The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944 film)

Last updated
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Bridge SanLuisRey c.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Rowland V. Lee
Written by Howard Estabrook
Herman Weissman
Thornton Wilder (novel)
Produced byRowland V. Lee
Benedict Bogeaus
Starring Lynn Bari
Akim Tamiroff
Francis Lederer
Nazimova
Louis Calhern
Blanche Yurka
Donald Woods
Cinematography John W. Boyle
John J. Mescall (uncredited)
Edited byHarvey Manger
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Production
company
Benedict Bogeaus Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • February 11, 1944 (1944-02-11)(United States)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$900,000 [1]

The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a 1944 drama film made by Benedict Bogeaus Productions and released by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Rowland V. Lee with Benedict Bogeaus as co-producer. The screenplay by Howard Estabrook and Herman Weissman was adapted from the 1927 novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. The music score was by Dimitri Tiomkin and the cinematography by John W. Boyle and an uncredited John J. Mescall. The film stars Lynn Bari, Francis Lederer, Akim Tamiroff, Nazimova and Louis Calhern.

Contents

Dimitri Tiomkin's music was nominated for the Best Original Score.

Plot

In the year of 1774, a hundred-year old bridge leading to the chapel of San Luis Rey in Peru, plunges into the deep chasm it spans, killing the five people who are crossing it. Brother Juniper (Donald Woods) is one of the chapel monks, whose faith is rocked by the unfortunate incident. He travels to Lima to seek answers to his questions why these five were chosen by God to die this violent death.

In Lima, Brother Juniper talks to a well known local theatre figure called Uncle Pio (Akim Tamiroff), and asks him about a famous actress, Micaela Villegas (Lynn Bari). Pio then starts telling the story of his encounter with Micaela and the unfortunate events leading up to the tragic accident.

Years ago, when Micaela was working in Lima, she was in love with the bold, exciting Manuel (Francis Lederer). His twin brother, Esteban, loathed Micaela. When Manuel left for Spain, Pio became Micaela's mentor and helped her become an excellent actress, working for the Comedia Theater.

Her celebrity and beauty attracted the viceroy Don Andre's (Louis Calhern) interest, and he asked her to pay him a private visit at his mansion. Just before Micaela is about to go to the viceroy, Manuel returns from his journey and instead of going to the viceroy, she spends the night with her beloved Manuel.

Tension rises between the twin brothers when Manuel discovers all the letters Micaela has written to him, that Esteban neglected to forward to him. Esteban apologizes and feels guilt over what he has done, to the point that he is about to take his own life, but Manuel stops him from hanging himself.

When Estaban has recovered, Manuel embarks on a new long journey. When Micaela once again is invited to the viceroy, she accepts the invitation. Because of the viceroy's interest in Micaela, the Marquesa Dona Maria (Nazimova) feels threatened and decides to get rid of her. The Marquesa pretends to be Micaela's friend to win her confidence, unlike the other prominent guests of the viceroy. This is the end of Uncle Pio's telling of the story.

Juniper goes on to visit the Abbess (Blanche Yurka). She tells him about the Marquesa, whose daughter eloped to Spain and married a young aristocrat. The Marquesa confided her loneliness to the Abbess, and was recommended a young companion, an orphan named Pepita, whom the Marquesa ended up treating badly because of her own bitterness. Pio was also consulted by the Marquesa, about the viceroy and Micaela, but Pio doesn't have any information to give.

The viceroy falls in love with Micaela, and Esteban warns her that the noblemen are scheming to get rid of her. Micaela is upset and turns to Pio for help, and he gives her a song to use during her performance at the castle. The lyrics tell of a scheme take over the throne, and the aristocrat audience is very offended. The viceroy forces Micaela to apologize, but the Marquesa realizes how stupid she has been and in turn apologizes to Micaela. She starts pondering over the human nature and of peoples ability to transform into something better, like Esteban and the Marquesa.

Manuel returns from his travels as a captain, and asks Micaela to come with him. The viceroy enters when they embrace, and demands to see Manuel at his palace. Manuel is arrested that night, since the viceroy sees him as too much competition for Micaela.

When the viceroy is asked to return to Spain again, he asks Micaela to accompany him. She refuses because of Manuel's incarceration. She begs Pio for help to free Manuel from prison, before going on a trip to the mountains with the viceroy and his following.

Pio manages to set Manuel free, but he is interrogated by the viceroy afterwards. Pio advises the viceroy not to kill Manuel, since it will make him a martyr. Following this advice, Manuel is pardoned, and Pio brings the signed document to where Manuel is hiding, by the bridge to San Luis Rey.

Soon after, the viceroy and his small following, including Micaela, the Marquesa, Pepita and their scribe Esteban, arrive at the bridge. The viceroy crosses the bridge to the other side, and is followed by the others. Just as Micaela is about to start crossing, Manuel turns up, stops and kisses her. She manages to take only one step on the bridge when it collapses, sending the viceroy, the Marquesa, Esteban, Pepita and another man to their deaths. Micaela is pulled away and saved by Manuel. [2]

Cast

Background and production

The film and novel are very loosely based on the real-life story of Micaela Villegas (1748-1819), a famous Peruvian entertainer known as La Perichole, whose life was also the inspiration for the novella Le Carrosse du Saint-Sacrement by Prosper Mérimée; an opéra bouffe , La Périchole by Jacques Offenbach; and Jean Renoir’s 1953 film Le Carrosse d'or (The Golden Coach).

There was also an earlier part-talkie film version of The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929) starring Lili Damita. The film was remade once more in 2004 with the title The Bridge of San Luis Rey and starring F. Murray Abraham, Kathy Bates and Pilar López de Ayala.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Calhern</span> American actor (1895–1956)

Carl Henry Vogt, known by his stage name Louis Calhern, was an American actor. Described as a “star leading man of the theater and a star character actor of the screen,” he was appeared in over 100 roles on the Broadway stage and in films and television, between 1923 and 1956. He was nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for portraying U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in the 1950 film The Magnificent Yankee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pío Pico</span> Last governor of Alta California

Don Pío de Jesús Pico IV was a Californio politician, ranchero, and entrepreneur, famous for serving as the last governor of Alta California under Mexican rule from 1845 to 1846. He briefly held the governorship during a disputed period in 1832. A member of the prominent Pico family of California, he was one of the wealthiest men in California at the time and a hugely influential figure in Californian society, continuing as a citizen of the nascent U.S. state of California.

<i>The Bridge of San Luis Rey</i> 1927 novel by Thornton Wilder

The Bridge of San Luis Rey is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel. It was first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and was the best-selling work of fiction that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Lederer</span> Czech-American actor (1899–2000)

Francis Lederer was an Austro-Hungarian Empire-born American film and stage actor with a successful career, first in Europe, then in the United States. His original name was František (Franz) Lederer.

<i>The Bridge of San Luis Rey</i> (1929 film) 1929 film

The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929) is a sound part-talkie film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film was directed by Charles Brabin and starred Lili Damita and Don Alvarado. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects along with English intertitles. The sound was recorded via the Western Electric sound-on-film process.

<i>The Bridge of San Luis Rey</i> (2004 film) 2004 French film

The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a 2004 French-Spanish-British drama film directed by Mary McGuckian and featuring an ensemble cast, including Robert De Niro, Pilar López de Ayala, F. Murray Abraham, Kathy Bates, Gabriel Byrne, Émilie Dequenne, and Harvey Keitel. It is based on Thornton Wilder's 1927 novel of the same name. The film was released in 2004 in Spain and 2005 in the U.S. and abroad. Despite praise for its costume design, the film was poorly received by critics.

<i>La Périchole</i> Opera by Jacques Offenbach, premiered in 1868

La Périchole is an opéra bouffe in three acts with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The opera depicts the mutual love of two impoverished Peruvian street singers – too poor to afford a marriage licence – and a lecherous viceroy, Don Andrès de Ribeira, who wishes to make La Périchole his mistress. Love eventually triumphs. The story is based loosely on the play Le carrosse du Saint-Sacrement by Prosper Mérimée (1828), and the title character is based on the Peruvian entertainer Micaela Villegas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micaela Villegas</span>

Maria Micaela Villegas Hurtado, known as La Perricholi, was a Peruvian entertainer and mistress of Manuel de Amat y Junyent, Viceroy of Peru from 1761 to 1776. Their son, Manuel de Amat y Villegas, was one of the signers of Peru’s declaration of independence from Spain on 28 July 1821.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanche Yurka</span> American actress and director (1887–1974)

Blanche Yurka was an American stage and film actress and director. She was an opera singer with minor roles at the Metropolitan Opera and later became a stage actress, making her Broadway debut in 1906 and established herself as a character actor of the classical stage, also appearing in several films of the 1930s and 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel de Amat y Junyent</span> Spanish military officer and colonial administrator

Manuel de Amat y Junyent, OSJ, OM was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He was the Royal Governor of the Captaincy General of Chile from December 28, 1755, to September 9, 1761, and Viceroy of Peru from October 12, 1761, to July 17, 1776.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Audiencia of Quito</span> Administrative region of the Spanish Empire in northwestern South America (1563-1822)

The Real Audiencia of Quito was an administrative unit in the Spanish Empire which had political, military, and religious jurisdiction over territories that today include Ecuador, parts of northern Peru, parts of southern Colombia and parts of northern Brazil. It was created by Royal Decree on 29 August 1563 by Philip II of Spain in the city of Guadalajara. It ended in 1822 with the incorporation of the area into the Republic of Gran Colombia.

<i>Marquis de Sade: Justine</i> 1968 film by Jesús Franco

Marquis de Sade: Justine is a 1969 erotic period drama film directed by Jesús Franco, written and produced by Harry Alan Towers, and based on the 1791 novel Justine by the Marquis de Sade. It stars Romina Power as the title character, with Maria Rohm, Klaus Kinski, Akim Tamiroff, Harald Leipnitz, Rosemary Dexter, Horst Frank, Sylva Koscina and Mercedes McCambridge.

Rancho Monserate was a 13,323-acre (53.92 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day San Diego County, California, given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Ysidro María Alvarado. The grant extended south and east of the present day Fallbrook down to the San Luis Rey River. The grant was bounded on the west by Pico's Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores.

Carmen Sánchez was a Spanish producer, dancer, and actress. She started her career as dancer and singer of zarzuela at very young age. At age 20, she finished working on copla or chotis and was featured in films between 1927 and 1928. She was a pioneer of silent films. She became a famous Spanish actress after the Spanish Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count of Chinchón</span> Spanish noble title

Count of Chinchón is a title of Spanish nobility. It was initially created on 9 May 1520 by King Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who granted the title to Fernando de Cabrera y Bobadilla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonzalo Rodríguez Girón</span>

Gonzalo Rodríguez Girón, also known as Gonzalo Ruiz Girón, firstborn son of Rodrigo Gutiérrez Girón and María de Guzmán, was one of Castile's wealthiest and most powerful nobles. He was based in Tierra de Campos, and was among the most loyal supporters of King Alfonso VIII of Castile, Berengaria of Castile, and later of King Ferdinand III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel Godoy</span> First Secretary of State of Spain

Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria Ríos, 1st Prince of the Peace, 1st Duke of Alcudia, 1st Duke of Sueca, 1st Baron of Mascalbó, was the First Secretary of State of the Kingdom of Spain from 1792 to 1797 and then from 1801 to 1808, and as such, one of the central Spanish political figures during the rise of Napoleon and his invasion of Spain. Godoy came to power at a young age as the favourite of King Charles IV and Queen Maria Luisa. He has been partly blamed for the Anglo-Spanish War of 1796–1808 that brought an end to the Spanish Empire. Godoy's unmatched power ended in 1808 with the Tumult of Aranjuez, which forced him into a long exile. He died in Paris in 1851.

<i>The Coyotes Justice</i> 1956 film

The Coyote's Justice is a 1956 Mexican-Spanish western film directed by Joaquín Luis Romero Marchent and starring Abel Salazar, Gloria Marín and Manuel Monroy. Based on the character El Coyote created by J. Mallorquí. It was a sequel to the 1955 film The Coyote.

<i>Campanas en la noche</i> Argentine Telenovela

Campanas en la noche is a 2019 Argentine telenovela created by Lily Ann Martin and Jessica Valls for Telefe. It premiered on January 14, 2019 and ended on May 15, 2019. It stars Esteban Lamothe, Calu Rivero and Federico Amador. The supporting cast includes Eugenia Tobal, Rodrigo Guirao Díaz, Patricia Viggiano, Mariano Argento, Adrián Navarro, Martín Slipak, Laura Laprida, Clara Alonso, Franco Masini, Azul Fernández, and Bárbara Amaral. There is also the special participation of Héctor Bidonde, Jean Pierre Noher, and Noemí Frenkel.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey (<i>DuPont Show of the Month</i>) 5th episode of the 1st season of DuPont Show of the Month

"The Bridge of San Luis Rey" was an American television play broadcast by CBS on January 21, 1958, as part of the television series, DuPont Show of the Month. It was written by Ludi Claire as an adaptation of the Thornton Wilder novel of the same name. Robert Mulligan was the director and David Susskind the producer.

References

  1. ↑ "Stabilize UA". Variety. 14 June 1944. p. 21.
  2. ↑ "The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944) - Turner Classic Movies". Tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.