Antonio Casas Movies

An adulterous couple is forced to take responsibility for their actions in this tense drama from Spanish filmmaker Juan Antonio Bardem. Maria Jose (Lucia Bose) is a beautiful woman whose husband Miguel (Otello Toso) is a wealthy and powerful businessman. Juan (Alberto Closas) is a mathematics instructor at a Spanish college who is distantly related to Miguel, and owes his position to Miguel's influence. Juan was also Maria Jose's boyfriend when they were younger, and now they're carrying on an affair behind Miguel's back. One night, while driving home from an assignation, Juan and Maria Jose accidentally run over a man on a bicycle; the stranger quickly dies, and the lovers speed away rather than deal with the consequences. But over the next few days, Juan's conscience begins to bother him, and finds it hard to bear the knowledge that he took another man's life. Maria Jose is also troubled, but for different reasons; Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla), a devious socialite, infers to Maria Jose that he knows about her secret life, but she's not certain he he's just speaking about her infidelity or her role in the cyclist's death. A major critical success in Spain, Muerte de un Ciclista (aka Death Of A Cyclist) was released in Europe in 1955, the same year director Bardem published a controversial essay on the decline in Spanish cinema under the rule of Franco. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This slow-paced drama by Alfonso Balcazar is set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War in the latter half of the 1930s. What began as a simple revolt broadened into massive fighting that involved other nations, either as volunteers or as allies of Franco or the Republicans. Using that setting, this story looks at the challenges faced by a priest who is caught between the factions. Since the Republicans were heavily backed by leftists and since the Catholic Church was generally on the side of the Nationalists or Franco, the priest is expected to side with his church. His main problem at the moment is helping a group of people who are trying to escape the conflict. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Sergio Leone's first solo directorial effort was this colorful sword-and-sandal epic set in ancient Greece. Rory Calhoun stars as Dario, a captain in the Greek army who must travel to the island of Rhodes to destroy the huge bronze statue of Colossus, which hurls molten lead at its attackers. Dario also battles for his life in the arena and saves victims from a torture chamber before the climactic earthquake which brings the Colossus down. Many of the supporting players in this Italian-French-Spanish co-production went on to become regulars in the exploitation films of Jesus Franco. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

A sleepy Spanish town is turned upside down by the arrival of a French stripper. She undergoes an emergency appendectomy and is operated on by a married, middle-aged doctor. When he falls for the woman, he lengthens her recovery time because he wants her to stay. The man's wife leaves him as gossip sweeps the townsfolk about the alleged affair between doctor and patient. The stripper stays with a local French teacher until she gain return to work, avoiding the doctor. Things get back to normal when the stripper finally leaves and the doctor and his wife reconcile. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

A young man (Emilio C. Caba) attending Salamanca University writes to his friend Berta in a series of letters. He shares his desire to leave his provincial family behind and discover life on his own. Although the lure to break free is foremost on his mind, he marries a young woman from a similar background to live the life of a country squire. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

A model becomes the target of a kidnapping attempt masterminded by a mad professor in this avant garde film from Spain. Young thugs steal a giant picture of the popular model. The model confides in a wealthy patron who is killed by his jealous girlfriend, and the girlfriend goes on a murder spree in this offbeat entry that appeared at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this routine Spaghetti western, Ringo (Montgomery Wood) helps a wealthy Texas family fend off a group of Mexican bandits led by the portly villain Fernando (Fernando Sancho). He protects the wealthy aristocrat (Antonio Casas) and his two pretty daughters Ruby (Lorelia De Luca) and Delores (Nieves Navarro) from the evil desires of the bad men. George Martin plays the local sheriff. Film score is provided by the celebrated composer Ennio Morricone. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this western set during 1877 along the Mexican-American border, outlaws attack a stagecoach and find themselves defeated by an ace gunman with a hatred for evil-doers. The gunman decides to take off after the group leader, but the good guy shootist is hit while defending a beleaguered rancher from Mexican banditos. Later the rancher's daughter and the gunman fall in love. The gunslinger and a bounty hunter take off after the outlaw. Unfortunately, when push comes to shove, the outlaw refuses to fight without the gunman because he cannot bear to kill his own son. This does not stop the gunman's partner from taking a shot; the outlaw is wounded, causing his son to rally to his aid, and the gunslinger rides back to keep the banditos from stealing the ranch. They are finally stopped but not before the bandito leader and the outlaw fatally shoot each other. Afterwards, the gunman gives up shooting and begins leading a pacifistic life with his new bride. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this spaghettiesque western, a supposedly dead man returns to his village and finds his family being held captive by an evil desperado and his gang. The frightened man does all he can to save them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide