Jose Nieto Movies

Reactions to this political drama with a rightist slant will depend on the viewer's own politics. Late director Rafael Gil begins with an ingenious premise. A novice reporter mistakes the news that the French franc (franco in Spanish) has resuscitated for the news that dead fascist dictator, Francisco Franco has come back from the grave. Buried for three years now, this is not likely but it sets off a series of extreme reactions in many sectors of society. At the same time there is an old man who just might be the resuscitated dictator hitchhiking away from the cemetery that holds his tomb. As some leaders either run off or air out their fascist uniforms, bombs are exploded in the streets, bank robbers rob with impunity, and a group of villagers thinks that the army on maneuvers in their neighborhood is actually the fascist army returning in glory. Sooner or later, people will realize that Franco is truly dead, though fascism may not be as moribund. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This multinational crime action film also boasts an international cast. During his childhood, a boy (Chris Mitchum) sees four men drown his father; now, the grown young man makes it his business to kill each member of the foursome. His last killing presents him with some challenges, as his victim is only wounded. He kidnaps the man's daughter (Claudine Auger) and goes to a hideout. In the meantime, an ex-cop (Karl Malden) has been tracking them down. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The Old West is just not the same, what with so few cattle being run, and law-abiding folk running around like they own everything. In this family comedy drama, it's too much for John McCanless (Brian Keith). He is a cranky old rancher and former gunslinger who has no intention of selling his beloved acres to some fool who wants to build a dam and flood them all. Going "gently into that good night" is not in the cards at all, and this latter-day Quixote prepares to wage a lonely battle against the namby-pamby modern world. His ranch hand, Paco (Alfonso Arau), an illegal immigrant, and his bemused daughter, Amanda (Michele Carey) do what they can to help. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This internationally produced adaptation of Anna Sewell's Black Beauty is essentially a vehicle for Oliver star Mark Lester. The young Lester spends most of the film trying to reclaim his beautiful black horse, which passes through several hands over the course of 90 minutes. All the setpieces of the Sewell original are in attendance, including the showstopping "burning barn" sequence. Walter Slezak is the only truly recognizable actor in the film outside of Lester. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this spaghetti Western, Joseph Cotten stars as Jonas, an ex-Confederate soldier who robs a Union freight train in order to re-ignite the Civil War. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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, Rovi

The legendary Shakespearean character Sir John Falstaff, the notoriously drunken, obese, and yet charming companion of the young Henry V, steps up from supporting character in several plays to the central focus of Orson Welles' Chimes at Midnight, considered by many critics the best of the director's acclaimed Shakespeare films. The script borrows scenes from several plays, but draws most heavily on the two parts of Henry IV, focusing on the shifting relationship between Falstaff and Prince Hal. Beginning as the prince's companion in debauchery and idleness, the corpulent jokester finds himself falling out of favor as the prince comes to terms with the importance of his destiny as England's future leader. While Falstaff's ample wit is still much in evidence, the film places greater emphasis on the tragic character beneath all the joviality, with Welles perfectly embodying this mixture of spiritually youthful prankster and sad adult. While his towering performance naturally takes center stage, the other cast members are also superb. The film's visual elements are also strong, with Welles' attention to composition matching his sensitivity to character. There are technical imperfections due to the film's extremely limited budget, including an inconsistent soundtrack, but they are unable to overshadow the film's many achievements. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel by Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago covers the years prior to, during, and after the Russian Revolution, as seen through the eyes of poet/physician Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif). In the tradition of Russian novels, a multitude of characters and subplots intertwine within the film's 197 minutes (plus intermission). Zhivago is married to Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin), but carries on an affair with Lara (Julie Christie), who has been raped by ruthless politician Komarovsky (Rod Steiger). Meanwhile, Zhivago's half-brother Yevgraf (Alec Guinness) and the mysterious, revenge-seeking Strelnikoff (Tom Courteney) represent the "good" and "bad" elements of the Bolshevik revolution. Composer Maurice Jarre received one of Doctor Zhivago's five Oscars, with the others going to screenwriter Robert Bolt, cinematographer Freddie Young, art directors John Box and Terry Marsh, set decorator Dario Simoni, and costumer Phyllis Dalton. The best picture Oscar, however, went to The Sound of Music. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

European action star Eddie Constantine is the hero of this noirish thriller. Constantine plays a soldier-of-fortune, taking a well-earned vacation in Spain. It doesn't take long before he gets mixed up in an embezzling scheme. The more involved he gets in the plot, the less likely it is that he'll be able to extricate himself by fade-out time. For reasons unknown, the fairly well-distributed As If It Were Raining is frequently missing from "official" listings of Eddie Constantine's films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A little talkative but otherwise up to par, this western by director Michael Carreras in cooperation with a Madrid studio, is set in the Mexican valley of Sonora not that far south of the state of Arizona. The time is just after the American Civil War, and a former Confederate officer, Mike Summers (Don Taylor) has taken refuge in a small town in the valley. He has married and is hoping to live in peace the rest of his life. Instead, he and his wife and the rest of the town are suffering the depredations of a brutal gunman, Danny Pose (Alex Nicol), and his gang of outlaws. Summers holds off picking up a gun because of his personal vow of non-violence. But the situation deteriorates and a new ally comes into the picture, Steve Fallon (Richard Basehart), a wandering gunslinger who may not be able to handle the bad guys alone. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this biblical drama, set during the waning years of the Roman Empire, the trouble begins as the Christians continue to be persecuted. The daughter of a wealthy patrician whips the stuffing out of a newly purchased Christian slave who stubbornly refuses to wrestle in the ring. Later the girl and the slave fall in love, and she comes to understand their plight. She then learns that some of her closest friends and relatives are closet Christians. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Romance, treachery, intrigue and spiritual awakenings abound in the Biblical film adaptation of Solomon and Sheba. Trouble begins between two brothers when poet Solomon (Yul Brynner) is chosen to be next in line to the throne by King David of Israel. His warrior brother Adonijah (George Sanders) is livid when Solomon becomes king. While Israel prospers under Solomon, Sheba (Gina Lollobrigida) conspires with the Egyptians to topple Israel. She is ambitious and seductive and finally gets Solomon to fall in love with her. When a pagan dance ritual turns into an orgy, the people turn against Solomon when the Temple of Jehovah is struck by lightning. After the righteous Solomon has fallen from the grace of God, Sheba renounces her pagan Gods and converts to Judaism. A cast of thousands depict the raging battle between the Israelites and the Egyptians. Directed by King Vidor at the cost of five million dollars, production was delayed when the original choice for the role of Solomon (Tyrone Power) died during the making of the film. Many scenes had to be redone with his replacement, Yul Brynner. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi