Rosenda Monteros Movies
- 1968
In this jungle adventure, a downed Yankee flier must make his way alone through the dense Amazon jungle. At one point, he finds himself surrounded by unfriendly natives. He is just about to lose his life when a beautiful white woman, who is revered by the natives as a goddess, swoops down from the trees and saves his neck. The word of the jungle girl's existence gets around and the girl suffers dire consequences when she suddenly finds herself pursued by a wicked carney, a scientist, and the enraged natives, who believe she has betrayed them by rescuing the pilot. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Also known as Cauldron of Blood, Blind Man's Bluff is a Spanish-made horror film long on gore but short on logic. Several beautiful models have disappeared, and the prime suspect is blind sculptor Boris Karloff, a surly and secretive sort who produces skeletal statues. Lovely model Rosanda Monteros tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, and of course nearly winds up a victim herself. The killer is not Karloff but his wife Viveca Lindfors, who hopes to sustain her husband's reputation by providing fresh skeletons for his artwork. Lindfors ends up hoisted on her own petard when she accidentally dips her arm in a vat of acid. Yeccch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Samuel Bronston Productions was pretty much obliterated in 1964 by the failure of The Fall of the Roman Empire. Three years later, Bronston tried to rebuild his old empire by teaming up with a pair of South American entrepreneurs; the result was Savage Pampas. Set in the Argentina of the 1890s, the film tells the story of a clever bandit leader (Ron Randell) who buys off the soldiers sent to capture him--then enlists the deserters in his own gang. But Army fort commander Robert Taylor can't be bribed, and takes it upon himself to defeat the bandit. Savage Pampas was a remake of a popular Argentinian historical epic of 1946, Pampa Barbara. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Taylor, Marc Lawrence, (more)
- 1965
Hammer Films co-produced this lavishly mounted adventure, the fourth adaptation of the novel by H. Rider Haggard. In Jerusalem, Leo Vincey (John Richardson) meets with a slave girl, Ustane (Rosenda Monteros), who has been charged with bringing him to an immortal queen, Ayesha (Ursula Andress). Ayesha, who desires Leo because of his resemblance to her long-dead lover, offers riches if he will travel to her lost city in the mountains, where a magical flame will also give him eternal life. Accompanied by his adventurous friend Major Horace Holly (Peter Cushing), Leo sets out for the fabled city across the desert, but along the way Ustane causes trouble when she decides she wants Leo for her own. She (1965) was followed by a sequel, The Vengeance of She (1968), although the follow-up did not star Andress. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ursula Andress, Peter Cushing, (more)
- 1964
This jungle adventure provides a wonderfully corny look into the mysteries of the Amazon and the African Congo as it chronicles the journeys of two intrepid explorers. There each of them must face assorted dangers including enormous iguanas, diminutive pygmies, voracious crocodiles, and man-eating natives who like to prepare their ritual meals atop an alter made of human skulls. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
In his first effort at directing a feature-length film, William (Ted) Kotcheff, best-known for movies like The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, does an excellent job in making this drama effective. He is helped in no small part by James Mason as Brett Aimsley, a sophisticated, at-ease former junior partner in a brokerage firm, and John Mills as Lt. Col. Clifford Southey, a former clerk in that same company. During the war, the lieutenant carries his sense of inferiority from his peacetime job as a clerk with him. So when he has a chance to nail Brett (a junior officer now) for trying to bring some censored goods back into London, he takes the chance and Brett is drummed out of service. Brett heads for Tahiti and a pretty good life in the sun, until Clifford shows up on the island with big plans to build a hotel -- bringing with him the same defensive attitude. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mason, John Mills, (more)
Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai (1954) is westernized as The Magnificent Seven. Yul Brynner plays Chris, a mercenary hired to protect a Mexican farming village from its annual invasion by bandit Calvera (Eli Wallach). As Elmer Bernstein's unforgettable theme music (later immortalized as the "Marlboro Man" leitmotif) blasts away in the background, Chris rounds up six fellow soldiers of fortune to help him form a united front against the bandits. The remaining "magnificent six" are played by Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, and (the one that everybody forgets) Brad Dexter. Though jam-packed with action, William Roberts's screenplay pauses long enough to flesh out each of its characters, allowing the audience to pick their own favorites. The Magnificent Seven was followed by three sequels, not to mention dozens of imitations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, (more)
- 1958
This historical adventure recounts the many exploits of the notorious Mexican bandit Pancho Villa as he evolves from a womanizing thief to a passionate leader of the Mexican revolution. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Keith, Cesar Romero, (more)
The Spanish language drama Las Tres Pelonas concerns a pair of ranchers who have been trusted companions for a very long time. They team up to help two prisoners escape, inadvertently putting everything they cherish at risk. The stressful situation tests their bonds of loyalty. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Acclaimed director Luis Buñuel displays several of his trademark interests in this drama about a priest who leaves his order. The director's disdain for organized religion and the establishment, as well as his tendency to shock through visual imagery, are both apparent. Nazarin (Francisco Rabal) is the priest who leaves his order and decides to go on a pilgrimage. As he goes along subsisting on alms, he shelters a prostitute wanted by the police for murder. He is released from suspicion and she eventually catches up with him when she escapes imprisonment. Another woman joins the duo and soon the ex-priest is learning more about the human heart and suffering than when he wore robes. As for the shocking scenes, suffice to say the ravages of a plague are also shown. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francisco Rabal, Marga Lopez, (more)
- 1956
Battle Shock and War Shock were the titles bestowed by British distributors upon the Paul Henreid-directed psychological drama A Woman's Devotion. Ralph Meeker stars as Trevor Stevenson, an emotionally scarred World War II veteran who has channelled his fears and phobias into his painting. At present, he is in Acapulco on his honeymoon with bride, Stella (Janice Rule). Shortly after Trevor's arrival, two women are murdered. The audience is presented with a "lady or the tiger" situation, with clues pointing to Trevor's guilt or innocence depending upon one's point-of-view. Henreid cagily avoids telling us the whole story -- continuing to withhold information right up to the grim finale. Trevor's behavior in the climactic scenes is an interesting precursor to the "crazed Vietnam vet" school of drama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Meeker, Janice Rule, (more)
This romantic adventure takes place in the jungles of Southern Mexico and centers upon an archaeologist and a photographer who have come to find a lost Toltec civilization. Their handsome guide takes them deeper and deeper into the jungle. As they progress, both the archaeologist and the guide become rivals for the photographer's affections. In the end, they are confronted by a great danger. To save his clients, the guide sacrifices his life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Lundigan, Peggie Castle, (more)
