The son of don Enrique Rivera , a wealthy businessman with huge properties in Equatorial Guinee , Carlos (Arturo Fernandez) is a young man as good-looking as he is carefree. Handsome Carlos maintains a romantic relationship with Dora (Susana Campos) , his dad's gorgeous secretary . Nevertheless , don Enrique (Alfonso Godá), unaware of his son's feelings , asks Dora to marry him . The young girl is accustomed to highest level of life and luxury , and fed up with Carlos's lack of commitment , accepts the widower's proposal . When Carlos receives the news , he embarks on a journey that takes her back to the exotic Fernando Poo (Africa) to work in a cacao plantation , belonging to the immense ownerships of his father , while attempting to forget Dora and there he falls in love again with the beautiful young girl Elena (Ángela Bravo) . There he will undertake a journey towards maturity and knowledge , but will also have to deal with pain and loss.
A decent romantic/soap opera movie made this ¨Piedra de toque¨ a ¨must watch¨ shot in 1963 that is still attractive but extremely sentimental and corny. It packs an adequate camera work, appropriate production values , luxurious production design , African habits and native dances . One of the oldest plots about a loving triangle released in Spanish Cinema , especially in the Golden Age , perhaps that's why it works so well . Well worth watching in spite of the standard loving premise , usual elements and wrapped package of commercial ingredients . Although Soap Opera has never been art , this one results to be entertaining , stirring , dated and predictable too. Adding some brief elements of Film Noir of the Spanish Sixties with fatalism , crazy love , pesimist portrayals and typical Femme Fattale , here well represented by beauty Susana Campos . The plot of the movie bears certain resemblance to ¨Palmeras en la nieve¨ (2015) by Fernando González Molina with Maria Casas and Adriana Ugarte , also set in Fernando Poo . Interpretations are terrific, both main and support cast are frankly good . Stars the enjoyable actor Arturo Fernandez as the young decides to go Africa , as he travels back to the exotic Equatorial African island of Fernando Poo, in Spanish Guinea, to forget his past lover and the romantic disappointment that has broken his heart . Secondary actors are excellent, formed by a plethora of notorious Spanish players such as : Roberto Camardiel , Alfonso Godá , José María Caffarel , Ángel Ter and the American William Marshall who despite uncredited he has an important role as a good priest with strong moral wit.
Special mention for cinematography shot by Manuel Hernández Sanjuán . Filmed on location in Equatorial Guinea , Fernando Poo and Madrid, Spain . As well as an attractive and atmospheric musical score by Salvador Ruiz Luna , plenty of African sounds . The motion picture was competently directed by Julio Buchs ,1923-1973 . It won prize National Syndicate Spectacle to Best Actor Roberto Camardiel , Best Cinematography : Manuel Hernández Sanjuán and Winner Special Award Best Film . Julio Buchs was son of a known director of silent films, in fact at 17 he began working with his father as an assistant. His debut films were 2 uneven films a drama : Piedra de toque 1963 and a comedy : El pecador y la bruja 1964. He made other genres as Paella Western : Mestizo, El hombre que mató a Billy el Niño, Los desesperados. Thrillers and Giallos as Alta Tension, and Las trompetas del Apocalipsis. And more comedies as Una señora llamada Andres, , El apartamento de la tentación starred by Juan Luis Galiardo and Carmen Sevilla .His best fim was a melodrama about a nun in Belgian Congo starred by Rosanna Schiafino, until his early death at 47. Rating : 7./10. Notable. The flick will appeal to Spanish cinema buffs.
