Old Gringo (1989)

Director:

Luis Puenzo

Writers (WGA):

Carlos Fuentes (novel)
Aída Bortnik (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 October 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | History | Romance

Tagline:

A woman inspired by a man of dreams swept into the arms of a general, and drawn into a worlds of danger.

Plot:

When school teacher Harriet Winslow goes to Mexico to teach, she is kidnapped by Gen. Tomas Arroyo and his revolutionaries...

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Mexico | Revolutionary | General | Politics

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Harriet Winslow
Gregory Peck	...	Ambrose Bierce
Jimmy Smits	...	Gen. Tomas Arroyo
Patricio Contreras	...	Col. Frutos Garcia
Jenny Gago	...	La Garduna
Gabriela Roel	...	La Luna
Sergio Calderón	...	Zacarias (as Sergio Calderon)
Guillermo Ríos	...	Monsalvo (as Guillermo Rios)
Jim Metzler	...	Ron
Samuel Valadez De La Torre	...	Consul Saunders
Anne Pitoniak	...	Mrs. Winslow
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Pancho Villa (as Pedro Armendariz Jr.)
Stanley Grover	...	Gen. Saunders
Josefina Echánove	...	Clementina (as Josefina Echanove)
Pedro Damián	...	Capt. Ovando (as Pedro Damian)
Maya Zapata	...	Dolores
José Olivares	...	Trinidad (as Jose Olivares)
Alicia del Lago	...	Trinidad's wife
Carlos Cardán	...	Matias Salazar (as Carlos Cardan)
Evangelina Sosa	...	Guadalupe (as Evangelista Sosa Martínez)
Hector Rivera	...	Ataulfo
Víctor Carpinteiro	...	Hilario
Salvador Sánchez	...	Floreal (as Salvador Sanchez)
María Victoria Mondragón	...	Old woman (as Maria Victoria Mondragon)
José Juan Rodriguez	...	Old man (as Jose Juan Rodriguez)
Mário Arévalo	...	Casimiro (as Mario Arevalo)
Laurel Lyle	...	Librarian
Richardson Morse	...	Editor
José Jorge Zepeda	...	Administrator of hacienda (as Jose Jorge Zepeda)
Roberto Sosa	...	Lucio (as Roberto Sosa Martinez)
María Luisa Coronel	...	Maria (as Maria Luisa Coronel)
Amelia Zapata	...	Juana
Mark Kelty	...	Journalist #1
John Williams	...	Journalist #2
Arturo Rodríguez Doring	...	Mexican journalist (as Arturo Rodriguez Doring)
Fernando Moya	...	Hotel clerk
Juan Antonio Llanes	...	Assistant hotel clerk
Abel Woolrich	...	Tall soldier
René Pereyra	...	Short soldier (as Rene Pereyra)
Martín Palomares	...	Wounded man (as Martin Palomares)
Roberto Ortiz	...	Federal officer
Stewart Smith	...	Journalist
Paul Williams	...	Cinematographer
Steven Spencer	...	Assistant consul
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Sabol	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Luis Puenzo

Writing credits (WGA)
Carlos Fuentes		(novel "Gringo Viejo")
Aída Bortnik		(screenplay) (as Aida Bortnik) &
Luis Puenzo		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lois Bonfiglio	....	producer
David Wisnievitz	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lee Holdridge

Cinematography by
Félix Monti		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William M. Anderson		(as William Anderson)
Glenn Farr
Juan Carlos Macías

Casting by
Wallis Nicita

Production Design by
Bruno Rubeo
Stuart Wurtzel

Art Direction by
Scott Ritenour
Jorge Sainz		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Tessa Davies

Costume Design by
Enrico Sabbatini

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist (as Kathryn L. Blondell)
Bertha Chiu	....	hair stylist (as Berta Chiu)
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist
Paul Huntley	....	wig maker
Alberto López	....	makeup artist (as Alberto Lopez)
Raúl Sarmiento	....	additional makeup artist
Peggy Schierholz	....	makeup artist (as Peg Schierholz)

Production Management
Luis Bekris	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rodrigo Fürth	....	second assistant director (as Rodrigo Furth)
Raúl Outeda	....	first assistant director (as Raul Outeda)

Art Department
Steve Alexander	....	construction coordinator
Horacio Altuna	....	sketch artist
Ron Downing	....	property master
Joseph Forbes	....	scenic artist
Ricardo Gil	....	property master
Pedro González Sánchez	....	swing gang (as Pedro Gonzalez Sanchez)
Jorge González	....	assistant property master (as Jorge Gonzalez Valdivia)
Peter Hackman	....	scenic artist (as Peter G. Hackman)
Francisco López	....	swing gang (as Francisco Lopez Serrano)
Antonio Mata Jr.	....	assistant to production designer (as Tony Ortiz)
Marcos Neumann	....	prop buyer (as Marcos Neumann Ruiz)
Andrew 'Sandy' Overholtzer	....	construction coordinator (as Andrew Overholtzer)
Bryce Perrin	....	assistant art director
Francisco Ramirez	....	scenic artist
German Ramirez	....	greensman (as German Ramirez Romero)
Jon Ringbom	....	scenic artist
Steve Saklad	....	set designer
Jeanne Vertigan	....	decorator buyer
Theresa Wachter	....	art department coordinator
Tom Warren	....	set designer
John Alvin	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Alejandro Ayala	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gregg Baxter	....	foley editor
Steve Borne	....	assistant sound editor (as Steve Born)
Mick D'Andrea	....	assistant sound editor
Carlos Delarios	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Carlos deLarios)
Bruce Foster	....	foley editor
Mark Gordon	....	sound editor
Taffy Haines	....	sound engineer
William Hartman	....	sound editor
Chris Jargo	....	sound editor (as J. Christopher Jargo)
Simon Kaye	....	production sound mixer
Michael J. Kohut	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Michael Kohut)
Tom C. McCarthy	....	supervising sound editor
Pedro Mejía	....	cable person (as Pedro Mejia)
Lauren Palmer	....	supervising adr editor (as Lauren J. Palmer)
Jorge Palomino	....	boom operator (as Jorge Palomino Rojas)
Aaron Rochin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tommy Staples	....	boom operator (as Tom Staples)
Bill Voigtlander	....	adr editor
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor
Steve Kohler	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jesus G. Duran	....	special effects head (as Jesus Duran Galvan)
Adrián Durán	....	special effects head (as Adrian Duran Martinez)
Alejandro Durán	....	special effects head (as Alejandro Duran Vazquez)
Fermín Durán	....	special effects head (as Fermin Duran Martinez)

Visual Effects by
Rocco Gioffre	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Blair Burrows	....	stunts
Danny Costa	....	stunts (as Dan Costa)
Bob K. Cummings	....	stunts (as Bob Cummings)
Richard L. Duran	....	stunts (as Richard Duran)
Joe Finnegan	....	stunts
Lance Gilbert	....	stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Tim Gilbert	....	stunts
Troy Gilbert	....	stunts
Johnny Hock	....	stunt double: Mr. Peck (as John Hocks)
Clint Lilley	....	stunt double: Mr. Smits
Bruce W. Morgan	....	stunts (as Bruce Morgan)
James Pratt	....	stunts (as Jim Pratt)
Karen Price	....	stunt double: Ms. Fonda
Bob Terhune	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Marcelo Camorino	....	camera operator: second unit
Arturo de la Rosa	....	additional camera operator
Rodolfo Denevi	....	gaffer
Gerardo Flores	....	second assistant camera (as Gerardo Julian Flores)
Juan Iniestra	....	best boy dolly grip
Aldo Lobótrico	....	camera operator (as Aldo Lobotrico)
Carlos Montaño	....	additional camera operator (as Carlos Montano Jimenez)
Hector Morini	....	camera operator: second unit
Salvador Gutierrez Morreno	....	chief lighting technician (as Salvador Guitierrez Moreno)
Tessa Racine	....	first assistant camera
Antonio Ramírez 'Puma'	....	key grip (as Antonio Ramierez 'Puma')
Isidro Rosas	....	second assistant camera (as Isidro Rosas Torres)
Zade Rosenthal	....	still photographer
Tim Ross	....	first assistant camera
Pablo Ríos	....	second assistant camera
Gonzalo Zaragoza Torres	....	best boy electric
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician (uncredited)
René Marquéz	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Claudia Becker	....	casting: Mexico
Joanne Zaluski	....	casting associate: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincenzo Cancellara	....	costume supervisor: men
Thomas Casterline	....	assistant costume designer
Simonetta Leoncini	....	assistant costume designer
Teresa Micocci	....	supervising seamstress
Jaime Ortiz	....	wardrobe assistant (as Jaime Ortiz Dominguez)
Olga Pagnotta	....	wardrobe assistant
Paola Pedricca	....	costumer: women
Uliva Pizzetti	....	costume supervisor: women
Enrique Villavicencio	....	costumer: men
Giovanni Viti	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Melinda Cooke	....	apprentice editor
Jorge Firdman	....	assistant editor
Pablo Mari	....	assistant editor
Lloyd Nelson	....	assistant editor
Carlos Patiño	....	assistant editor (as Carlos Patino)
Hugo Primero	....	assistant editor (as Hugo Alberto Primero)
Kimberly Ray	....	assistant editor
Lorraine Salk	....	assistant editor
José Antonio Torres	....	assistant editor (as Jose Torres)

Music Department
Thomas A. Carlson	....	music editor (as Tom Carlson)
Hiram Dordelly de Cenidim	....	music recordist
Robert Fernandez	....	music mixer (as Bobby Fernandez)
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist (uncredited)
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist (uncredited)
George Doering	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Charles Enzen	....	transportation supervisor (as Chuck Enzen)
Margarito Fuentes Gutiérrez	....	transportation captain (as Margarito Gutierrez)
Luis Pérez	....	transportation captain (as Luis Perez)
Enrique Díaz	....	driver (uncredited)
Manuel Paredes Murillo	....	driver (uncredited)
Alfonso Paredes	....	driver (uncredited)
Lowell D. Smith	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Roland Armstorff	....	production assistant
Erika Arteta	....	government supervisor
Judy Arthur	....	unit publicist
Guillermo 'Memo' Carreno	....	production assistant (as Guillermo H. Carreno)
Andrea Coppola	....	assistant: Mr. Puenzo
Efren del Moral	....	production assistant (as Efren Alberto del Moral)
Jacques Descent	....	assistant production auditor (as Jack Descent)
Susan Dukow	....	production coordinator (as Susan W. Dukow)
Sean H. Ferrer	....	second unit supervisor
Lily Flaschner	....	assistant location manager
Emily Gamboa	....	production coordinator: Mexico
José Luis García	....	production assistant (as Jose Luis Garcia)
Gastone Grassi	....	supervising tailor
Jesús Guerrero	....	extras coordinator (as Jesus Guerrero)
Jill Gurr	....	script supervisor
Ed Hart	....	delegate: American Humane Society
Jay Johnson	....	title designer
Mara Llantada	....	assistant production coordinator
Ana Mérida	....	choreographer (as Ana Merida)
Pat Newcomb	....	public relations
Sebastián Puenzo	....	production assistant (as Sebastian Puenzo)
Anna Roth	....	location manager
David N. Schrager	....	assistant to second unit supervisor (as David Schrager)
Katherine Silver	....	script translator
Roberto Sneider	....	assistant location manager
Gordon A. Spencer	....	wrangler
Tammy Stockfish	....	assistant: Ms. Fonda
Alexandra Stone	....	assistant: Mr. Bonfiglio
Simone Study	....	assistant: Mr. Bonfiglio
Lydia Telo	....	production auditor
Rudy Ugland	....	livestock coordinator
Donna Wells	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Jerry Young	....	wrangler (as Jerry M. Young)
Raúl Álvarez	....	production assistant (as Raul Alvarez)
Emilia Arau	....	assistant to unit publicist (uncredited)
'Chico' Hernandez	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Debi Karolewski	....	assistant: Jane Fonda (uncredited)
Harry Kopoian	....	airport liaison: Mexico (uncredited)
Jorge Valdés García	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Tessa Davies	....	in loving memory of
Jose Hernandez and the Mariachi Sol de Mexico	....	special thanks
Marcos Loya	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Fonda Films

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures of Canada (1989) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1990) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Video

Other Companies

• ARRI München  camera equipment provided by
• Cinema Research  titles and optical effects
• Lorimar Studios  recorded at

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Japan:120 min | USA:119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Gregory Peck was a close friend of Jane Fonda and frequently attended political rallies with her. This film was the only movie that they appeared in together.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: At the end of the movie as Harriet Winslow is crossing the Rio Grande, the river flows from right to left. If she were actually crossing the border from Mexico to America (northward), the river would flow from left to right (eastward).

Quotes:

Gen. Tomas Arroyo:Do you want to drink with me?
Ambrose Bierce:I thought you didn't drink.
Gen. Tomas Arroyo:Oh, I don't drink with the living. But tonight I come to visit the dead, to celebrate with them. Do you visit your dead ones, amigo?
Ambrose Bierce:No, but sometimes they come to visit me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "American Masters: A Conversation with Gregory Peck (#15.6)" (1999)

Suicide By Revolution

Mexico in the teen years of the last century was no place to be, not even for Mexicans as the country broke down completely after the overthrow of dictator Porfirio Diaz. A lot of people grabbed for power, including one Pancho Villa who got emboldened enough to cross the U.S. border and shoot up Columbus, New Mexico. That got Woodrow Wilson to sending the army to capture Villa without success.

But that's getting way ahead of this story. It concerns American writer Ambrose Bierce who went to revolutionary Mexico and disappeared into obscurity much in the manner of the French poet Francois Villon. The plot of this film offers a theory as to what could have happened to Bierce.

Dominating the film is Gregory Peck in the title role. He captures Bierce in all of his sardonic cynicism for which his writing lives on. This Bierce has all the reason to just want to leave his world behind, his wife had recently died, but not after being discovered to be involved with another man. Two of his three children, both of his sons died violent deaths. Bierce was a man who felt he had no reason to live on.

Peck gets involved with two other people in a romantic triangle, Jane Fonda as a spinster who gets hired to tutor some landowner children and Jimmy Smits who's using the revolution to settle some personal scores with that same landowner family. In fact Smits gets himself rather caught up in the whole ambiance of being to the manor born with what he feels are good reasons.

All though all three of the leads have been in much better product, Old Gringo still is a good piece of cinema and does capture some of the anarchy that was revolutionary Mexico.