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:

The Most Magnificent Motion Picture Ever Made!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

10 July 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Orgullo y pasión

Filming Locations:

Avila, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,750,000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an attempt to improve her lingual skills, Sophia Loren underwent a crash course in English on the advice of then agent (and husband-to-be) Carlo Ponti.

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Goofs

When the peasants attack the military camp in the mountains, a peasant throws a firebrand onto a tent which rapidly catches fire. But as he is throwing the firebrand, the tent is clearly visible with a pattern of liquid that was splashed or poured onto it from the top down, and that part of the tent that was wet is the part that rapidly catches fire, showing it to be an inflammatory agent such as fuel oil or kerosene.

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Quotes

General Jouvet: [to Sermaine] How these Spanish love their moment of truth - to drench the ground with their blood - to die. Why?

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Connections

Featured in Biography: Sophia Loren: Actress Italian Style (1997)

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Soundtracks

The British Grenadiers
(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard as a theme

User Reviews

What were they thinking?

Direct from the What Were They Thinking files comes this bloated pageant of staggeringly foolish proportions. All about getting a cannon through battles and assorted other nonsensical issues this overripe piece of twaddle has a few things in its favor, nice scenery and beautiful color photography. They are outweighed however by the inert direction of the usually competent Kramer and even more by the complete miscasting of the principle actors. Sophia is gorgeous and was just starting in American films so her being shoved into whatever was available at the moment no matter how unsuitable can at least explain her presence here. Cary Grant who would seem a natural in period films actually looks rather absurd and is stiff as a board, he apparently felt the same way and after this often referred to this film with mocking scorn. He and Sophia, who became involved during the making of this stinker, would be much more properly and happily paired the next year in Houseboat a delightful comedy which is the place to see them together, not here. Worst of all is Frank Sinatra preposterously cast as a Spanish freedom fighter with both an atrocious accent and wig. He is simply dreadful. Worth watching only to see how an A level film with major stars and a respected director can go wrong in pretty much every aspect.