Sangre y arena

When 20th Century Fox decided to re-make Rudolph Valentino's great silent screen triumph Blood and Sand it probably was Tyrone Power's biggest test as an actor and a box office draw up to that time.

Valentino's performance was still fresh in everyone's mind. Well, Tyrone Power passed the test with flying colors that showed up in Ray Rennahan's fabulous cinematography here.

One of the previous reviewers who was from Brazil expressed a lot of what I would have said. Tyrone Power with three roles, here, in The Mark of Zorro and in Captain From Castile became a Latino cultural hero for those portrayals. Hard to believe since the Power family theatrical tradition goes back a couple of centuries in Ireland. But those portrayals have stood the test of time and to get such an accolade from a Latino viewer is the highest possible praise for his acting.

Tyrone Power as Juan Gallardo whose mission in life is to become an even greater Matador than his father who was killed in the bullring, brings a combination of panache and bumptiousness to the part. He's bold and daring, but not terribly sophisticated and never learned to read and write. And he's got two women all in an uproar over him, Linda Darnell who is his wife and the temptress Dona Sol.

This loan out for Rita Hayworth playing Dona Sol is what really launched her career as sex symbol. Dona Sol was Hayworth's trial run as vamp and temptress, the forerunner of Gilda which was her signature part.

The cast is well populated with some of the best character actors Hollywood had to offer. Anthony Quinn, Nazimova, J. Carrol Naish, Monty Banks, John Carradine, etc., all are perfectly cast.

One I think should be singled out is Laird Cregar. Cregar plays Curro the bullfighter critic and I think Cregar enjoyed playing this part, allowing an actor to exact some revenge on critics as a breed. Bullfighting isn't just some guy going into a ring to kill a bull. It's all in the showmanship and Curro is a critic like a theater critic, not a sportswriter. You really love to hate Curro as the film progresses and I wonder just what made him such an expert? Cregar was fleshing out that old expression about critics being eunuchs, they know how to do it, but can't do it themselves. I think Cregar was paying back every critic whoever gave him a bad review with this one.

Blood and Sand was certainly a jinxed picture. Tyrone Power died so young of that heart attack while shooting Solomon and Sheba in Spain, Linda Darnell died a few years later in a house fire trying to rescue someone she thought trapped in the flames, George "Superman" Reeves who played one of Rita Hayworth's admirers committed suicide, Rita Hayworth had that tragically lingering Alzheimer's Disease and Laird Cregar was the first to go of a heart attack in his twenties. Another great work of art attached to so much tragedy.

As far as I'm concerned Rudolph Valentino starred in the silent version of Tyrone Power's, Blood and Sand.

Exciting and colorful rendition dealing with rise and fall of a bullfighter with the seductive Rita Hayworth who was catapulted to stardom and her unfortunate conquest , Tyrone Power . This one concerns the tragic rise and fall of Juan Gallardo (Tyrone Power) and the women he loved , inside and outside of the bullfighters ring . This yarn talks about a sender labourer who wishes to achieve a big hit as a matador . Along the way he finds distresses , penury , great successes and a Femme Fatale . In spite of opposition his mother (Alla Nazimova) Juan wants to be Torero and escapes with his friends El Nacional (John Carradine) and Manolo de Palma (Anthony Quinn) to the Big City . He meets the attractive bombshell Doña Sol (Rita Hayworth ) , half Spanish, half American , but he marries his loyal bride Carmen Espinosa (Linda Darnell) . Juan on the verge of super-stardom risks it all when he falls under the spell of a seductive woman , forsaking his first love . Later on , bullfighter Gallardo celebrates triumphs but leaves his wife and falls for his lover , Doña Sol , turning from the faithful Carmen who nevertheless stands by her man , as he continues to face real danger in the bullring. He , then , risks and destroys his one opportunity for fame when Doña Sol lets him down . Things go wrong when a friend dies by a ¨Cornada¨ or goring . You Haven't Seen Tyrone Power Till You've Seen "Blood and Sand" . All the fiery romance ! ..the colorful spectacle ! .. the dramatic adventure of Blasco Ibanez' Immortal Novel of the Men Who Face Death in the Arena and the Women They Love!

This classy 1942 picture is considered to be the best version , stunningly directed by by Robert Mamoulian with big name cast , such as : Tyrone Power in the film that made him a great star , Linda Darnell , Anthony Quinn and standing out Rita Hayworth , primarily for her dancing and charming acting ; including the new brilliant Technicolor technique . Spectacular film with plenty of drama , passion , bullfighting , a triangular love story and tension at the plaza . Written by prestigious Jo Swerling and well based on the novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez . The film gives a real description about ¨Bullfighting art¨ with a veritable explosion of color and spectacle , as the bull is released into the ring , where he is tested for ferocity by the matador and Banderilleros with the magenta and gold Capote . Interpretations from the main and support cast are stunning . As Tyrone Power gives a nice performance as the matador becomes famous and then falls for a socialite and he is torn between two women . Alongside Rita Hayworth who delivers enough sexiness and seductiveness , while Linda Darnel is fine as the faithful and understanding wife . Support cast is pretty good , such as : Anthony Quinn, J. Carrol Naish , Lynn Bari , John Carradine , Laird Cregar , Monty Banks Monty Banks , George Reeves , Pedro de Cordoba , Fortunio Bonanova , Victor Kilian , among others . Cameramen Ernest Palmer and Ray Rennahan painted this movie in the new technicolor technique which makes it a veritable explosion of spectacle and color . Adding a sensitive and evocative musical score from Alfred Newman and uncredited David Buttolph . The motion picture lavishly financed by Darryl F Zanuck was competently directed by Robert Mamoulian . It obtained big success at the international box office and being praised by reviewers and audience .

The homonymous novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez , about illiterate Juan Gallardo who rises meteorically to fame and fortune in the bullfight arena only to sow the seeds of his own fall , has been adapted several times : 1916 silent first rendition by the same author Vicente Blasco assisted by cinema pioneer Ricardo Baños . 1922 recounting by Fred Niblo with Rudolph Valentino , Nina Naldi , this film made Rodolfo a star who catapulted him to stardom . A silent comical parody title ¨Bull and sand¨ (1924) by Mack Sennett . .This hit led to a Mexican Parody ¨Ni Sangre Ni Arena¨ by Alejandro Casona with Cantinflas . ¨Sangre y Arena¨ by Javier Elorrieta with Christopher Rydell , Sharon Stone , Ana Torrent . And this this film Blood and Sand (1941) is considered to be the best one . These films are interesting for people who actually enjoy the 'art of bullfighting' .

"Blood and Sand" gave Rudolph Valentino one of the best roles of his career. It also established Tyrone Power as a star in Hollywood. Under Rouben Mamoulian's direction this film translates the novel by Blasco Ibanez into a Hollywood spectacle, so popular in the 40s. It is to Mr Mamoulian's credit, a film that paid attention to a lot of detail about the Spain of the beginning of the XX century.

The story presents us Juan Gallardo, a poor lad from the provinces, who became the greatest matador of his time. He goes from poverty to a life of luxury; a life for which he was ill prepared for. In fact, Juan never learned to read! It's a story of how someone overcomes difficult obstacles to attain fame and notoriety, only to be defeated by those same ambitions when the matador throws everything away in order to pursue a society woman, forsaking the decent wife that adores him.

Tyrone Power in the film was still a bit rough in the acting department, as well as in the cosmetic adjustments that all stars go through. Compare his smile here with later films: major dental work had not been performed yet!. Tyrone Power embodied the best of what a screen idol possessed. He had enormous charisma and no matter who he plays against, his presence is larger than that of the leading lady.

Linda Darnell was very effective as Carmen, a woman in love with the matador. Rita Hayworth's beauty doesn't come across as well here as in other films. Ms Hayworth was more of a siren in the movie. The first rate cast that was assembled is excellent. Anthony Quinn, Lynn Bari, J Carrol Nash, George Reeves, Alla Nazimova, John Carradine, just to name a few, shine in the background of this film.

`Blood and Sand' based on the novel by Ibanez and presented by 20th Century-Fox is a masterpiece of old style Hollywood filmmaking. Director Rouben Mamoulian pulls out all the stops to present this Technicolor flushed romantic story of Juan Gallardo who is portrayed by the impossibly beautiful Tyrone Power. Juan grows from a poor boy dreaming of glory in the bullrings of Spain to the epitome of arrogance and ignorant of the cost to his soul of his fame. The three principals of the story are, Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell as his childhood sweetheart Carmen, and Rita Hayworth as the seductive and hollow Dona Sol. Tyrone Power presents us with a marvelous, energetic portrait of a young, brash and over confident Juan. His first close-up bursts the edges of the screen and burns in the colors of Goya. Tyrone Power was made for the movies and cinematographers Ernest Palmer and Ray Rennahan film him with as much care as they do the two female leads. Thus this overpoweringly beautiful close-up sucks the viewer into the world of Juan and one is swept away by his charm and bravado. Mr. Powers's performance is almost overshadowed at first by his physical presence but as the story progresses his talent as a film actor takes over and sustains the viewer to the end.

Linda Darnell, a great beauty of the movies and by her own admission, not much of an actress, turns in a very good performance as Juan's discarded wife Carmen. I do not agree with Miss Darnell's opinion of her talents. One only has to look at `Letter to Three Wives' to see what an accomplished screen actress she was. And here too she takes the thankless roll of Carmen and makes one care about the poor girl. Then we have Rita Hayworth who here in `Blood and Sand' sets the standard for the great-lost beauties of the silver screen. Her Dona Sol is everything we hope for in the empty shell of a femme fatal. It is said of her, at one point in the film by a newspaper critic of bullfighting, as he points to the ring: `Gentleman, if this is death in the afternoon, then she is death in the evening.' And Miss Hayworth lives up to every inch of his description in this her breakout performance.

In the garden scene where she performs the `Toro!' seduction and sings to her victim Juan, she is utterly captivating and irresistible in her Travis Banton gown and cascading titian hair. Here we see the birth of Rita Hayworth and the demise of Rita Cansino. Also worth mentioning are Anthony Quinn as one of Juan's boyhood friends, Manola De Palma and the wonderful silent star Alla Nazemova who is heart breaking as Juan's mother. The music by the masterful Alfred Newman sets the tone and emotion of the film. Lush and full of the sounds of Spain it is one of his best.

Darryl Zanuck believed that story was everything in film. Without a good story you had nothing to build a film on. In `Blood and Sand' the head of Fox proves his point and gives us a great movie presented in the grand style of Hollywood's golden age.

One of Tyrone Powers best efforts as an actor. Linda Darnell is, as usual absoulutly beautiful. Rita, just doesn't make it in the looks department. One wonders why Juan ever left his gorgeous wife (Linda) for this little vixan, Rita. Anthony Quinn is superb as the heavy.

The bull fighting scenes are the best ever filmed. I,personally, do not care for this sport (?). The scene where Power looks eye to eye with the bull, turns his back to the bull and slowly walks away while draging his cape along the sand is a mind blower. This is one of 20th Century Fox's finest moments in motion pictures. How the Academy picked "Sgt. York" over this as best picture of 1941 is a real mystery to me.