Blood and Sand (1941)
Blood and Sand (1941), directed by Rouben Mamoulian.
A straightforward drama without surprises or much liveliness. As always back then, "foreign" characters must speak stilted but formally proper English.
Of interest for the Technicolor production and stars:
Tyrone Power at age 27, an ambitious bullfighter dressing like a peacock, as required by the job.
Linda Darnell, age 18, his childhood sweetheart and later long-suffering, neglected wife. They starred in The Mark of Zorro (1940) with the same director the year before.
Rita Hayworth, age 23, as the bad-girl sophisticate who seduces and collects virtuous young men.
Anthony Quinn, age 26, a competing bullfighter, young enough to still have his Latin lover moves.
A problem with the plot is the romance of bullfighting: who cares anymore?
The tepid production comes to life in a scene toward the end when Hayworth and Quinn dance passionately, two people who really mean it. Sizzling stuff, I say.
This has been filmed four times; in 1922 with Rudolph Valentino.
Alfred Newman score.
Available on Blu-ray. The commentary track is devoted entirely to the cinematography.
