BULLFIGHTER AND THE LADY

DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY BUDD BOETTICHER
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER- JOHN WAYNE
JOHN WAYNE PRODUCTIONS/ REPUBLIC PICTURES

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Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
Johnny Regan, a U.S. citizen, goes to Mexico and takes up bullfighting as a lark,
hoping to impress a Mexican beauty, Anita de la Vega.
His lighthearted studying, under the tutelage of aging matador Manolo Estrada,
leads to tragedy.
Written by Jim Beaver

Full Cast
Robert Stack ... Johnny Regan
Joy Page ... Anita de la Vega
Gilbert Roland ... Manolo Estrada
Virginia Grey ... Lisbeth Flood
John Hubbard ... Barney Flood
Katy Jurado ... Chelo Estrada
Antonio Gomez ... Antonio Gómez
Ismael Pérez ... Panchito
Rodolfo Acosta ... Juan
Ruben Padilla ... Dr. Sierra
Darío Ramírez ... Pepe Mora
Luis Briones ... Himself, Torero
Luís Castro ... Himself, Torero
Ricardo Torres 'Bombita' ... Himself, Torero (archive footage)
Alfonso Ramírez Calesero ... Himself, Torero
Andres Blando ... Himself, Torero
Antonio Velasquez ... Himself, Torero
Juan Estrada ... Himself, Torero
Manuel Jiménez 'Chicuelo' ... Himself, Torero
Ward Bond ... Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Félix Briones ... Bit Role (uncredited)
Paul Fix ... Joseph Jamison (uncredited)
Gerald Mohr ... Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Budd Boetticher story
James Edward Grant screenplay
Ray Nazarro story

Original Music
Victor Young

Cinematography
Jack Draper

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew V. McLaglen

Other crew
Herbert J. Yates
John Ford .... advisor (uncredited)

Trivia
A Mexican stunt man was killed by a bull while filming a bullfighting sequence.

The scenes of Robert Stack showing Gilbert Roland how to skeet shoot parallel true life. In collage Stack was not interested in team sports, so he took up skeet shooting. In 1935, he came in 2nd in the National Skeet Shooting Championship (held in Cleveland), and in 1936 his 5-man team broke the standing record at the National Skeet Championships (held in St. Louis). In 1937, Robert Stack was the U.S. 20-gauge champion skeet marksman, and held the record for more than 350 consecutive hits. He also served as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy for more than three years during World War II and among other decorations, was awarded the 'Expert Rifle Ribbon', and 'Expert Pistol Ribbon'.

Patricia McCormick was the first American real female matador and bullfighter.
Her braveness is what led to Bullfighter and the Lady's creation.

Filming Locations
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Querétaro, Mexico
Xayai, Mexico
Zacatapec, Mexico

Based on director Budd Boetticher own life,
Duke agreed to produce this after Herbert J Yates,
the Republic Boss, agreed only a limited budget.
This was to be the first of Duke's collaboration with Robert Fellows,
which was to become the production company Wayne-Fellow's
later to become Batjac.

As expected, from the start Duke tried to take over as director,
until sounded out by Boetticher.
Duke left the set never to return until completion.

Boetticher, is reported to have hated James Grant's script,
claiming it to be written, while in a drunken stupor!

Grant was to be instrumental in the director and Duke falling out.

The director also criticized John Ford's interference,
when he was involved with Duke in the final editing.

It is worth noting some of Duke's Stock company worked on the film,
notably Andrew V. McLaglen, Second Unit Director/ Assistant Director,
and 'Pal' Paul Fix in a supporting role,
with Ward Bond offering some narration

It was a difficult and dangerous movie to make,
filmed at times in actual bull rings,
resulting in the death of one of the Mexican stuntmen.

However, it ended up a reasonable movie
with Stack turning in a credible performance.

Music by Victor 'The Quiet Man' Young.

User Review

What You Think Of Bullfighting Will Determine What You Think Of This

14 August 2007 | by ccthemovieman-1 (United States)

Robert Stack with blonde hair? Could that really be "Elliot Ness?" Well, it was the early '50s, before Stack made a name for himself with the TV hit, "The Untouchables. For those looking back at this film for the first time, as I did in the 1990s, this was a weird sight.

Blonde or not, the main question which might answer if you will enjoy this film is, "Does bullfighting interest you?" If it does, you'll like this; if it doesn't, you're going to be bored.

II saw the two-hour "restored" version and it looked nicely-photographed in black-and-white and very detailed about the sport of bullfighting. There were a number of scenes where I started to get bored, to be honest, and I hard time sticking with it but I have no interest in bullfighting, either. It leaves me cold. If I had interest, well, I would have a totally different outlook on the film.

Kudos to Stack for doing - at least in some spots - his own bullfighting. That was impressive and shows me the man had guts. The skeet-shooting scene also was real as he was a pretty good marksman.

The romantic scenes, as expected, were so-so as "Chuck Regan" (Stack) pursues his bullfighting coach's daughter, "Anita de la Vega" (Joy Page)

If you love bullfighting, this film would be a "must-have" because it goes into the "sport" in some detail and even mixes in some live footage (in the long version). I would suggest the longer version, anyway, because that's the way the filmmaker intended the audience to see his work. Given a choice, always see the longer version and then make up your own mind whether it should have been cut or not.