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Saturday, July 28, 2018

THE CASTILIAN (1963)

Frankie Avalon in THE CASTILIAN? Who could resist? And in PanaColor! A sort of low-rent EL CID (Medieval Spain/Invading Moors), released just about the time that Charlton Heston/ Anthony Mann smash would have been winding up its commercial run. Alas, the Avalon billing belies his modest position as lute strumming troubadour/ narrator. And PanaColor? No more than a short-lived printing companion to EastmanColor. Still, in a largely Spanish production (for Warners release) you also get growly Broderick Crawford (if only for a reel) as the crude Kingly father of our hero’s inamorata, and Cesar Romero as best pal/fighting sidekick. Romero’s got a real part, and gives it all he’s got, including a glorious white beard. But mostly we get Espartaco Santoni as true historic figure Fernán González trying to unite the three surviving major Spanish Kingdoms of the North in a fight against the on-rushing Moors, along with a pair of real international stars leading one of the three kingdoms: Alida Valli (with her own dubbed voice) and Fernando Rey (with someone else’s). The big production puts up the occasional pretty vista out in the country plains, but the acting leaves much to be desired (blame director Javier Setó) while battle scenes waste lots of men & horses (blame action director Al Wyatt). One funny bit involves a pig stampede terrifying the Moors, but that’s about it for cleverness. Still, fun to think of Frankie Avalon squeezing this in between OPERATION BIKINI and BEACH PARTY. And while he doesn’t sport bathing trunks, a lot of the costumes look suspiciously like bathrobes & pajamas.

WATCH THIS, NOT THAT: Stick with EL CID, a similar historical tale that looks more impressive than ever.

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