himself in seems to hint that his late success will be short-lived.

But there is a wonderful visual of the two lovers strolling down a steep boulevard, huddled tightly against one another, making their way hesitantly through a crowd of rushing figures, enjoying their love for one another.

All the other bodies around them are clad in starched white cotton tunics and the couple stands out in sharp relief, proceeding in the opposite direction, wearing their everyday clothes, not really looking at anything, but just being close to one another for as long as they can. The figures stream by them like the forceful current of a river. The camera is held for just the right duration, and with just the right backward motion, following the actor's faces from the foreground, looking back towards them as they move. Its hard to forget that scene.

At the end you are really hoping for McGavin to find a way out of the snare--a snare thats been prepared with him as the bait.

If you ever see this film in listed on the preview channel do yourself a favour and give it a look--you wont be sorry.