Arturo de Cordova Movies
Having lost Rudolph Valentino in a 1924 contract dispute, Paramount Pictures never gave up hope of discovering and nurturing a new "Latin Lover" type. Thus it was that Paramount signed Mexican actor Arturo de Cordova, popular in his native country's films since 1935, to a Hollywood contract in 1943. De Cordova was showcased in the small but memorable role of Augustin in Paramount's For Whom the Bell Tolls, then starred in a handful of subsequent features, the best of which was Frenchman's Creek (1944), in which he co-starred with Joan Fontaine. Returning to Mexico in the late 1940s, De Cordova continued to appear in Latin American films until his premature retirement in the early 1950s. On the whole, Arturo de Cordova's Spanish-language roles were more rewarding than his Hollywood assignments, especially his feverish portrayal of an insane aristocrat in Luis Bunuel's El (1951). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1945
John Steinbeck cowrote this sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching study of small-town hypocrisy. Shiftless Benny (who is never seen) has been tossed out of his Southern California town by the "proper" citizens. Drafted into the army, Benny is killed in action--and now that he's a hero, his old home town gears up for a Congressional Medal of Honor ceremony. Suddenly the same upright townsfolk who'd previously scorned Benny and his impoverished father (J. Carroll Naish) bend over backward to prove how much they "loved" the boy. Only Dorothy Lamour, playing Benny's former sweetheart, sees through the sham, though she's honor bound to celebrate Benny's heroism. A Medal for Benny bestows top billing upon Lamour, but the film's true star is J. Carroll Naish as Benny's volatile Italian papa--a performance which won Naish an Academy Award nomination. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Lamour, Arturo de Cordova, (more)
- 1948
Unusually lavish for an Eagle-Lion production, The Adventures of Casanova lacks only Technicolor and "star" names. Lensed in Mexico, the film stars Latin American heartthrob Arturo de Cordova in the title role, and MGM expatriate (and future Mexican citizen) Lucille Bremer as the lovely Lady Bianca. Though ample screen time is expended upon Casanova's amorous conquests, most of the film is in the swashbuckler mode, as the hero battles the despotic Austrian rules in 18th century Sicily. The film gets down to basics when Casanova squares off against his bitterest foe, Austrian envoy Count de Brissac John Sutton. Comedy relief is handled by Turhan Bey as Casanova's philosophical sidekick and George Tobias as a spy posing as a monk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Lucille Bremer, (more)
- 1943
Mexican matinee idol Arturo De Cordova stars in Alejandra. De Cordova plays a famous novelist named Ricardo Ibanez, who enters into a casual affair with pretty young Irene (Anita Blanche). When he tires of the girl, she angrily leaves a child on his doorstep, claiming he's the father -- but the baby is "intercepted" by Ibanez' mother, who puts the child up for adoption. Nearly 20 years later, an older but no wiser Ibanez falls in love with the beautiful Alejandra (Susanna Guizar). The consequences are profound when Alejandra turns out to be the selfsame abandoned child! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Anita Blanch, (more)
Algo Flota Sobre el Agua translates as the somewhat less exotic-sounding Something Floats on the Water. Arturo de Cordova stars in this easygoing drama about a fishing community located off the Gulf of Mexico. There's no real plot to speak of, simply a series of realistic, affectionately detailed vignettes. Critics were unanimous in praising the film, but almost as unanimous in questioning the casting of 17-year-old Elsa Aguirre in a crucial adult role. No one, however, found any fault with the rugged, evocative cinematography of Augustin Martinez Solares. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Elsa Aguirre, (more)
- 1956
True to its title, Canasta de Cuentos Mexicanos (Basket of Mexican Tales) is based on a series of short stories, all written by reclusive The Treasure of the Sierra Madre author B. Traven. The first story concerns the marital travails of Pierre (Arturo de Cordova) and Lorraine (Lorraine Chanel). The second stars Pedro Armendariz and Maria Felix in a Latino variation of "The Taming of the Shrew." The final tale focuses on an Indian basket-weaver (Jorge Martinez de Hoyos), who proves a bit too clever for a pair of glib American tourists (Jack Kelly, Mari Blanchard). The all-star cast of Canasta de Cuentos Mexicanos enabled the film to secure good bookings on both sides of the border. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Lorraine Chanel, (more)
Celos charts the rocky relationship between an engaged couple after the husband-to-be discovers a picture of her with an old boyfriend. He becomes consumed with jealousy and attempts to find out as many details as possible about her life before he knew her. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Problems arise when a man can't get his mind off the wife of his best friend. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Several of Paramount Pictures brightest stars make cameo appearances in this comedy set in "Duffy's Tavern," a favorite watering hole from old time radio shows. The trouble begins when the neighborhood bar is in danger of closing. The trouble begins when the proprietor, Archie, discovers that one of his regulars, Michael O'Malley, owner of a record company is going broke. This means that many veterans will soon be unemployed and therefore, unable to pay their tab at the tavern. Archie immediately begins recruiting famous stars to donate their services and help. They do, the record company is saved and so is the tavern. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton, (more)
- 1952
In El, it is director Luis Bunuel's contention that uncontrollable insanity can grow within even the most rational of men. Spanish aristocratic Arturo de Cordova, outwardly the picture of courtly charm, marries lovely Delia Garces, who is much younger than he. From the honeymoon onward, Cordova imagines that his bride's former lover is spying on them. At first his jealousy manifests itself in short bursts of violence against phantom intruders. But the middle-aged groom's lunacy blossoms, until he is prepared to literally sew his young bride up lest she be accessible to others. Bunuel alternates Cordova's disintegration with his standard attacks upon Catholicism; the church can offer nothing to this unhappy man but empty homilies, leaving him no choice but to lie to himself that he is "cured"--knowing deep down that he never will be. Historian William K. Everson hit the nail on the head when he described El as "the most clinical dissection yet of a paranoic's descent into total madness". Another critic has succinctly described the protagonist as "an Othello with the hero as his own Iago." El, which literally translates as "He", has been released in some markets as This Strange Passion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Delia Garces, (more)
- 1943
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexander Dumas' oft-filmed novel of adventure, intrigue, revenge and justice, was given a class-A treatment in this 3-hour Mexican production. Arturo de Cordova stars as Edmond Dantes, who, betrayed by a sinister conspiracy, is unjustly imprisoned in the Chateau D'If. After a long and laborious escape, Dantes returns to his hometown under the guise of the Count of Monte Cristo, intending to avenge himself against his enemies. Though largely successful in ruining those who wronged him, Dantes' resolve is eventually softened by his longtime sweetheart Mercedes, here renamed Haide and played by musical star Mapy Cortes. Most English-language prints of El Conde de Monte Cristo were severely edited, though a two-part version was prepared for selected showings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Mapy Cortes, (more)
- 1960
Based on a story by the late 19th and early 20th-century fantasy and horror writer Arthur Machen, this adapted tale plays upon the magical, "brujo" components of Latin American culture that resonate with Machen's favorite themes. An apparently decent but very suspicious Dr. Morales (Arturo de Cordova) is accused by the police of murdering his wife (Amparo Rivelles), characterized as a "demon in skirts." Was there some sort of dark side to Mrs. Morales? Is her husband a killer? Orthodox religion comes under a harsh scrutiny in this suspenseful tale of mystery and crime. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Amparo Rivelles, (more)
- 1937
Esos Hombres (These Men) offers a few new and novel twists on a familiar story. The hero (if he can be called that) is Fernando, played by Arturo de Cordova. Breezing through law school with the considerable financial aid of his sweetheart Juana (Marina Tamayo), Fernando summarily dumps the girl when Azucena (Adriana Lamar) comes along. Equally smitten by the fickle protagonist, Azucena turns her back on her wealthy family and moves in with Fernando. Her reward for this devotion is betrayal when Fernando elects to marry another, wealthier girl. Amazingly, the louse continues to get away with this sort thing right up to the end -- and then... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Marina Tamayo, (more)
- 2003
In this film, a reclusive violin player is finally compelled to seek out the source of his mysterious birthday gifts. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a romantic drama set against the turbulent tapestry of the Spanish Civil War. Gary Cooper plays Robert Jordan, an idealistic American fighting with a Spanish guerilla band. He is assigned to blow up a crucial bridge in order to halt the enemy's progress. He falls in love with Maria (Ingrid Bergman), a young peasant girl who's joined the fight after being ill-used by enemy troops. Pablo (Akim Tamiroff), the eternally drunken leader of the guerillas, resents Jordan's attentions toward Maria, and he refuses to help Jordan in his sabotage work. Pablo's wife Pilar (Oscar-winner Katina Paxinou) takes over command of the guerillas and helps Jordan by arranging horses for the band's departure after their job is done. The man supplying the horses (Joseph Calleia) is killed, and Jordan is left to finish his task minus a means to escape. For Whom the Bell Tolls was a long, faithful adaptation of the Hemingway novel, with excellent performances, torrid love scenes, and first-rate Technicolor photography. Available for many years only in the 130-minute reissue version, it was restored to nearly its full original length of 168 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, (more)
- 1944
Daphne du Maurier's novel formed the basis for this romantic adventure saga. Lady Dona St. Columb (Joan Fontaine), an English noblewoman, is unhappily married to the weak-willed Harry St. Columb (Ralph Forbes), while Harry's sinister best friend Lord Rockingham (Basil Rathbone) makes no secret of his desire for her. When she discovers the ship of a French pirate, Jean Benoit Aubrey (Arturo DeCordova), docked near her estate, she makes the acquaintance of the dashing buccaneer, and she soon finds herself infatuated with him. Dona impulsively joins Jean as he stages a raid against wealthy landowner Lord Godolphin (Nigel Bruce); when Dona learns that Harry and Rockingham plan to capture the pirate, she stages a dinner party to distract them and then sends word to Jean that he is in danger. Jean soon appears at the St. Columb estate, putting Harry and Rockingham behind bars and urging Dona to run away with him. She declines, choosing not to follow her heart but to instead stay home to raise her children; however, Rockingham overhears this conversation and uses it to blackmail Dona into having his way with her. Frenchman's Creek earned an Academy Award for Sam V. Comer's set decoration and design. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Fontaine, Arturo de Cordova, (more)
- 1943
Luise Rainer's last Hollywood film was the economically produced wartime drama Hostages. Adapted from the novel by Stefan Heym, the story is set in a Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakian village. Rainer plays Milada, the daughter of collaborationist Lev Preissinger (Oscar Homolka). Totally apolitical herself, Milada is won over to the anti-Nazi cause by resistance leader Paul Breda (Arturo de Cordova). The drama intensifies when a Nazi officer commits suicide; the Gestapo, hoping to justify future outrages, claim that the officer was murdered, arresting 26 villagers as hostages. The ending could classify as tragic, but in 1943 it was considered inspirational. With so much plot and so many characters, poor Luise Rainer has very little to do; if the film has any real star, it is William Bendix, who is superb as a deceptively slow-witted resistance fighter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Luise Rainer, (more)
- 1945
Incendiary Blonde is a highly entertaining if historically suspect biopic of "Queen of the Nightclubs" Texas Guinan. As played (or overplayed) by Betty Hutton, Guinan is a hoydenish Texas gal whose showbiz career gets under way when she joins a Wild West show in 1909. A favorite with male patrons because of her salty vocabulary and what-the-hell attitude, Guinan rises to fame as a Broadway musical-comedy star and movie actress, only to crash-land after an unhappy marriage to her manager Tim Callahan (Bill Goodwin). Taking advantage of Prohibition, Guinan opens the first of several nightclubs, fending off the Feds while welcome her customers with an insouciant "Hello, sucker!" Naturally, Betty Hutton is given several opportunities to sing and dance, which she does with her usual unbridled enthusiasm. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betty Hutton, Arturo de Cordova, (more)
The English-language title of the Mexican La Ausente is The Absentee. The title is explained within the context of the story, though one has to be patient. Essentially, this is the story of one man's guilt: the wealthy man (Arturo Cordoba) has convinced himself that he has killed his wife, a fact that has a devastating effect on all that follows. Several plot convolutions come and go before the truth is out -- not to mention the truth behind the truth. More than one reviewer noted the resemblances between La Ausente and the much-earlier Hitchcock film Rebecca; also noted was the later film's choppy continuity, the result of one too much censorial edit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Rosita Quintana, (more)
- 1957
The English-language title of this Mexican social drama is Boy's Town; the mood and texture of the film was obviously influenced by the 1938 Hollywood production of the same name. Arturo de Cordova stars as the real-life Padre Farias, who overcomes great obstacles to establish a Latin-American "boy's town" for wayward and neglected youth. The kids chosen to portray the Padre's charges are refreshingly natural and unaffected; also worthy of praise is the film's excellent location cinematography, courtesy of director Gilberto Martinez Solares' brother Augustin. As a bonus, the storyline's religious angle never overwhelms its entertainment value (and vice versa). La Ciudad de Los Ninos premiered at the 1957 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arturo de Cordova, Marga Lopez, (more)
