David Silva Movies
From the 1930s through the '80s, leading man David Silva appeared in over 400 films produced in his native Mexico. He also found time to appear in the occasional Hollywood film, including Born in East L.A. (1987). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1992
In this modern version of a traditional holiday pageant, a young Mexican girl has a dream about the shepherd's who went to Bethlehem to see the young king. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In 1974, not long after the death of Portuguese dictator Salazar, who had ruled Portugal from the early '30s to the late '60s, a group of disgruntled Army officers held a coup. They were even more disgruntled when they realized how the coup was being manipulated by leftist officers to instigate genuine elections and establish a constitution for the first time in Portuguese history. Though their intent was to form a radical socialist state, circumstances prevented this, and a genuine parliamentary democracy emerged. This film explores the circumstances of a right-wing businessman during those times. The man is an old-fashioned authoritarian, whose attentiveness to the needs of his mistress, wife and son is crude where it exists at all. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Io Apolloni, Lia Gama, (more)
- 1976
When a worker is found murdered on the construction side, the investigation swiftly turns from things criminal to the political circumstances surrounding the building itself. Widespread corruption and neglect by the builder himself are seen to have brought the situation about. Much of the movie is filmed using hand-held cameras, and the majority of the dialogue is in the difficult-to-understand and very slangy Spanish dialect of Mexico City's bricklayers. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ignacio Tarso, Jaime Fernandez, (more)
- 1975
- R
The Mexican convent of St. Archangelo has a "bad rep" long before Sisters of Satan gets under way. The eponymous sisters don't seem to have a very firm grasp on the concept of giving one's life to one's Lord. When they finally determine that neither God nor the Virgin Mary can satisfy their spiritual needs, the nuns cast about for someone else to worship. That someone, as indicated by the title, is decked out with horns, a tail and cloven hooves. And just how did the lovely and graceful British leading lady Anne Heywood get herself mixed up in this monster rally? (Note how she never lists Sisters of Satan on her resume). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The main story of this film is enfolded between opening and closing sequences of a youthful Adam and Eve reliving their famous moment in the Garden of Eden. In the central episode, two young people in love are kept separate by their families. The boy has a monstrous father who lives in a castle and who may or may not actually be a vampire. The girl lives a reasonably prosperous middle-class existence. When the boy's parents die, it looks as though they might be able to get together, but only for a little while. This highly mannered and symbolic Mexican film was made by Rafael Corkidi, the cinematographer for the equally peculiar film, El Topo. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
This violent and allegorical Mexican western attracted a cult following in its day. It is the story of El Topo, a gunslinger who sets out for revenge against the outlaws who slew his wife. He ends up getting his revenge and saving the life of a woman who is being terrorized by bandits. She leads El Topo (which means "the Mole" in English) on a search for the region's top four gunfighters. But before they set off, Topo leaves his young son in a monastery. He and the woman hook up with another female and begin their search. During one battle, El Topo is wounded and the women leave him to die. His comatose body is found by a strange group of cave dwelling people who take him to their subterranean home. He does not wake up for many years. When he does, he is enlisted to help the clan dig an escape tunnel. Later they come to a tiny town where the residents belong to a weird religious cult and El Topo's son has become a monk. The townsfolk are terrorized by a sadistic sheriff. When the clan members come into the town, the stage is set for a blood-soaked tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, (more)
A hard-boiled cop (Mexican wrestling star Mil Mascaras) risks his life putting a notorious criminal behind bars, only to discover that his troubles are just beginning when the crook's girlfriend sets out seeking bitter revenge. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1966
This suspenseful drama from Mexican director Gilberto Gazcon stars Glenn Ford as Reuben, a doctor who has accepted a job at a construction site south of the border following the death of his wife during childbirth. Devastated by grief, the widower is also drowning his sorrows in booze. Then a man comes stumbling out of the desert, dying from rabies, and Reuben is bitten by the same rabid dog. After delivering a baby for Pancho (David Reynoso), Reuben takes off on a mad dash across the desert to find medical aid before the rabies kills him in 2-3 days. Accompanied by the grateful Pancho and the beautiful prostitute Perla (Stella Stevens), Reuben suddenly finds himself fighting to live as time runs out. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, (more)
The Mexican comedy Cargando Con El Muerto concerns a pair of dim-witted movers who end up unwittingly becoming involved with nefarious figures in organized crime. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
This effective drama about vengeance and its results is loosely based on practices in the Mexican boondocks where the law can be ignored when it comes to seeking revenge. The tale concerns two brothers who decide to avenge their father's death, as would be expected. But this ill-considered decision leads to a set of problems that continue to spiral downward until both brothers are in way above their heads. The difficulty with vengeance, they discover, is that it never ends. Popular cinematic stars Julio Aleman and Antonio Aguilar star, along with the well-known Emilio "El Indio" Fernández. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antonio Aguilar, Julio Aleman, (more)
- 1961
This crime drama was co-scripted by Alberto Ramirez de Aguilar who got the idea for the story from an actual case history of a murder. Ramirez de Aguilar, himself a crime reporter, places his main protagonist in that same profession. The reporter (Armando Silvestre) has custody of the bereaved mistress (Lilia del Valle) of the murder victim. Even though he seems overly rough around the edges, the reporter is portrayed as having enough ~chutzpah~ to take on the task of proving that the mistress has to be innocent of the crime. To that end, several red herrings and suspenseful situations unfold before the real evidence is tracked down. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Armando Silvestre, Lilia del Valle, (more)
- 1956
Cashing in on the popularity of TV's Davy Crockett and the jukebox favorite "Yellow Rose of Texas", Allied Artists came up with the CinemaScope biopic The First Texan. The title character is Sam Houston, played with rugged assuredness by Joel McCrea. The film begins when Houston leaves Tennessee for Texas, where at first he keeps to himself and avoids politics. As events overwhelm him, however, Houston evolves into the territory's most conspicuous patriot. His efforts to thwart Mexican general Santa Ana's efforts to recapture Texas for Mexico culminate in the battle of the Alamo, which is recreated in brisk, economical fashion. Somewhat perversely, Davy Crockett is reduced to a bit part in The First Texan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joel McCrea, Felicia Farr, (more)
The Mexican comedy Reportaje follows the wacky adventures that ensue when a man offers a large reward to the journalist that can uncover the best news story that occurs during New Year's Eve. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1951
The Mexican Toast to Love stars Irina Baronova as Russian-ballerina Yolanda Petrova. While making a tour of Mexico, Yolanda is squired by foreign-diplomat Don Carlos (Miguel Arenas), who agrees to save her parents from being shipped to Siberia if she'll marry him. The lady consents, though her true love is young military-cadet Julio (David Silva). Desperately unhappy, Yolanda enters into a suicide pact with Julio. As she raises a cup of poison to her lips, she is jolted back to reality by a surprise plot twist. Toast to Love is a remake of a 1940 Mexican film of nearly the same title. Not too successful dramatically, the film is at its best during the ballet scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irina Baronova, David Silva, (more)
- 1949
In this Spanish language musical melodrama, a composer fights to free himself from his clinging family and girl friend after he falls in love with a famous singer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
From Mexican writer/director Roberto Gavaldon comes this 1948 Spanish-language musical-drama about tragic love. Yolanda Montes stars as an exotic dancer who has found true love. Unfortunately the news is unwelcomed by her boss and a jealous magician. Han matado a Tongolele also stars David Silva and Lilia Prado. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1947
One of the better crime dramas to come out of Mexico at this time, El Hombre de la Ametralladora features David Silva and Rafael Bertrand as a murderous villain and his evil sidekick. The two carry out a kidnapping, turning a woman (Silvia Fournier) and two children (Rocio Rosales and Lucero Taboada) into hostages. There is no doubt that the hostages' lives are at stake if ransom demands are not met. A tough, wily policeman (Fernando Casanova) starts to track down the kidnappers with every intent of foiling their plot. But as he gets closer and is most in need of back-up, it looks like any rescue is going to lie solely in his hands. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
