Tyrone Power Collection (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)

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This DVD boxed set shows Tyrone Power as Twentieth Century Fox (that is, Fox head honcho Darryl F. Zanuck) saw him: handsome, dashing, prone to swordplay and adventure. Zanuck's instincts were in tune with what audiences wanted to see from Ty Power, and the athletic actor was one of Hollywood's most popular stars from the late 1930s through his exit for WWII service--and he remained popular in the late 1940s, although he chafed at his limited casting opportunities. The real Tyrone Power may well have been more interesting than these movies suggest, although you wouldn't know it: he comes across as earnest, square, and unfailingly attractive.

The earliest film in the set is the 1941 Blood and Sand, a Technicolor-crazed remake of the old Rudolph Valentino silent picture. Power plays a hotshot matador caught between Linda Darnell's faithful wife and Rita Hayworth's naughty femme fatale (Anthony Quinn scores nicely in a small role as a super-cool rival matador). Director Rouben Mamoulian's operatic style meshes well with the milieu, even if the movie is paced operatically at times. Son of Fury (1942) bounds into the realm of 19th-century costume adventure, with Power out to wrest his rightful inheritance from scoundrel George Sanders, juggling high-class lady Frances Farmer and South Seas maiden Gene Tierney along the way. This crazy plot is ably directed by John Cromwell, and Alfred Newman's Polynesian love theme is well-nigh irresistible.

Captain from Castile is a lavish postwar production that reestablished Power as an adventure hero. Stunning location photography in Mexico (including a real volcano in mid-eruption, which figures evocatively in the late going) makes this one a scenic feast, even if the plot is standard potboiler stuff: Spanish nobleman Power escapes the Inquisition by signing on with Cortez (Cesar Romero) and his New World expedition. Castile was directed by Henry King, and King also made Prince of Foxes (1950), bringing a foursquare approach that emphasizes the somewhat stodgy period feel of both films. However, Prince has a secret weapon: Orson Welles plays power-hungry Cesare Borgia and steals every scene he's in. Tyrone Power already appears older than his 35 years (he would in fact die at age 44, while filming Solomon and Sheba), and he looks dazzled by Welles' prowess.

Welles is back in The Black Rose, a lively Boys' Own Adventure yarn from 1950. Here Power and Jack Hawkins leave 13th-century England for a wild trip to Mongolia and China, signing on to the service of the brutal warlord played by Welles. Director Henry Hathaway gets the most out of the extensive location shooting, and Welles makes a meal of his role. It's a fun movie that shows the appeal, and some of the limitations, of Tyrone Power in his signature style. --Robert Horton

Description

Disc 1: Captain from Castile Disc 2: Black Rose Disc 3: Blood and Sand Disc 4: Prince of Foxes Disc 5: Son of Fury

Customer Reviews:

Love at the movies.......2007-07-14

Growing up I saw old Tyrone Power movies on television. Even deciding to buy this collection I had not remembered how great he was on the screen. His co-stars are of equal standing and each of these films can stand alone on their merit. The filming & scenary! His talent lights up the screen in each. If you like classic Tyrone-you will never regret buying this collection-it is a must have.

a forgotten star shines again!.......2007-06-26

Although Tyrone Power is probably a forgotten star to many, this collection of some of his most exciting adventure films reminds those who remember him, or those who are at least familiar with some of his work, what star power once meant during the "Golden Age of Hollywood". Each of the films are my personal favorites, and the DVDs in the collection contain some interesting extras such as interviews with Power's surviving family members and former co-stars, as well as audio commentaries film historians, film composers, and other film professionals. Each DVD also contains separate audio track of each film's original soundtrack. The "Blood and Sand" DVD transfer uses a recently restored print that brings to life the film's original "old fashioned" bold and vivid Technicolor. All in all, this collection is definitely worth owning whether you're a fan or just interested in a star whose name rarely heard anymore.

Tyrone Power the movie star shines here. For Tyrone Power the actor, see Nightmare Alley.......2007-06-13

Tyrone Power was too earnest and straight forward to be a great actor, but he had what it takes to be a great movie star. The earnestness of his acting made him likable, even in those rare occasions when he played a heel. He was startlingly handsome as a young man. Even as his looks matured after WWII, he maintained his status as a romantic leading man up to his death of a heart attack when he was 49. As a heel, a hero or as a period swashbuckler, Power had that undefinable quality that made people want to buy tickets to his movies. These five swashbucklers, as variable in quality and corniness as they are, give a fine picture of Tyrone Power, movie star. He had to fight to be taken seriously as an actor, so I hope everyone who buys this set will also take a look at Power in Nightmare Alley (1947). The characters he plays in this set -- Juan Gallardo, Benjamin Blake, Pedro de Vargas, Andrea Orsini, Walter of Gurnie -- you'll probably forget. You'll remember Power as Stanton Carlisle.

Blood and Sand (1941) -- Blood and Sand is not a swashbuckler, but an allegory of a man's pride, lust and ambition, played out in the bullring, about a man who is redeemed by the love of a good woman and a death ennobled by regret. In other words, the movie is a Hollywood weeper. Still, it shows what can be accomplished when professionals take hold of a teary melodrama and give it color, sleekness, sex and, at 27, an extraordinarily handsome leading man in Tyrone Power. Rita Hayworth, as the femme fatale, is almost as pretty.

Son of Fury (1942) -- If Son of Fury were the title of a paperback novel, we'd expect a bodice-ripping, heavy-breathing Regency romance. What we have is a highly professional Darryl F. Zanuck adventure of surprising innocence and charm. Everything about the movie, from the actors to the script to the cinematography, features such a high level of craftsmanship that the few corny moments pass quickly. The story, even with a stolen inheritance, a wicked uncle and a South Seas cutie, is told with such professional attention to naivety that we cheer for Ben, hiss his uncle, and even find the unlikely conclusion satisfying.

Captain from Castile (1947) - If Captain from Castile is remembered much today it probably is because of one of the most rousing marches a Hollywood composer ever wrote. The "Conquest" theme is heard only three times, and the first two are brief but effective scene setters. We have to wait until the movie is almost over and Hernan Cortez is setting out on his march to the Aztec capital of Tenochititlan for the full treatment. The music, by Alfred Newman, embraces the moment, with hundreds of soldiers, the priests, the natives, the hangers-on spreading out before us, the horizon lightening and a single volcano smoking in the distance. The theme is inspiring, martial, emotional, uplifting and memorable. It's enough to make most movie goers want to sign up and most historians queasy. After all, in less than a generation a civilization of between 2 million and 6 million people was obliterated.

Prince of Foxes (1949) -- If passionate love, convivial betrayals and loyalty one can change as quickly as one's shirt intrigues you, you'll most likely enjoy Prince of Foxes. If nothing else, you'll learn a great party trick that involves two eyeballs and two thumbs. Prince of Foxes, in my view, is one of the best of the Tyrone Power adventure films. It stands out in part because we find ourselves operating in the lusty, double-dealing world of Cesare Borgia. And while Orson Welles, who plays Borgia, can't resist slicing the ham with gusto, it must be admitted that he brings a lot of joie de vivre to villainy.

The Black Rose (1950) -- And what's a black rose? We're told it is the name given to the clove, the most precious of spices. In this case, the clove is Maryam, played by Cecile Aubry. She was a small French actress who looks no older than 14. She has a small mouth which is filled with tiny teeth and a plump tongue, and she occasionally jumps about to express enthusiasm. If Vera-Ellen and Charlie McCarthy had ever had a child, it would look a lot like Cecile Aubry. The movie, The Black Rose, is no stinker, but the one insuperable drawback is its disjointed nature. We move from Norman England 200 years after William the Conqueror, to the middle-east and then on to a Mongol army moving and battling its way toward China, then to the imperial court of China itself, and finally back to England. It seems to me to be one of Power's weakest romantic-adventure films.

Tyrone Powerr: The Swashbuckler box Set.......2007-06-08

These Swashbuckler films show Tyrone Power at his best.

Best Buy Around.......2007-06-08

As a classic movie fan, I cannot rate this collection highly enough. It's chock full of some of the finest actors of Hollywoods golden age. Cheap at twice the price.

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Blood and Sand - The Movie
Why does FOX still neglect Rita Hayworth ?
Two beautiful people, Tyrone Power and Rita Hayworth, tell us all about ambition, temptation and redemption. It involves bulls
Someone once said "Technicolor isn't true to life - It's BETTER than life'
Quinn and Hayworth's Pasadoble remains one of the movie's best remembered moments...

Blood and Sand
Starring: Tyrone Power , Linda Darnell , Rita Hayworth , Alla Nazimova , and Anthony Quinn
Director: Rouben Mamoulian
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000JLQPQI
Release Date: 2007-05-01

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You have to wait over 20 minutes for Tyrone Power's entrance in Blood and Sand, but it's a good one: a close-up of Power grinning like FDR, his hair oiled and a cigar jutting out of his teeth, framed against a blood-red backdrop. This is the young matador Juan Gallardo, now grown after the opening reels have established his childhood as a bullfighting prodigy. What happens upon Juan's return to Seville is high Technicolor drama: success in the ring, romance with a childhood sweetheart (Linda Darnell), and then temptation in the arms of a dangerous temptress (Rita Hayworth).

The film is, of course, a remake of the silent 1922 Rudolph Valentino hit, but there's no mistaking it for that one: not least because of the torrid tones of the Oscar-winning cinematography by Ernest Palmer and Ray Rennehan, and the equally lush score by Alfred Newman. The director here is Rouben Mamoulian, whose operatic style meshes with the subject--bullfighting--and the old-school approach to heavy-breathing melodrama. The movie's a little too operatic for pacing purposes, and that opening definitely goes on too long. But the attractions include Rita Hayworth reveling in the bad-girl role; you can hardly blame Juan Gallardo for wandering, even if Linda Darnell is fully in her early-career lusciousness. And then there's Anthony Quinn, who swims around Gallardo like a shark sniffing blood. Tyrone Power is physically right for the role, and his steadfast earnestness suits the character. If it all seems faintly ludicrous today, it was good enough for box-office success in 1941, keeping Power's late-1930s winning streak going. --Robert Horton

Description

TYRONE POWER, LINDA DARNELL, and RITA HAYWORTH star in Rouben Mamoulian's stunning remake of the 1922 silent classic. A "potent drama of love and danger, pride and death," this "magnificent presentation" (Variety) tells the story of a handsome matador torn between his loving wife and a beautiful, unscrupulous aristocrat. Juan (POWER), the naÃ¯ve son of a once-famous bullfighter, tries to recapture the glory of his family's name. Though he is branded fifth rate, he soon becomes Spain's greatest matador and returns home top marry his childhood sweetheart (DARNELL). But when a beautiful, passionate aristocrat (HAYWORTH) seduces him, Juan succumbs to her temptations, only to see his own happiness and success crumble.

Customer Reviews:

Blood and Sand - The Movie.......2007-08-28

A love triangle in which an aspiring bullfighter falls under the spell of a beautiful woman.

Why does FOX still neglect Rita Hayworth ?.......2007-06-27

The studio made 3 movies with Rita Hayworth. Blood and Sand was even the movie that made her a real Star even though she worked at Columbia afterwards. Why is FOX not proud of having had her ? Why did they put such
a little pic of her on the new Cover as if it was only a Tyrone Power film ?
Why do they totally neglect MY GAL SAL which even does not exist on video ?
Hayworth was the combination of the 2 big female stars that
20th Century Fox had in the forties : She was the perfect match between
the dancing abilities of BETTY GRABLE and the beauty of GENE TIERNEY.
To bad they do not realize this even in 2007 : BLOOD AND SAND is a glorious
example for a great movie with 2 great Stars.

Two beautiful people, Tyrone Power and Rita Hayworth, tell us all about ambition, temptation and redemption. It involves bulls.......2007-05-30

Blood and Sand is an allegory of a man's pride, lust and ambition, who is redeemed by the love of a good woman and a death ennobled by regret. In other words, the movie is a Hollywood weeper. At just over two hours, it's way too long. Still, it shows what can be accomplished when professionals take hold of a teary melodrama and give it color, sleekness, sex and, at 27, an extraordinarily handsome leading man in Tyrone Power. Rita Hayworth, as the femme fatale, is almost as pretty.

Young Juan Gallardo, poor and illiterate, dreams of becoming a famed matador. As a young man (Tyrone Power), he achieves his goal, along with the friendship of men he knew when they were children and the love of his childhood sweetheart, Carmen (Linda Darnell). But fame and money can bring superficial values, and Juan's head is turned with a vengeance. He becomes a great matador, but spends money freely, ignores his old friends in favor of hangers-on and, even worse, he forgets the love of Carmen, now his wife, for the lush and erotic charms of Dona Sol (Rita Hayworth). Although Carmen is lovely, she spends much time looking either compassionate or sad. Dona Sol, or at least Rita Hayworth, is another matter entirely. Hayworth, in a white, form-fitting gown, is something to see as one evening she strolls with perfect posture and a perfect chest toward the poor sap Juan. He doesn't have a chance. In time, his skills become dull and Dona Anna finds him dull and moves on. At last he rediscovers his values and his roots. Wouldn't you know it, just when he restates his love for Carmen, he meets this one particular bull in his last fight. It has two very sharp horns. Music up, lights down, hankies out.

The movie seems to go on and on. We spend almost half an hour on Juan's boyhood before Tyrone Power shows up as a young man. It's nearly an hour before we encounter Rita Hayworth. For Hayworth, the wait is worth it. Her character is selfish, rich, beautiful and all the things a teenaged boy's erotic dreams are made of. This was Hayworth's first color movie and she knocks 'em dead. Says Natalio Curro (Laird Cregar), the effete and envious newspaper bullfight critic, "If this," gesturing at the bullfight arena, "is death in the afternoon, she," gesturing to Dona Sol, "is death in the evening." Towards the end of the movie Hayworth does a dance in a cantina with Anthony Quinn (as an upcoming bullfighter Dona Ana is about to leave Juan for) which is charged with sex.

What redeems the movie, in my opinion, is the professional gloss Darryl F. Zanuck and his team gave the film. At this point Tyrone Power was emerging as a box office power house for 20th Century Fox. Zanuck saw to it that Power was surrounded by the studio's best. The entire look of the film, from the poor village where Juan came from, to Dona Ana's luxurious estate, from street scenes to the arena itself is framed beautifully. Everything has that detailed, lavish, almost awe-inspiring perfection that only highly skilled professionals and a lot of studio money can provide. Color is used to create particular palettes for key scenes, often considerably more subtle than the garishness of many early Technicolor films. The actors all do fine jobs. Power, as usual, is earnest, but with his looks it works. Linda Darnell, obviously being groomed by how carefully she is lit and photographed, hasn't much to do but does it well. It's always good to see Laird Cregar being loathsome, and J. Carrol Naish and John Carradine as two old friends are authentic and don't overact. Anthony Quinn in an important role without much screen time makes an impression. And Rita Hayworth almost stops the movie every time she shows up.

Considering that bull fighting is a bloody business, where some people believe killing is an art and courage is not cheapened by spectacle, the movie goes to great lengths not to show us the reality of the picadors slicing into the bull's neck muscles, the animal's blood seeping down its sides, the occasional disemboweling of a picador's horse by the bull, the gorings of the matadors or the sword thrust into the neck of the bull which all too often doesn't kill cleanly and leaves the bull thrashing and trying to stand. The movie does give us a picture of the drama, the man versus animal contest, the roaring blood lust of the crowd and the inner workings of the arena. The average Roman citizen from 150 A.D. might have found it too tame, but he would have appreciated the intentions.

The DVD transfer is first rate. Extras include a commentary and a restoration comparison.

Someone once said "Technicolor isn't true to life - It's BETTER than life'.......2007-01-21

If you desire to know why in hell people were excited with Technicolor when it first got popular, we're talking the kind of color that jumps off the screen and seeps into your skin, here is presented in the grand style of Hollywood's golden age "BLOOD & SAND". This movie has the best color ever. I use it as a reference disk to show off what Technicolor was REALLY like.

Truly any one of the movies below could be studied for the art of Technicolor. Many of them are over 40-50 years old and sparkle like new.Due much in part to Warner Brothers restoration process.

Here is my Technicolor Reference list:
1) Blood & Sand

2) Singing In The Rain

3) The Garden of Allah (with Marlene Dietrich)

4) Auntie Mame (with Rosland Russell

5) Robin Hood (with Errol Flynn)

6) Gone With The Wind (Warner Brothers special edition) The scene where she waiting in that red dress at the front door after Clark Gable forces her to go to Melanie's party.

The numerical order has no meaning other than to list.

Quinn and Hayworth's Pasadoble remains one of the movie's best remembered moments..........2006-12-19

'The Mark of Zorro' and 'Blood and Sand' confirmed Rouben Mamoulian's enduring concern with drama conveyed through movement of characters and camera... The former was a rousing, deliciously ironic swashbuckler; the latter an adaptation of Ibañez's story about a simple country boy whose success as a matador leads him into temptation and towards a violent early death... Rudolph Valentino had scored one of his biggest success with 'Blood and Sand' in 1922, and the same story served as a Tyrone Power vehicle nineteen years later...

Color, and Mamoulian's almost choreographic direction, turned the motion picture into an exquisite melodrama, where all the passes and swirls of the bullring were vividly depicted: The parade of the bullfighters and their entourage, the race of the vicious predator into the arena, the matadors flashing their yellow and pink capes...

Rita Hayworth blood-red lips and scarlet fingernails, contrast the cool colors of her Spanish mansion, and show her off to glittering advantage...

In her sensuous screen Pasadoble with Anthony Quinn, she looks sensational in her rose evening gown, symbolic of the Spanish bullfight flavor...

The arrogant and passionate dance, based on Flamenco dancing that characterizes the man as the matador and the lady as his red cape, is performed with style and surety... The colors, rose and green, are blended to perfection with the amazing prowess of an appealing couple in tune with the balanced perfection of shapes and the sweeping movements of Rita Hayworth...

Quinn is perfect for redoing old Valentino roles... He always demonstrated his grace and remarkable agility on the dance floor... This sequence remains one of the movie's best remembered moments...

Mamoulian begins the film with a 30 minute prologue, establishing the characters ten years before the main narrative...

Juanillo, just a little boy with fire, vigorously illiterate but possessing his father's passion for bullfighting, is seen by night currently taking the bullfighting world by storm... Not least for his exceptional brave and agile style of fighting but also for his age... Juanillo adores the art of bullfighting... Hr runs off to Madrid with his boyhood friends, Manolo, Nacional Pablo and La Pulga...

After winning a certain reputation as a 'flat-footed novillero,' Juan (Tyrone Power) returns years later to Seville to marry his childhood sweetheart, Carmen Espinosa (Linda Darnell - a voluptuous beauty with perfect complexion), and brings her to live in his luxurious home where he has installed his mother (Alla Nazimona) and his sister, Encarnacion (Lynn Bari).

Then he goes on to become the 'first matador in Spain' showing his individual personality by the combination and variations of his passes... Juan brings the bull past his body with the elegance of a premier ballet dancer, making it seem effortless and beautiful...

As his popularity climbs Juan's entourage of hangers-on increases joining his boyhood friends Nacional (John Carradine), Manolo de Palma (Anthony Quinn), La Pulga (Michael Morris), Pablo Gomez (Charles Stevens), Sebastian (William Montague), and his loyal dresser, Garabato (J. Carrol Naish) who left the ring just as he came in to it, 'without a peseta.'

But all is not so perfect in the ranks of Juan's cuadrilla... Nacional is anxious to leave bullfighting for politics, and Manolo, jealous of Juan's success, wants to make his own name in the ring... And then there is the on-going feud Juan has been engaging in with Natalio Curro (Laird Cregar), the famous bullfight critic who had insulted the memory of his father...

When Juan established himself as Spain's most important matador, Curro opportunistically affirms: 'At last Sevilla has a matador. The greatest matador of all history. The first man of the world. The day he was born, there was salt in the air, a great quantity of salt.'

And at one of Juan's 'great afternoon', we are introduced to the stunning Doña Sol des Muire (Rita Hayworth) whose chief passion is bullfighting and, in particular, handsome matadors...

The torrid Spanish beauty had little difficulty, in luring the new risen star away from his home...

Falling under her tempting beauty, Juan begins an affair with her at the expense of both his faithful wife and his career... His skills as a matador go downhill and his bad attitude loses him all his once loyal friends...

'Blood and Sand' is sensitively directed by Mamoulian and might be considered one of the greatest examples of Technicolor film-making... The film won an Oscar for Best Color Cinematography, and was nominated for Best Interior Set Decoration...

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Iwo Jima - Red Blood, Black Sand
Starring: Iwo Jima-Red Blood Black Sand
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000R5OFPY
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Description

Iwo Jima, a tiny island 660 miles from Tokyo, was defended by 21,000 Japanese soldiers determined to fight to the death. The US campaign, which began on February 19, 1945, was expected to last only a few days. Instead it claimed the lives of nearly 7,000 Marines and lasted for over a month. Transforming scenes from over 40 reels of combat footage into a timeless tribute for all veterans who fought during World War II, Iwo Jima: Red Blood/Black Sand brings the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history to life. For the veterans who survived the ordeal, the memories are painful. In Iwo Jima: Red Blood/Black Sand, many talk for the first time about a battle that has haunted them for almost half a century.

Average customer rating:

Incredible movie!
Bravo, Valentino!
What I think....
CREEPY VAL BROODS AGAIN
Bravo!

Blood & Sand
Starring: Rosa Rosanova , Leo White , Rosita Marstini , Rudolph Valentino , and Lila Lee
Director: Fred Niblo , and Dorothy Arzner
Manufacturer: Kino Video
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ASIN: B00005O5CC
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Amazon.com

Rudolph Valentino's star power burns through this adaptation of Vicente Blasco Ibanez's exotic melodrama of an Andalusian peasant boy who becomes the greatest matador in all of Spain. The swaggering but sincere Valentino marries good Catholic girl Lila Lee, a coy innocent with bow-tie lips, but is seduced by voracious vamp Nita Naldi, a high-society man-eater who decides to add a bullfighter to her list of conquests. Journeyman director Fred Niblo (the 1925 version of Ben-Hur) mounts this grand piece of romantic nonsense with little subtlety but plenty of spectacle, and in the best Hollywood tradition celebrates the macho glamour of the sport while decrying its cruelty. While it lacks the grace or style of Rouben Mamoulian's 1941 color remake, Valentino's charisma and confidence and smoldering eyes give the film a simmering, sultry life that no remake has been able to capture. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Incredible movie!.......2004-12-03

This is such an incredible movie, at least as good as any movie of today. People who complain that silent movies are boring or obsolete clearly haven't watched any or seen an incredible one like this. There are enough periodic text blocks on the screen to convey what's going on or what someone just said to follow along just fine, and the rest of the time yoiu can follow along by watching the interactions between the characters, facial expressions, and body language. Some silent movies may be overacted, but this one isn't; maybe people of today have just forgotten how to process emotions and a story through nonverbal channels, or what a truly expressive face looks like.

This was the first Valentino movie I saw, and now I like him even more. He looks even more beautiful in motion than he does in still pictures, and you can appreciate that he was more than just a stunningly beautiful face. So many modern-day actors don't have faces that are that expressive, nor can they convey emotions like tenderness, lust, sensuality, sexuality, anger, shock, surprise, etc., through their body language and other nonverbal cues. The wedding night scene, when Juan goes to find the nervous Carmen, holds her from behind, and sweeps his hand out, is incredibly erotic; I find it much more thrilling than a graphic sex scene. The brooding sexuality and all that's left unsaid and undone leaves so much more to the imagination, and being as old-fashioned as I am, I feel that less is truly more. The scene where he gets down on his knees and begs Carmen for forgiveness as he holds her and rests his head against her side is also very tender and moving. And so much of the character he plays wasn't acting; he really was that caring, gentle, tender, emotional, loving, and passionate in real life. His heart and soul were just as beautiful as his face.

The ending is incredibly powerful, emotional, and chilling as well. The whole movie stays with you for a long time. They really don't make movies or actors like that anymore.

Bravo, Valentino!.......2002-04-04

The quality of this film (or at least the version I purchased) did not seem to be to the standards of other Valentino films (picture seemed grainy and the speed seemed much faster), but I still rate it among one of the best. Like one review wrote, it does lack the style of the later Tyrone Power remake; however, Power comes nowhere close to Valentino's brooding, sensual portrayal of Juan Gallardo, and Nita Naldi was much more convincing as the witchy Dona Sol than Rita Hayworth, and plays the range of emotions (from begging Gallardo to love her to coldly reacting to his death)extremely well. This 1922 version captures the spirit of the bullfight remarkably well in spite of the limitations of silent film-making, and seemed incredibly authentic.

Now - about Valentino. I was puzzled at the over-emphasized eyebrows and wish the make-up artists had not found it necessary to use the effect, as Valentino would have projected a Spanish image easily with his natural dramatic looks alone. But, either way, he is intensely sexy, powerful, brooding, smoldering and hypnotic as usual. I enjoyed his portrayal of the youth Juan, especially his tenderness toward his mother. His transition from youth to adult matador was natural and believable. The scene in which Dona Sol begs him to love her and proclaims that she longs for him to "beat" her with his "strong" hands was highly erotic and was packed with a sexual tension that can't be matched by anyone other than Valentino and his leading ladies. I may be biased, because I am crazy about any vehicle which showcases Rudolph Valentino; however, this film carries its own and I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. Once again, Valentino has captured my heart, and I recommend this film to all lovers of romance.

What I think...........2001-10-30

I think this is the best film Valentino ever did! His acting in the romantic scenes lacks the over the top feel that the loves scenes in "The Sheik" have. He brings a sincere, believeable quality to the character. Also, something that the reviews here seem to miss is the comedic moments in the film. In the scene when the black Moor servant offers to light Valentino's cigarette... the look on his face is priceless! Having the video of this film as well I noticed several scenes on the DVD edition that were missing from the VHS edition.
The DVD edition also includes a wonderfully funny piece of Will Rogers' "Blood And Sand" spoof.

CREEPY VAL BROODS AGAIN.......2001-09-08

Rudolph Valentino blazed on the silent screen with a weird, smoldering sensuality that seems kind of laughable when seen in stills or clips.

Not so in "BLOOD AND SAND," his most celebrated role. Rarely seen today, this classic silent in a new digital transfer from a 35mm archive negative does justice to the enigmatic Valentino's portrayal of Juan Gallardo, a young Spaniard who achieves his boyhood dream of becoming a famous matador only to fall under the malefic charms of mysterious Dona Sol (Nita Naldi).

The compilation, exotic stereo music score is performed by the acclaimed Mont Alto Motion Picture orchestra. The disc comes with a wealth of supplemental features including a filmed introduction by Orson Welles, a great parody starring Will Rogers, footage from Valentino's funeral and more. Brooding and hypnotic and funky. No one smolders like Valentino. Was he gay or just pleasant?

Bravo!.......2001-02-18

Another of Rudolph Valentino's cinematic triumphs. He stars as a bullfighter who is torn between two women. It's a very good film and the bullfighting scenes are very interesting to watch. Great performances by Valentino, Lila Lee and Nita Naldi make this a good film.

Average customer rating:

Incredibly awful remake of great classic
TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!!!
Disappointing DVD
Disappointing DVD
Blood and Sand

Blood & Sand
Starring: Christopher Rydell , Sharon Stone , Ana Torrent , Guillermo Montesinos , and Albert Vidal
Director: Javier Elorrieta
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: 6305645477
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Customer Reviews:

Incredibly awful remake of great classic.......2004-01-08

Blood and Sand was made twice before, in 1922 with Rudolph Valentino and 1941 with Tyrone Power. The first version was good but not excellent, but Tyrone's version was, mostly due to the lavish Technicolor and the excellent supporting cast. But this 1989 remake is absolutely ridiculous; it shouldn't have been made to begin with. None of the stars can save the plot, which is marred a thin, convoluted plot. So if you want to see this bullfighting story, do NOT get this version. Instead get the 1941 version with Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Rita Hayworth. You will not be disappointed. Trust me.

TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!!!.......2003-03-25

I bought this film in anticipation of seeing the beautiful Sharon Stone in some really hot scenes....on this count it was a letdown, you don't see much of the gorgeous Ms Stone, certainly nothing like in Basic Instinct/Sliver/The Specialist.I was also expecting a brilliant storyline like the 1941 version with Tyrone Power,the alluring Rita Hayworth and Linda Darnell...again another terrible disappointment. Really dull plot, totally disjointed and bordering on the incoherent.Finally..the quality of the picture was poor with blurred colour and almost hazy images. Undoubtedly this DVD is the worst I've ever purchased....if it wasn't for the stunning Ms Stone and her sex appeal it probably should NOT have been inflicted on the movie market at all!!!

Disappointing DVD.......2002-01-03

Face it, This was a widescreen movie. On the DVD however, it has been encoded using 1.33:1, the tasteless TV format with only 2 sound channels. I did not read the technical details before i bought it. I think you should read the details. It is like watching a movie with good VHS resolution. nothing more! What have North Americans done to deserve censored DVD versions of European movies. They pay the same price and it is not for public use. Any DVD without 5.1 channel or DTS sound and without anamorphic widescreen dimensions i.e 2.25:1 should be avoided. The stunning beauty of young Sharon Stone makes up for these technical goofs.

Disappointing DVD.......2002-01-03

Blood and Sand.......2001-12-08

Sharon Stone looks great in this. It has a good plot and is quite fast moving.

Average customer rating:

"Happiness and prosperity built on cruelty and bloodshed cannot survive."

Blood and Sand:Silent Classic
Starring: Fred Becker , Charles Belcher , Gilbert Clayton , Sidney de Grey , and George Field
Director: Fred Niblo
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002PYT82
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Customer Reviews:

"Happiness and prosperity built on cruelty and bloodshed cannot survive.".......2006-06-30

Rudolf Valentino stars as the toreador Juan Gallardo in the 1922 silent film "Blood and Sand." As the son of an impoverished widow, Juan is considered a wastrel for his attraction to bullfights, and no one in his family takes his interest seriously. But when Juan is catapulted to fame for his bullfighting skills, his family--particularly his brother-in-law--become hangers-on in Juan's growing entourage. Soon Juan, a simple Andalusian peasant, has the equivalent of a management team accompanying him to all the fights.

Juan marries the sweet and good Carmen (Lila Lee) who stays at home and prays for his safe return from the bullring. Juan's fame spreads and he eventually becomes the greatest toreador in Spain. Decadent, devious evil vamp Dona Sol (Nita Naldi) sets out to seduce Juan and add him to her list of conquests.

While the film directed by Fred Niblo seems essentially simple--good vs. evil, a man derailed by his own fame and fortune, etc., the film is actually rather complex and powerful. Juan is seen as a victim of a rapacious society that demands entertainment through a horrendous, senseless blood sport--bullfighting. In one fascinating scene, Juan meets the infamous bandit Plumitas (Walter Long) face-to-face. Plumitas has charted Juan's mercurial rise to fame with great interest and sees parallels in their different careers. Plumitas remarks that they are both poor men who have to face death for a living--but whereas Juan's death will be greeted with pomp, ceremony and mourning, the state will delight at the bandit's ignoble death. Plumitas obviously grasps and visualizes the inevitable brutal end of his bloody career, but Juan is troubled by the comparison.

A philosopher, Don Joselito, who collects torture devices to "remind himself of man's inhumanity to man" acts as a narrator and moralist throughout the film. He too apparently studies Juan's career and also recognizes its inevitable conclusion.

Valentino does an excellent job as the Andalusian peasant who gets in over his head and is finally corrupted by a wicked woman. It's a sign of how absorbing a silent film is when dialogue isn't missed, and with its haunting score, "Blood and Sand" is a must-see. The Alpha DVD quality is acceptable. The words on the screen faded in and out (but could still be seen) in a couple of spots, and the picture was a bit scratchy. Warning: The film contains actual footage of bullfights, but these scenes are fairly short. This DVD has no extras--displacedhuman

Average customer rating:

Blood and Sand

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Average customer rating:

Incredible movie!
Bravo, Valentino!
What I think....
CREEPY VAL BROODS AGAIN
Bravo!

Blood and Sand [Region 2]
Starring: Rosa Rosanova , Leo White , Rosita Marstini , Rudolph Valentino , and Lila Lee
Director: Fred Niblo , and Dorothy Arzner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009WW08

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Incredible movie!.......2004-12-03

Bravo, Valentino!.......2002-04-04

What I think...........2001-10-30

CREEPY VAL BROODS AGAIN.......2001-09-08

Rudolph Valentino blazed on the silent screen with a weird, smoldering sensuality that seems kind of laughable when seen in stills or clips.

Bravo!.......2001-02-18

Average customer rating:

Blood And Sand
Starring: Rudolph Valentino; Nita Naldi; Lila Lee; George Field; Walter Long; Leo White
Director: Fred Niblo
Manufacturer: Reel Enterprises
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KJTBVK
Release Date: 2006-11-13

Description

Young, poor Juan Gallarde (Valentino) from a small town quickly becomes the greatest bullfighter in Spain with his firy passion and courageous actions. After gaining fame and fortune, he marries his childhood sweetheart Carmen (Lee), but is soon seduced by the vampish Marquis' daughter Dona Sol (Naldi). However, his mistress deserts him after Juan is viciously gored by a bull, and Carmen returns to nurse him back to health. After a long recovery, Juan returns to the bullring with Carmen's love and support, but tragedy strikes for a final time. Another Valentino classic!

Average customer rating:

Blood & Sand
Starring: Blood & Sand
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVD:

DVD

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