Capitão de Castela

It is my understanding that this Hollywood adaptation of Samuel Shellabarger's book enraged the author so much that he put some kind of legal injunction against the Hollywood producers that prevented them from making the video and other profits for 50 years! The reason: The film stops half-way through the novel!

I love historical fiction and Shellabarger along with Raphael Sabatini (The Sea Hawk, Captain Blood) are my favorite authors of historical adventures.

In spite of Shellabarger's attitude to Hollywood, I was delighted to see this film. I only wish they could have made the whole book come to life, because the action and plot are much more intense in the second half of the book -- especially when Cortez has returned to lay siege to the Aztec city. Shellabarger reads very much like Bernal Diaz, a common soldier under Cortez who wrote a history of the Conquest of Mexico. Diaz's and Shellabarger's description of the fighting on the Aztec aqueducts is the most intense and desperate battle literature I have ever read!

I think this film should be remade as soon as possible and give the viewing audience the whole story. Of course, there will never be another Tyrone Power, Jean Peters or Cesar Romero, but do it anyway -- and use Alfred Newman's original music score (adopted by the USC Trojans as their own "Conquest" march), and let Newman's son and nephew add the remainder of the score! With today's high-tech special effects this story would surpass "Gladiator" in splendor, spectacle, and action if Shellabarger was followed religiously and completely. Shellabarger deserves the same fidelity that J.R.R. Tolkein has received from the New Zealand producers of "Lord of the Rings."

In spite of its shortcomings to the author, I have loved this film for half a century! It is my favorite classic film. I fell in love with Jean Peters as Catana when I was only six years old in 1950; which is when I first saw the film. The "Catana" Love Theme has played in my head from time to time ever since! Now I have it on video, thank God. My every guest gets offered a viewing of it; as well as a listen to its soundtrack by Newman.

What more can I say? The film, like the book, struck a chord in me that refuses to stop playing.

The conquest of Mexico by Hernan Cortez in the early 16th Century is the backdrop of a story of love,courage and adventure in this entertaining swashbuckler. The movie was Jean Peters's first and she's a beguiling creature in this ,although her acting leaves a lot to be desired at this point in her career.Cesar Romero as Cortez paints an entertaining portrayal of this ruthless opportunist. The stunning color-cinematography is something to behold. Captured on the screen is an erupting volcano in the background of some of the action. Tyrone Power does his usual competent job in this kind of adventure story.The movie is very entertaining but it does drag a bit in its 2 and a half hour running-time.

The first time I saw a version of "Captain from Castile" was on a black and white TV in the late Fifties and it became one of my favorite films which I have seen at least ten times and will continue to pull it out. It was a pleasant surprise to see the full version in color as I thought it was shot in black and white

This doesn't have the spectacular effects of today's films. It is just an excellent "old school" adventure film which deals with honor and loyalty which are pretty much lacking in today's films. It fired my young imagination and encouraged me to read the book by Samuel Shellabarger upon which it was based.

It has a wonderful cast including Ty Power, Jean Peters, Lee J. Cobb, John Sutton, Caesar Romero, and a lot of veterans in minor rolls including Jay Silverheels (Tonto). Alfred Newman's score is good.

Power was great as usual and Jean Peters turns in an excellent performance -- this was her first film.

Much of the film was shot in Mexico following the actual route that Cortez followed when he was conquering the Aztecs. (Check out the live volcano in the background that was erupting while the film was shot. That ain't a painted background.)

I highly recommend this film especially if you haven't seen a Tyrone Power film because this is one of his best.

In the spring of 1518, in Spain, the nobleman Pedro de Vargas (Tyrone Power) helps the Indian slave and his friend Coatl (Jay Silverheels) to escape from the cruel Diego de Silva (John Sutton) and then he rescues the plebeian Catana Perez (Jean Peters) from two men of Diego de Silva. He goes to the inn where Catana works to explain why the sheets are torn up, and Pedro befriends Juan Garcia (Lee J. Cobb), a simple man that made fortune in Cuba.

When he comes home, Pedro finds that Diego de Silva has used his political influence to accuse Pedro and his family of heretics and they are imprisoned. Diego's executioners torture and kill Pedro's twelve years old sister but Juan Garcia and Catana help Pedro and his the family to escape from prison: Pedro's parents go to Italy and Pedro, Juan and Catana go to Cuba and join Cortez' expedition to Mexico. They participate of the fall of the Aztec Empire in the beginning of the Spanish colonization of the New World.

"Captain from Castile" is a melodramatic and romantic epic adventure having the historic conquest of Mexico by Hernando Cortez as background. Tyrone Power is excellent in the role of a Spaniard nobleman that joins the first expedition of Cortez to Mexico and is promoted to captain for his loyalty and efficiency. Jean Peters is amazingly beautiful and John Sutton is a great villain. The story is politically incorrect in the present days but is accurate and a great entertainment. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Capitão de Castela" ("The Captain from Castile")

There are many pleasant surprises in this epic movie. For one, it was filmed in spectacular Technicolor and was superbly photographed in actual locations. Piramids were built, volcanoes were erupting for real and ancient ship replicas were destroyed at sea. One of the main surprises was seeing that the beautiful Jean Peters could act. This actress without much dramatic training did an excellent job in her movie debut. She practically steals the picture from Tyrone Power - Impossible? She does, and he's very good in this one. See her last scene, while waiting to move deeper into Mexico with Cortez; it's a treasure. I became a fan after seeing Miss Peters in the pirate flick "Anne of the Indies" (she plays 'the pirate'), and have seen most of her movies since. It's a shame Fox didn't use her talents in better fares, such as Susan Hayward's "I Want to Live", but then Howard Hughes came into the picture while she was doing Castille and, I imagine, his obsession over her beauty ruined a promising career. This film is partly based on true events and has an excellent cast, a fantastic screenplay and a musical score by Arthur Newman that rivals any other composed for anepic flick -then and even now. It's on DVD now. Get it before they become extinct. It's worth seeing. Beautiful vistas, a handsome Ty Power and a gorgeous Jean Peters.