Sombrero (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sombrero
Directed byNorman Foster
Written by
  • Josefina Niggli
  • Norman Foster
Based onA Mexican Village (novel)
by Josefina Niggli
Produced byJack Cummings
Starring
CinematographyRay June
Edited byCotton Warburton
Music by
Color processTechnicolor
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • April 22, 1953 (1953-04-22)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,821,000[1]
Box office$2,460,000[1][2]

Sombrero is a 1953 American musical romance film directed by Norman Foster and starring Ricardo Montalbán, Pier Angeli, Vittorio Gassman and Cyd Charisse.

Plot[edit]

Three couples involved in budding romances are caught in the middle of a feud between two Mexican villages.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

The film was based on the 1945 book Mexican Village by Josefina Niggli. It was a collection of 11 short stories set in the north Mexican town of Hidalgo.[3] The New York Times called it "remarkable...one of the finest books about Mexico."[4]

In June 1951, MGM announced they had bought the screen rights as a "possible vehicle for Ricardo Montalbán" and assigned Jack Cummings to produce.[5] In July, Norman Foster was signed to direct and co-write the script with Niggli; the cast was Montalbán, Cyd Charisse and Fernando Lamas, plus one American – Joseph Cotten, Wendell Corey and John Hodiak were the favorites for this.[6] (Both Cummings and Foster had made movies in Mexico.) Eventually the role of an American character was removed.[7] Niggli and Foster collaborated on the script over six months.[7]

In April 1952, Cornel Wilde was being sought for a lead role. By this stage the title of the film had changed from Mexican Village to Sombrero.[8] Vittorio Gassman, Pier Angeli and Ava Gardner joined the cast; it was Gassman's second American film after The Glass Wall.[9] Gardner dropped out in late April and was put on suspension by MGM (lifted when she agreed to make Mogambo).[10]

Then Lamas refused to make the film because it meant going on location in Mexico; MGM suspended him until he agreed to star in The Girl Who Had Everything.[11] By May, Yvonne De Carlo, Nina Foch and Kurt Kaznar joined the cast.[12] Rick Jason joined the cast (presumably replacing Lamas), making his film debut. Dore Schary said he expected Gassmann and Jason to become big stars.[13]

Filming started June 1952. The movie was shot on location in Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Tetecala and Tepoztln, Mexico.[7]

De Carlo did all her scenes with Gassman. "We got along wonderfully," she said. "He's a wonderful actor."[14]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

According to MGM records, the film earned $1,071,000 in the U.S. and Canada, and $1,389,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $592,000.[1]

Proposed follow-up movie[edit]

In September 1952, before the film was released, MGM announced Foster would write a follow-up movie based on three or four other stories in the collection Mexican Village that were not used in Sombrero, but no film was made.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954
  3. ^ Mexicans of the North: The Bookshelf, W.K.R. The Christian Science Monitor 3 Nov 1945: 20.
  4. ^ Books of the Times: Easy and Delightful Reading Exotic and Colorful Goings On By ORVILLE PRESCOTT. New York Times 16 Oct 1945: 27.
  5. ^ METRO WILL FILM 'MEXICAN VILLAGE': Studio Buys Niggli's Novel About Life in Hidalgo as a Story for Montalbán By THOMAS F. BRADY New York Times 5 June 1951: 49.
  6. ^ Drama: Gloria Swanson Again to Play Actress; 'Strike Match' Bids Laughton, Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 2 July 1951: B7.
  7. ^ a b c FOCUS ON 'SOMBRERO' BELOW THE BORDER By JOHN ROTHWELL New York Times 28 Sep 1952: X4.
  8. ^ 'Julius Caesar' Slated for Summer; Evelyne Asther's Debut Likely, Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 28 Apr 1952: B9.
  9. ^ A.F.L. FILM COUNCIL URGES BAN ON REDS: Hollywood Union Group Asks Action 'to Control or Outlaw the Communist Party' By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 23 Apr 1952: 25.
  10. ^ Film With Spain Locale Named for Cummings; Carey Plans Novel Story Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 29 Apr 1952: B9.
  11. ^ LAMAS TO CO-STAR WITH MISS TAYLOR: Metro Lifts Suspension of Actor, Who Will Appear in 'Girl Who Had Everything' New York Times 30 June 1952: 14.
  12. ^ COURT DENIES PLEA IN JARRICO ACTION New York Times 16 May 1952: 18.
  13. ^ Looking at Hollywood: Olivia De Havilland Will Star in 'My Cousin Rachel' Film Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 2 June 1952: a5.
  14. ^ YVONNE Marches on! Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 5 Oct 1952: g9.

External links[edit]