The Pride and the Passion (1957)

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

C.S. Forester (novel)
Edna Anhalt (screen story and screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 July 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

Plot:

The story in this movie deals with the perseverance of Spaniards to take back their country from the...

Plot Keywords:

Revolution | French | Historical | Love Triangle | Napoleonic

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Anthony
Frank Sinatra	...	Miguel
Sophia Loren	...	Juana
Theodore Bikel	...	General Jouvet
John Wengraf	...	Sermaine
Jay Novello	...	Ballinger
José Nieto	...	Carlos (as Jose Nieto)
Carlos Larrañaga	...	Jose (as Carlos Larranaga)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Vidal
Paco El Laberinto	...	Manolo (as Paco el Laberinto)
Julián Ugarte	...	Enrique
Félix de Pomés	...	Bishop
Carlos Casaravilla	...	Leonardo
Juan Olaguivel	...	Ramon
Nana DeHerrera	...	Maria (as Nana de Herrera)

Runtime:

UK:132 min | Germany:125 min | USA:132 min | Argentina:133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | Finland:K-12 | West Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Ciudad Encantada, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

Marlon Brando was scheduled to co-star but bowed out after reading the script which he considered mediocre at best. He was replaced by Frank Sinatra.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Spanish army is retreating at the beginning, nearly every close-up showing a musket reveals that none of them have triggers, clearly indicating that they are solid wooden mock-ups.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Magnavox Presents Frank Sinatra (1973) (TV)

Watchable Epic from Stanley Kramer

I was a bit more than a kid when I saw "The Pride and the Passion" for the first time in theatres back in the late 50's and I remember I thought it was kind of slow and even boring at times. But then I saw it again not long ago and surprisingly -because it usually goes the other way around- I found it a watchable and sort of interesting epic spectacular in the times when Napoleon ruled in Spain.

Though "The Pride and the Passion" doesn't match in my opinion other directing works of Stanley Kramer such as "The Defiant Ones" or "Judgment at Nuremberg", this film has a sort of heroic and epic that reaches a reasonable level. It has well dosed and skillfuly handled action sequences, wide open sceneries in Spain, good color photo and a very appropriate musical score that gives it a sense of greatness. However I still think it could have been a bit shorter and that would have improved the product.

Cary Grant renders a very convincing performance as the British officer that knows how to shoot the huge cannon; Sophia Loren is good too and Frank Sinatra, if not brilliant whatsoever, comes out acceptably as an Spanish "guerrillero" leader and by the middle of the film you get used to him.

Not a classic or even a classical late 50's or early 60's epic spectacular "The Pride and the Passion" is an acceptable historical action film worth a watch.