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THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOL. 23 NO. 1 JAN-MAR 2017 The Mexican Film Bulletin Volume 23 Number 111 January ---March 2017 Mondragón ( General Monterde ), Adela Jaloma ( Elvira ), A New Year! Miguel Inclán ( General Pedro Ma. de Anaya ), Manuel The first issue of our 23rd volume. There will be four Pozos ( José María Alfaro ), Víctor Velázquez ( Lt. Juan de issues (one every three months, more or less) containing la Barrera ), Carlos Mora ( Vicente Suárez ), Ricardo Adalid articles, obituaries, film reviews, and more. Many thanks (Juan Escutia ), Paco Castellaños ( Francisco Márquez ), to the loyal readers of MFB and a hearty welcome to any Manuel Sánchez Navarro Jr. [aka Manolo Fábregas] newcomers. (Fernando Montes de Oca ), Crox Alvarado ( Capt. Alemán ), Carlos López Aldama ( General Santa Ana ), Rafael Baledón ( guest at dance ), Manuel Dondé ( servant ), Mexico & the Víctor Junco ( U.S. soldier who bayonets Agustín ), Tito USA in Mexican Junco, Guillermo Rivas Notes: Very few films have been made in Hollywood Cinema or Mexico about the U.S.-Mexican War of 1847. The I've always been particularly interested in the way in dearth of Mexican films is somewhat understandable given which the USA and its citizens are portrayed in other that nobody likes to watch movies about wars that were cultures. Many years ago, my doctoral dissertation dealt lost. Hollywood apparently found the war of little with "Images of U.S. Citizens in Mexican Cinema," and interest--more films have been made about the Texas War this issue of MFB will focus on films featuring relations of Secession (during which the battle of the Alamo between the two nations, a very topical issue right now. occurred), which did not officially involve the United States at all. Among the handful of films addressing the 1847 war in detail are El cementerio de las águilas and History & One Man’s Hero (1999, aka El batallón de San Patricio in Historical Mexico and Héroes sin patria in Spain, a U.S.-Mexican- Spanish coproduction). El cementerio de las While many Mexican films make reference to the War Águilas [The Cemetary of of 1847 and its ramifications (Mexico lost half of its the Eagles] (Prods.Aztla, national territory), one of the interesting things about El 1938) Dir: Luis Lezama; Cementerio de las águilas is that it isn't rabidly anti-U.S. Scr: Rafael M. Saavedra; In fact, the Story: Iñigo de Martino, film goes Alfredo de Noriega; out of its Photo : Ezequiel Carrasco; way to Music: Alfonso Esparza include Oteo; Orch: Fausto several Piñedo; Prod Mgr : Jesús scenes in M. Centeno; Asst Dir : which U.S. Mario de Lara; Film Ed : officers pay José Noriega; Art Dir : tribute to José Rodríguez Granada; the bravery Period Advisor : Roberto Montenegro; Military Advisor : of their Mexican adversaries. This is even more surprising Lt. Col. Pedro Mercado C.; Sound : Carlos Flores considering that the film began shooting in December Cast: Jorge Negrete ( Miguel de la Peña ), Margarita Mora 1938, just a few months after the Mexican government (Mercedes ), José Macip ( Agustín Melgar ), Silvia Cardell took over the nation’s foreign-owned oil fields, an act that [aka Celia D'Alarcón] ( Ana María ), Alfonso Ruiz Gómez did little to improve U.S.-Mexican relations . (Rafael Alfaro ), José Ortiz de Zárate ( Don Pedro de The picture begins with a disclaimer: "This film does Zúñiga y Miranda ), Lalo Trillo ( Doña Nieves de Zúñiga y not pretend to be a historical reproduction [of] the tragic Miranda ), José [Pepe] Martínez ( Luis Manuel Martínez de events of 1847." A soldier arrives at an upper-class party, Castro ), Miguel Wimer ( General Nicolás Bravo ), Ricardo bearing news for General Bravo: "foreign invaders" have 1 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOL. 23 NO. 1 JAN-MAR 2017 landed at Veracruz! Miguel, joking about accepting the El cementerio las águilas looks, like many Mexican surrender of General Scott, goes to enlist and sees his films of the 1930s, a little crude technically when friend Rafael already there. Rafael is assigned to Santa compared to Hollywood productions of the same era Anna's staff. After some training, the troops march off to (Emilio García Riera says the film "appears contemporary meet the attacking Yankee army. The battle of Churubusco with the events it describes"). Within a few short years, pits the invaders against General Anaya' s forces. however, the technical qualities of Mexican cinema had Miguel is advanced significantly, particularly in the area of sent to carry photography, sound recording, and production design. a message to Nonetheless, the battle scenes in this film are well staged Santa Anna, and boast an impressive number of uniformed extras (some thus he does of this may be stock footage, but if it is, it isn't obvious). not witness The U.S. characters are not given any particular the defeat of personality or attention, but it is interesting that they speak the Mexican English in the film (although sometimes not that well: one army. Out of character asks "Where are your ammunition?"). ammunition, Jorge Negrete's film career was just beginning, and the brave although Negrete is the nominal star of the film, José defenders are Macip (who had produced Negrete’s previous film, forced to Caminos de ayer ) gets the love interest and dies a gallant surrender. Back in Mexico City, Agustín meets a friend of death as Agustín Melgar (one of the actual Niños Héroes ). his, a cadet at the Colegio Militar. The cadets are going to Director Luis Lezama was an early silent film director in defend their school grounds at Chapultepec. Agustín joins Mexico; he became the head of the RKO branch operation the army (he had previously been a cadet at the Colegio in the country, but returned to directing with two films in but dropped out), and he and Miguel are detached to fight 1938, and then remade his 1918 film Tabaré in 1946 with the cadets, under the command of General Bravo. before disappearing from filmmaking for good. Rafael arrives with a message from Santa Anna: no El cementerio de las águilas is not a typical Negrete reinforcements will be corning. The cadets are on their star vehicle--better examples of the glossy historical own. The U.S. forces attack, and after bitter hand-to-hand romances that made him one of the nation's top stars are fighting, enter the grounds of the Colegio Militar. Miguel Cartas de amor and Historia de un gran Amor --but as an takes over when Rafael loses his nerve and is unable to set almost unique cinematic examination of the Mexican- off some concealed land mines. One cadet wraps himself American War, it is worth seeing. in the Mexican flag and leaps off a parapet to his death. He Note: some interesting production stills can be seen at is saluted by the U.S. soldiers. The other cadets are all Rogelio Agrasánchez Jr.’s website: killed, until Agustín is the last man alive in the college. He http://www.mexfilmarchive.com/documents/el_cementerio_de is badly wounded by bayonets, but his life is spared by a _las_e1guilas__production_stills.html kindly U.S. officer. Miguel One Man's Hero * comes to see (Prods. San Patricio--Silver Agustín in Lion Films--Arco Films-- the hospital. Filmax--Hool/MacDonald Agustín asks Prods--Televisa/Orion Miguel to tell Pictures, 1999) Prod: Margarita, Lance Hool, Conrad Hool, his fiancee, William J. MacDonald; that he loves Assoc Prod : Arturo Brito, her and died Jaime Comas, Julio thinking of Fernández, Kristine her. So Harlan, Joseph Kluge; saying, he Co-Prod : Paul L. dies. Miguel escapes and goes to see Mercedes. He tells Newman; Dir : Lance her Agustín is dead. Hool; Scr : Milton Mercedes: "Where is he?" Gelman (Jaime Comas Miguel: "In the cemetary of the eagles ." also credited, on Spanish sources only); Photo : João Mercedes : "Where is that?" Fernandes; Music : Ernest Troost; Prod Dir : Diego Gómez Miguel: "Any piece of Mexican soil that covers those who Sempere, Peter Wooley; Prod Mgr : Conrad Hool; Asst died for her." Dir : Fernando Altschul; Film Ed : Mark Conte; Prod Des : The film ends with a montage of battle scenes, and Peter Wooley; Art Dir : Héctor Romero; Set Decor : superimposed shots of the cadets ("Los Ninos Heroes") Enrique Estévez; Additional Photo : Pancho Alcaine, Ángel standing in line. There is a shot of the Mexican flag as the Mexican national anthem plays. 2 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOL. 23 NO. 1 JAN-MAR 2017 Goded, Maurice K. McGuire; Makeup : Vonda K. Morris; woman and two real-life figures, Juan Nepomuceno Stunt Coord : Gary Jensen; Union : STPC Cortina and John Riley, but this is acceptable artistic *Mexican titles: El batallón de San Patricio, Héroes o license. The St. Patrick's Battalion in the film apparently traidores ; Spanish title: Héroes sin patria sees its first action at the battle of Monterrey (reasonably Cast : Tom Berenger ( John Riley ), Joaquim de Almeida accurate, although Riley and some of his men fought in (Cortina ), Daniela Romo ( Marta ), Jorge Bosso ( Col. several previous actions before the battalion itself was Máximo Nexor ), Luis Lorenzo ( Padre Varga ), Mark constituted) and is destroyed after the battle of Churubusco Moses ( Col. Benton Lacey ), Gregg Fitzgerald ( Paddy (more or less true, although some commentators indicate Noonan ), Carlos Carrasco ( Domínguez ), Stephen the details of the battle itself aren't perfectly in Tobolowsky ( Capt. Gaine ), Don Wycherley ( Brian Athlone ), Stuart Graham ( Cpl. Kenneally ), Wolf Muser (Cpl. Schultz ), Luke Hayden ( Seamus McDaugherty ), Ilia Volok ( Daniel Grzbalski ), Dermont Martin ( Sheamus Fitzgerald ), James Gammon ( General Zachary Taylor ), Patrick Bergin ( General Winfield Scott ), Jason Hool (Peter O'Neil ), Garrison Hershberger ( Eammon Daly ), Steve Leone ( John Daly ), Albert Grimaldi [Prince Albert of Monaco] ( James Kelley ), Rodolfo de Anda**( Gen.