The Bullfighter and the Lady
Encyclopedia
Bullfighter and the Lady is a 1951
drama film
directed and written by Budd Boetticher
. Filmed on location in Mexico
, the film focused on the realities of the dangerous sport of bullfighting
. During production, one stunt man died. Boetticher, who had experience in bullfighting, used a semidocumentary
approach in filming the sport and the lives of matador
s.
), a young American film producer travels to Mexico, where he takes up bullfighting
to impress a local beauty, Anita de la Vega (Joy Page
). Manolo Estrada (Gilbert Roland
), an aging matador, reluctantly agrees to teach the brash, self-centered Regan.
, which he shared with co-writer Ray Nazarro
. Together with Seven Men from Now
, Boetticher regarded Bullfighter as one of "the two best films I ever made." http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/festivals/01/15/biff_boetticher.html
Like many of Boetticher's films, Bullfighter has not been released on DVD
.
theatrical release, Bullfighter was cut to 87 minutes in order to share a double bill
. The UCLA Film Archive
recently restored the film to its full 124 minute length. http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/festivals/01/15/biff_boetticher.html
1951 in film
The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed and written by Budd Boetticher
Budd Boetticher
Oscar "Budd" Boetticher, Jr. was a film director during the classical period in Hollywood most famous for the series of low-budget Westerns he made in the late 1950s starring Randolph Scott.Known for their sparse style, dramatic rocky locations near Lone Pine, California, and recurring stories of...
. Filmed on location in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the film focused on the realities of the dangerous sport of bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
. During production, one stunt man died. Boetticher, who had experience in bullfighting, used a semidocumentary
Semidocumentary
Semidocumentary is a form of book, film, or television program presenting a fictional story that incorporates many factual details or actual events, or which is presented in a manner similar to a documentary...
approach in filming the sport and the lives of matador
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
s.
Plot
Chuck Regan (Robert StackRobert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
), a young American film producer travels to Mexico, where he takes up bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
to impress a local beauty, Anita de la Vega (Joy Page
Joy Page
Joy Page was an American actress best known for her role as the Bulgarian bride Annina Brandel in the film Casablanca ....
). Manolo Estrada (Gilbert Roland
Gilbert Roland
Gilbert Roland was a Mexican-born American film actor.He was born Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico and originally intended to become a bullfighter like his father. When the family moved to the United States, however, he became interested in acting when he was...
), an aging matador, reluctantly agrees to teach the brash, self-centered Regan.
Cast
- Robert StackRobert StackRobert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
as John "Chuck" Regan - Joy PageJoy PageJoy Page was an American actress best known for her role as the Bulgarian bride Annina Brandel in the film Casablanca ....
as Anita de la Vega - Gilbert RolandGilbert RolandGilbert Roland was a Mexican-born American film actor.He was born Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico and originally intended to become a bullfighter like his father. When the family moved to the United States, however, he became interested in acting when he was...
as Manolo Estrada - Virginia GreyVirginia GreyVirginia Grey was an American actress.She was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of director Ray Grey. One of her early babysitters was movie star Gloria Swanson. Grey debuted at the age of ten in the silent film Uncle Tom's Cabin as Little Eva...
as Lisbeth Flood - John Hubbard as Barney Flood
- Katy JuradoKaty JuradoKaty Jurado , born María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García in Mexico, D.F., was a Mexican actress who had a successful film career both in Mexico and in Hollywood....
as Chelo Estrada - Ismael Pérez as Panchito
- Rodolfo Acosta as Juan
- Ruben Padilla as Dr. Sierra
- Darío Ramírez as Pepe Mora
Reception
Bullfighter earned Boetticher his only Academy Award nomination, for Best StoryAcademy Award for Best Story
The Academy Award for Best Story was an Academy Award given from the beginning of the Academy Awards until 1957, when it was eliminated in favor of the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay, which had been introduced in 1940.-1920s:...
, which he shared with co-writer Ray Nazarro
Ray Nazarro
Ray Nazarro was an American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter-Biography:Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Nazarro entered the movie business during the silent era, and began directing short films in 1929 with In and Out...
. Together with Seven Men from Now
Seven Men from Now
Seven Men from Now is a 1956 Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions.-Plot summary:Ben Stride walks into an encampment in the desert at night during a rainstorm. He encounters two men taking shelter next to a fire and asks to join them...
, Boetticher regarded Bullfighter as one of "the two best films I ever made." http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/festivals/01/15/biff_boetticher.html
Like many of Boetticher's films, Bullfighter has not been released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Alternate Versions
For the film's AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theatrical release, Bullfighter was cut to 87 minutes in order to share a double bill
Double feature
The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.The double feature, also known as...
. The UCLA Film Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
recently restored the film to its full 124 minute length. http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/festivals/01/15/biff_boetticher.html