El Cid (1961)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers (WGA):

Fredric M. Frank (story)
Philip Yordan (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 December 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

The GREATEST ROMANCE and ADVENTURE in a THOUSAND YEARS!

Plot:

Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz ("El Cid" to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour...

Plot Keywords:

Spain | Epic | Siege | Beautiful Woman | Horse Riding

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	El Cid Rodrigo de Bivar
Sophia Loren	...	Jimena
Raf Vallone	...	Count Ordóñez
Geneviève Page	...	Princess Urraca (as Genevieve Page)
John Fraser	...	Prince Alfonso
Gary Raymond	...	Prince Sancho
Hurd Hatfield	...	Arias
Massimo Serato	...	Fanez
Frank Thring	...	Al Kadir
Michael Hordern	...	Don Diego
Andrew Cruickshank	...	Count Gormaz
Douglas Wilmer	...	Moutamin
Tullio Carminati	...	Priest
Ralph Truman	...	King Ferdinand
Christopher Rhodes	...	Don Martín
Carlo Giustini	...	Bermúdez
Gérard Tichy	...	King Ramírez (as Gerard Tichy)
Fausto Tozzi	...	Dolfos
Barbara Everest	...	Mother Superior
Katina Noble	...	Nun
Nerio Bernardi	...	Soldier
Franco Fantasia	...	Soldier
Herbert Lom	...	Ben Yussuf
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Antonio Mayans	...	(uncredited)
Paul Muller	...	Arabian Assistant Doctor (uncredited)
Rosalba Neri	...	Harem girl (uncredited)
Virgilio Teixeira	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Mann

Writing credits (WGA)
Fredric M. Frank		(story)
Philip Yordan		(screenplay) and
Fredric M. Frank		(screenplay) and
Ben Barzman		(screenplay) originally uncredited

Produced by
Samuel Bronston	....	producer
Jaime Prades	....	associate producer
Michal Waszynski	....	associate producer (as Michael Waszynski)

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Robert Krasker

Film Editing by
Robert Lawrence

Production Design by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Set Decoration by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Costume Design by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Makeup Department
Grazia De Rossi	....	hair stylist
Mario Van Riel	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Leon Chooluck	....	production manager
Guy Luongo	....	production manager
Tadeo Villalba	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
José López Rodero	....	assistant director
José María Ochoa	....	assistant director
Luciano Sacripanti	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Stanley Detlie	....	property master (as Stan Detlie)
Maciek Piotrowski	....	paintings and drawings
José María Alarcón	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)
Julián Martín	....	painter (uncredited)
Vicente Sempere Sempere	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Verna Fields	....	sound editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recordist
Jack Solomon	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Jack Erickson	....	special effects
Alex Weldon	....	special effects

Stunts
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Manuel Berenguer	....	director of photography: second unit
Carl Gibson	....	head grip
John Harriss	....	camera operator
Norton Kurland	....	supervising electrician
John Harris	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gloria Musetta	....	wardrobe director

Editorial Department
Magdalena Paradell	....	assistant to editor

Music Department
Edna Bullock	....	music editor
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pat Miller	....	script supervisor
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	fencing instructor (uncredited)
Julio Sempere	....	second assistant to director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rank Organisation, The (in association with)
• Samuel Bronston Productions
• Dear Film Produzione

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film (1962) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Miramax Films (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Hafbo (1961) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Best Film & Video Corp. (USA) (VHS)
• ClassicLine (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Genius Products (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Miriam Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• United Video (video)
• VCI Home Video (video)
• Video Film Express (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (remastered)

Runtime:

182 min

Country:

Italy | USA | UK

Language:

Latin | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 (2008) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bamburgh Beach, Bamburgh, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

It wasn't until viewing the finished film at the premiere that Dr. Miklós Rózsa discovered that roughly 20% of his score had been eliminated. He didn't do another score for producer Samuel Bronston.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The interiors are far too bright for medieval castles.

Quotes:

Jimena: Can you forgive me, Rodrigo?
El Cid: Jimena...
Jimena: Would you take me with you?
El Cid: But, now I have nowhere to take you.
Jimena: As long as we are together, it will not be nowhere. I love you Rodrigo... I love you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Bold and the Beautiful: (#1.1675)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Phir tere shehar mein

Simply, the best

It does, of course, make for very expensive home viewing, to whit; one widescreen television (28 inch minimum); one set of surround-sound speakers; one good quality DVD player. But after that though, just sit down and sit back.

Because every penny that's been invested in a Home Cinema set-up will earn its keep -- just as every dime that went into the making of this movie likewise pays back many times over.

Mann didn't invent the epic. But with 'El Cid', he took it to heights it had rarely reached before. And has never attained since. An astonishing achievement for its era, the passage of time has done little to diminish its scale or its power -- indeed it seems, in a curious way, to have gained in stature, in dignity, and in sheer, blissful watchability.

Heston was never better than this. Nor was Loren. And as for those closing seconds, whilst intimations of legend take wing upon the thunderous organ coda of Miklos Rosza's finest score. . . Words really do fail, now as then.

10 out of 10 -- but remember: this is cinema at its best; watch this at home on a set-up that's anything less than that spelt out at the beginning of this review, and you're not doing yourself, or the film, any favours.

After all, every masterpiece deserves a decent frame.