The Films of Budd Boetticher by Robert Nott

Author:Robert Nott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2018-09-17T16:00:00+00:00

The Magnificent Matador (National Pictures, 93 minutes, released by 20th Century–Fox in May 1955) Director: Budd Boetticher. Producers: Carroll Case and Edward L. Alperson. Screenplay: Charles Lang. Story: Budd Boetticher. Cinematographer: Lucien Ballard. With Maureen O’Hara (Karen Harrison), Anthony Quinn (Luis Santos), Manuel Rojas (Rafael Reyes), Richard Denning (Mark Russell), Thomas Gomez (Don David), Lola Albright (Mona Wilton), William Ching (Jody Wilton). Eduardo Noriega (Miguel) and Anthony Caruso (Emiliano)

Synopsis: Aging matador Luis Santos tries to regain his wits and nerves as he returns to the bullfighting arena after a lengthy absence and contends with his illegitimate son, who wishes to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Boetticher’s involvement with the mediocre and talky melodrama The Magnificent Matador started in 1952, when he was working with Anthony Quinn at Universal. A June 1952 Los Angeles Times article notes that the two would reteam for a bullfighting picture to be scripted by Borden Chase, writer of 1948’s Red River and several Universal–James Stewart Westerns. But the production got into gear only after Budd returned from Brazil and the ill-fated production of The Americano, which Budd was to direct with Glenn Ford starring.

The Americano is the only film Budd started and didn’t finish. It stars Ford as an American rancher who takes some Brahma Bulls to Brazil to sell them and ends up in the middle of a typical range war—only one with pythons and other exotic creatures native to Brazil. Boetticher’s contract with Universal indicates that by the spring of 1953 he requested an “out” to direct The Americano for Robert Stillman Productions. A May 12, 1953, document from the Universal studio files notes that Boetticher’s contract included a suspension option and he wished to use 15 consecutive weeks to work for Stillman on the picture. “We have no objection,” the studio memo reports, adding that Universal had no need of Boetticher’s services once he finished Wings of the Hawk no later than May 20, 1953. But that letter indicates a sense of hope between Universal and Boetticher regarding future projects, being it includes a provision that reads, “Stillman agrees to notify us promptly upon completion of Mr. Boetticher’s services if such completion occurs prior to the expiration of 15 consecutive weeks. They agree to notify us from time to time, upon our request, of the estimated date of completion of Mr. Boetticher’s services for them.” This doesn’t sound like the attitude of a studio that just fired one of its best directors, as Budd liked to claim.

So Budd was out of Universal and off to Brazil for one of the most frustrating experiences of his career. Besides Ford, the cast included Arthur Kennedy, Cesar Romero and Spanish actress Sarita Montiel. In a very lengthy paragraph in his autobiography, Budd summed up the many problems that beleaguered the production, saying the Brazilian producers did not deliver anything they promised to Stillman and company; “There weren’t even roofs on the stages in which we were to shoot.” He said he spent 16 weeks there, mostly sitting around.

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