Blood and Sand **** (1941, Tyrone Power, Rita Hayworth, Linda Darnell, Nazimova, J Carrol Naish, John Carradine, Anthony Quinn, Laird Cregar) – Classic Movie Review 2997

Director Rouben Mamoulian remakes the famous 1922 Rudolph Valentino silent classic in this fascinating and colourful if less extravagant 1941 version of the Vicente Blasco Ibáñez novel about a poor illiterate peasant boy Juan Gallardo (Tyrone Power) who rises meteorically to become Spain’s most famous bullfighter.

While making his fame and fortune, romantically he finds he has to choose between vamping rich socialite Doña Sol (Rita Hayworth) and nice, faithful Carmen Espinosa (Linda Darnell).

In the glorious Technicolor images everybody and everything looks lovely. Indeed, Ernest Palmer and Ray Rennahan won deserved Oscars for their year’s Best Colour Cinematography in 1942. And it’s a fine production, with strong design work that brought Richard Day, Joseph C Wright and Thomas Little an Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Colour.

However, performance-wise, with the handsome star trio on the insipid side, it’s up to Nazimova (as Juan’s mother Señora Augustias), J Carrol Naish as Garabato, John Carradine as El Nacional, Anthony Quinn as Manolo de Palma and Laird Cregar as Natalio Curroto do the real acting. And it is they who provide the film’s real excitement. But cult director Mamoulian also helps to keep it entertaining and passionate.

Also in the cast are George Reeves, Pedro de Cordoba, Fortunio Bonanova, Lynn Bari, Vicente Gomez, Victor Kilian, Michael Morris and Charles Stevens. Playing Antonio Lopez, Monty Banks appears credited as William Montague.

Jo Swerling writes the adroit screenplay, adapting the novel.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2997

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