Captain from Castile **** (1947, Tyrone Power, Jean Peters, Cesar Romero, Lee J Cobb, Antonio Moreno, Thomas Gomez, Alan Mowbray, John Sutton) – Classic Movie Review 4683

The spirited classic 1947 swashbuckling adventure film Captain from Castile hands the handsome and dashing Tyrone Power a tailor-made role as the 16th-century young Spanish officer Pedro De Vargas.

Director Henry King’s spirited classic 1947 swashbuckling adventure film Captain from Castile hands the handsome and dashing Tyrone Power a tailor-made role as a 16th-century young Spanish officer Pedro De Vargas, who goes off to try his luck in the Americas.

Cesar Romero gives probably his best performance as Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez, conqueror of Mexico, who sets out with his small but hardy band of Conquistadores and is joined by Power’s Pedro De Vargas after surviving the Spanish Inquisition.

Further conflict, if it is needed, comes in the form of greedy officer Diego De Silva (John Sutton), who lays malicious claims against Power’s Pedro De Vargas to take his new-found real estate. Romance is appealingly taken care of by Jean Peters as Catana Perez.

The 20th Century Fox studio generously and cheerfully throws big money ($4,500,000) at this engaging, eye-catching adventure epic with a lavish and glorious production, realised with imaginatively attractive set designs by James Basevi and Richard Day. Director King provides the careful old-style craftsmanship, while Alfred Newman adds a stirring score and Charles G Clarke and Arthur E Arling deliver the striking-looking Technicolor cinematography on Mexico locations. It is shot in Michoacán, Mexico, and has scenes of the erupting Parícutin volcano.

Appealing and entertaining throughout its long, 141-minute running time, it keeps it up its fine line in high spirits and never flags.

Also in the cast are Lee J Cobb, Antonio Moreno, Thomas Gomez, Alan Mowbray, Barbara Lawrence, George Zucco, Roy Roberts, Marc Lawrence, Robert Karnes, Fred Libby, Virginia Brissac, Jay Silverheels, John Burton, Harry Carter, Reed Hadley, Chris-Pin Martin, John Laurenz, Julian Rivero, Edward Mundy and Bud Wolfe.

Producer Lamar Trotti’s screenplay is based on the 1945 best-selling novel by Samuel Shellabarger, though it uses only the first half of the story. Fox boss Darryl F Zanuck bought the rights to the novel for $100,000 in November 1944 before its publication but after it was serialised in Cosmopolitan magazine.

It is the feature film debut of Jean Peters, who went on to marry industrialist Howard Hughes, and also the debut of Jay Silverheels (uncredited), the Mohawk actor who played Tonto in the TV series The Lone Ranger.

The cast are Tyrone Power as Pedro de Vargas, Jean Peters as Catana Pérez, Cesar Romero as Hernán Cortés, Lee J Cobb as Juan García, John Sutton as Diego de Silva, Antonio Moreno as Don Francisco de Vargas, Thomas Gomez as Father Bartolomé de Olmedo, Alan Mowbray as Professor Botello, Barbara Lawrence as Luisa de Carvajal, George Zucco as Marquis de Carvajal, Roy Roberts as Captain Pedro de Alvarado, Marc Lawrence as Corio, Robert Gottschall [Robert Shaw] as Spanish army officer, Jay Silverheels as Coatl, Stella Inda as La Malinche, Fred Libby, Virginia Brissac, John Burton, Harry Carter, Reed Hadley, Chris-Pin Martin, John Laurenz, Julian Rivero, Edward Mundy and Bud Wolfe.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 4683

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