Welcome Mr. Marshall! (1953)

After finding out that North American people are visiting the Spanish villages, the citizens of Villar del Río start preparing themselves to welcome them when they arrive.

Director:

Luis García Berlanga (as Luis G. Berlanga)

Writers:

Juan Antonio Bardem (story) (as J.A. Bardem), Luis García Berlanga (story) (as L.G. Berlanga)

Stars:

Lolita Sevilla, Manolo Morán, José Isbert

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lolita Sevilla	...	Carmen Vargas
Manolo Morán	...	Manolo
José Isbert	...	Don Pablo, el alcalde
Alberto Romea	...	Don Luis, el caballero
Elvira Quintillá	...	Señorita Eloísa, la maestra
Luis Pérez de León	...	Don Cosme, el cura
Félix Fernández	...	Don Emiliano, el médico
Fernando Aguirre	...	Geronimo - el secretario
Joaquín Roa	...	Julían - el pregonero
Nicolás D. Perchicot	...	Boticario (as Nicolás Perchicot)
José Franco	...	Delegado general
Rafael Alonso	...	Enviado
José María Rodríguez	...	José
Elisa Méndez	...	Doña Raquel
Matilde López Roldán	...	Doña Matilde

Storyline

The little village of Villar del Río is awaiting the song performance of Carmen Vargas, 'The Great Andalusian Star'. The quiet village is governed by a deaf, naughty and good-natured Mayor, who's only seeking the way to give life to the place. By the same time good news comes to the village: the arrival of North American high personalities that will give economical aid to the nation city by city, village by village. The Mayor doesn't know what to do to welcome them. Carmen Vargas's agent throws surprising initiatives, moving all the village people just to prepare a better reception for the foreigners. His idea is to disguise all the farmers as Andalusians and add colour to every street with typical decorations. All of them start to work, and also to dream and think about what they're going to request the Americans, who will come with lots of dollars. The day of the arrival everybody at Villar del Río is in the streets, from the Mayor to the newborn child...

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Plot Keywords:

marshall plan | mayor | american | dream | flamenco | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was declared "de interés nacional" (of national interest).

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Goofs

When Juan runs to the tractor during the dream sequence, the plywood resting over the back of the tractor falls to the ground. When Juan and his family board the tractor, the plywood is back against the back of the tractor and it falls again.

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Quotes

Don Pablo, el alcalde: Dear citizens of Villar del Río: as your mayor, I owe you an explanation, and I'm going to give you this explanation that I owe you, because as your mayor, I owe you an explanation, and I'm going to give you this explanation that I owe you, because as your mayor...

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Connections

Referenced in Aída: Así en el cielo como en la tienda (2007)

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Soundtracks

Tío páseme el río
Music by Juan Solano (as Maestro Solano)
Lyrics by José Antonio Ochaíta and Xandro Valerio
Performed by Lolita Sevilla

User Reviews

The best Spanish movie ever?

Definitely among the top ten best Spanish movies of all time. Unknown in many parts of the world (it is not in the IMDb 250 best film group, which by the way gives us hope, among other things, as to the fact that there will always be cinematographic jewels to discover), it is not only a well structured comedy but a refined criticism to American Imperialism (many people from Latin America, for example, will feel identified with the characters and story of the small Spanish village. I once saw it with a Colombian girlfriend of mine and I noticed that that was the feeling). Someone said that had Spain not been a dictatorship, under the rule of Franco (an isolated ruler who in 1953 happily publicized a treaty with the U.S. as a sign of the new times in the history of Spanish foreign relations: something that would seemingly have a splendid beneficial effect on the life of the population of a country out of pace with western European history), the movie would have won the Oscar for the Best Foreign film back in the mid fifties.

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish Latin English

Release Date:

17 July 1953 (France)

Also Known As:

Welcome Mr. Marshall!

Filming Locations:

C.E.A., Ciudad Lineal, Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

ESP2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Unión Industrial Cinematográfica (UNINCI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min (censored)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1