Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992)

Genoese navigator overcomes intrigue in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and gains financing for his expedition to the East Indies.

Director:

John Glen

Writers:

Mario Puzo (story), John Briley (screenplay)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Tom Selleck, Georges Corraface

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marlon Brando	...	Tomas de Torquemada
Tom Selleck	...	King Ferdinand
Georges Corraface	...	Christopher Columbus (as George Corraface)
Rachel Ward	...	Queen Isabella of Castille
Robert Davi	...	Martin Pinzon
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Beatriz (as Catherine Zeta Jones)
Oliver Cotton	...	Harana
Benicio Del Toro	...	Alvaro Harana (as Benicio del Toro)
Mathieu Carrière	...	King John (as Mathieu Carriere)
Manuel de Blas	...	Vicente Pinzon
Glyn Grain	...	De La Cosa
Peter Guinness	...	Fra Perez
Nigel Terry	...	Roldan
Nitzan Sharron	...	Benjamin
Steven Hartley	...	Terreros

Storyline

Genoan navigator Christopher Columbus has a dream to find an alternative route to sail to the Indies, by traveling west instead of east, across the unchartered Ocean sea. After failing to find backing from the Portugese, he goes to the Spanish court to ask Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand for help. After surviving a grilling from the Head of the Spanish Inquisition Tomas de Torquemada, he eventually gets the blessing from Queen Isabella and sets sail in three ships to travel into the unknown. Along the way he must deal with sabotage from Portugese spies and mutiny from a rebellious crew.

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Plot Keywords:

queen isabella | spain | spanish inquisition | torquemada | christopher columbus | 

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Taglines:

Chosen by a queen. Driven by a dream. He dared to go to the edge, and kept going.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some action violence, and for nudity

Details

Country:

UK USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 August 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cristóbal Colón: el descubrimiento

Filming Locations:

Atlantic Ocean

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,251,071

Company Credits

Production Co:

Christopher Columbus Productions,Quinto Centenario

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To reach high authenticity, the entire crew for this film crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Spain to America, in three original ships provided by the Spanish government.

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Quotes

Christopher Columbus: [to the Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor] I recall our blessed Lord said: here is a new commandment I give to you. That you love one another as I loved you. Surely it is not blasphemy to take that message to the shores of Africa or across the ocean sea.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Trip to Spain (2017)

User Reviews

A fun romp!

This great swashbuckler is completely underrated! Made in the style of the 1940s adventures with Tyrone Power, this film is fun and exciting and I definitely recommend it. And the cast! It's so cool to see the great Brando pass the proverbial torch to next generation actors Benecio Del Toro and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Rachel Ward is excellent as Queen Isabella and Robert Davi is superb. People expected to get a serious drama about Columbus but what they got was much more fun and for this people complain? The shots are beautiful, filmed on the open seas, and the adventure is non-stop. I watched it again this this Columbus Day- what a treat!