The Pride and the Passion (1957)

During the Napoleonic Wars, a British captain is sent to Spain to help prevent the French from stealing a powerful cannon.

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

Edna Anhalt (screen story and screenplay), Edward Anhalt (screen story and screenplay)

Stars:

Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cary Grant	...	Anthony
Frank Sinatra	...	Miguel
Sophia Loren	...	Juana
Theodore Bikel	...	Gen. Jouvet
John Wengraf	...	Sermaine
Jay Novello	...	Ballinger
José Nieto	...	Carlos (as Jose Nieto)
Carlos Larrañaga	...	Jose (as Carlos Larranaga)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Vidal
Paco El Laberinto	...	Manolo (as Paco el Laberinto)
Julián Ugarte	...	Enrique
Félix de Pomés	...	Bishop (as Felix de Pomes)
Carlos Casaravilla	...	Leonardo
Juan Olaguivel	...	Ramon
Nana DeHerrera	...	Maria (as Nana de Herrera)

Storyline

The story in this movie deals with the perseverance of Spaniards to take back their country from the French who have conquered Spain under Napoleon as he marched over Europe. A huge cannon, perhaps the largest in the world at that time, is discarded by the army as they retreat from the French invaders. A "ragtag" group of Spanish loyalists find "The Gun" and begin to restore it so they may tow it across Spain to the French stronghold in Avila and use it to open the giant walls for an invasion. Luckily Britain has sent someone to retrieve the cannon for England so they can have it to fight the French also AND to make sure that the French don't get the gun! A shoemaker and his voluptuous girl friend are the leaders of the peasants trying to get the gun to Avila. The Brit can't get help to get the giant gun back to his ship without the peasants and the shoemaker won't help him unless they all go blast Avila open first. The Brit has the knowledge needed to fire the weapon and the ...

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Plot Keywords:

1800s | 1810s | napoleonic wars | peninsular war | avila spain | 

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Taglines:

Cary Grant as the pride, Frank Sinatra as the passion, Sophia Loren as the woman who set them both on fire! In Stanley Kramer's monumental filming of "THE PRIDE and THE PASSION"

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

"Variety" gave the film high marks for production value, stating "Top credit must go to the production. The panoramic, long-range views of the marching and terribly-burdened army, the painful fight to keep the gun mobile through ravine and over waterway - these are major pluses."

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Goofs

On the wall of the French army general staff there is a map of the region of "Las Cruces" (actually Galicia, northwest Spain). The river passing through Orense city is marked like Rio Duero. In fact it is Miño river which passes through Orense and delineates a section of the border between Spain and Portugal. The Duero river is further south, crosses the Castilian plateau and has its mouth at the Portuguese city of Porto. In the film it is named Rio Cano.

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Quotes

Anthony: I'm looking for General Larena's staff. They've moved?
Miguel: Retreated.
Anthony: Where?
[Miguel shrugs his shoulders]
Anthony: Who are you?
Miguel: We are the Spanish who do not retreat. Guerrilleros.

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Connections

Referenced in Gideon of Scotland Yard (1958)

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Soundtracks

The British Grenadiers
(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard as a theme

User Reviews

One of the better epic films of this era.

It is likely that anyone having negative comments on this film are in the younger generation and have been spoiled by special effects modern movies. This movie is historical in nature and very entertaining with very good acting jobs by all involved. Some of the action scenes rival anything made in the adventure films out now. The sub-plot involving the three way love triangle just makes the rest of the story that much more interesting.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

10 July 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Pride and the Passion

Filming Locations:

Avila, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1