The Brave Bulls (Columbia Pictures) (1951)

Dancer’s Grace Vital in Bullring Clifton Webb may not know it but he helped Mel Ferrer make a success of the leading role of “The Brave Bulls,” Robert Rossen’s production for Columbia Pictures now at the Theatre. The new film, based on Tom Lea’s best-selling novel, features Ferrer as a star Mexican matador, and introduces to American audiences beautiful blonde Miroslava, sensation of Mexican films. Mr. Webb launched Ferrer’s Broadway stage career, a few years back, by teaching the young hopeful his dancing routine for a show that got Mel a Hollywood bid. Ferrer continued practising his dance steps, even though he never danced again in show business. The practice enabled the actor to have agility enough to portray a real bullfighter. audiences who’ve never viewed the spectacle may not realize it, not Though. U.S, all bullfight fans go to see death in the afternoon. Most of them attend to watch an art of footwork and swirling capes as precise as boxing or ballet. However, there is a goodly percentage of them who gratify a_ blood-lust while watching a corrida de toros, just as many of our own fight and football fans attend their favorite sports for their violent action. Ferrer pointed out that great matadors have much in common with our own athletes. They make their complicated movements, whereby they avoid injury and even death on bulls’ horns, seem effortless. Ferrer had to train for many weeks, before he was able to achieve the impressive, mechanical rhythms of the matadors. Ferrer’s experience as a dancer also enabled him to rehearse for long hours at high altitudes without becoming winded, until he could perfect the capework routines demanded by centuries-old tradition. There’s a very practical reason for bullfighters to achieve perfection, Ferrer pointed out. “If the bulls don’t like your capework, you’re liable to get hurt.” John Bright wrote the screen play of “The Brave Bulls,” which was directed by Rossen. Anthony Quinn, Eugene Iglesias, Jose Torvay and Charlia are featured. Made in Mexico “The Brave Bulls,” Robert Rossen’s spectacular production for Columbia Pictures, now at the Reigns Theatre with Mel Ierrer and Miroslava in the principal roles, was filmed not only in Hollywood and in the Churubusco Studio in Mexico City, but in other sections of Mexico. A number of bullfight arenas were used. Mat I-D; Still No. 110 MEL FERRER Kossen’s Crowd Technique Employed in ‘Brave Bulls’ Robert Rossen’s famous “method with crowds” helped to win “All The King’s Men” the 1949 Academy Award as the best picture of the year and Rossen’s crowd scenes add considerably to the violent drama of “The Brave Bulls,” his latest production for Columbia Pictures, currently at the Theatre. Based on Tom Lea’s best-selling novel, “The Brave Bulls” has Mel Ferrer in the leading role and introduces Miroslava, beautiful sensation of Mexican films. The producer-director’s “method” consists largely of letting people behave like human beings. “I try to fill real people in real-life settings,” Rossen stated recently. “T explain the action, yes. But I rehearse them as little as possible. Otherwise, a non-professional, a good live human, becomes just a bad actor. A case in point was Rossen’s handling of 2,000 people stampeding through the concrete tunnels of the Plaza Mexico, the world’s biggest bullring, located in Mexico City. The action required Mel Ferrer, Anthony Quinn and Eugene Iglesias to fight their way through the crowd from three different directions to meet in front of the cameras. Rossen briefed only the three principals. Even the police and soldiers, hired for their real-life roles to hold the mob back, didn’t know the score. “We had six cameras trained on the scene,’ Rossen recalled. “There they were, 2,000 shoving, sweating people, packed between 50-foot walls of concrete — and nothing seemed to give. We stopped the action before anyone got Brave Buils Mat 2-C; Still No. 134 BAS“D ON TOM LEA'S BEST-SELLER, Columbia Pictures’ new Robert Rossen production, “The Brave Bulls," features Mel Ferrer, right, Anthony Quinn and Eugene Iglesias. Beautiful blonde Miroslava is introduced in the Theatre drama. Page 4 hurt, but imagine trying to rehearse that!” Jose Torvay, who plays a bullring promoter in “The Brave Bulls,” got an open-air taste of the “Rossen method” in the cold Mexico City dawn, in front of the Plaza Mexico’s downtown ticket office. Early Thursday morning, before a big Sunday bullfight, hundreds of fans were lined up in six block-long ques. Some had waited all night. Everyone was restless, tense, snappish. Suddenly Torvay, who knew he was supposed to buck the line, tried it. The crowd, knowing nothing, resisted. It was touchand-go until the cops rushed in to end the melee by forcibly removing from its center the diminutive harmless Torvay. Trained for Role Mel Ferrer, who portrays a leading matador of Mexico in “The Brave Bulls,” Robert Rossen’s production for Columbia Pictures now at the........ Theatre, prepared extensively for his role. Starting weeks before locationshooting began in the bull rings of Mexico, Ferrer studied the art of bullfighting with famed matador veteran Pepe Ortiz. In addition, he attended every bullfight within 300 miles of Mexico City. Evenings he worked with sword and cape, met leading matadors and absorbed bull ring atmosphere. Love-ly Day! All the love scenes of “The Brave Bulls,” Robert Rossen’s production for Columbia Pictures now at the ....... Theatre, were photographed during the same day. The reason: to keep Mel Ferrer and Miroslava, romantic leads of the movie version of Tom Lea’s best-seller, at high pitch. Dress Delay For his role as a Mexican matador in “The Brave Bulls,” Robert Rossen’s production for Columbia Pictures now at the...... Theatre, Mel Ferrer required a full two hours and 15 minutes to dress in the traditional bullfighter’s costume. Miroslava, Mexican star, is introduced in the film. Miroslava Makes Hollywood Debut Sometimes the quickest way to Hollywood stardom is to return home. A beautiful blonde girl named Miroslava is a case in point. She is currently the rage of Hollywood producers because of her sensational performance in “The Brave Bulls,” Robert Rossen’s production for Columbia Pictures, based upon Tom Lea’s best-selling novel. The new film, now at the Theatre, features Mel Ferrer in the central role of Luis Bello, leading Mexican matador. Some years ago, Miroslava quit Hollywood to return home, to admit defeat. A wise and kind woman saved the girl from oblivion. Her name is Lillian Albertson, distinguished drama coach and author of the book “Motion Picture Acting,” a thespians’ bible the world over. “I told her,” Miss Albertson recalls, “to get out of here. Go home. Make her mark. And some day—what a_ prophet I turned out to be! — Hollywood would welcome her back as a star.” The “go home, young woman” incident happened back in 1944, Miroslava, a shy and awkward teen-ager, had come to Hollywood from Mexico City to study drama at the expense of a wealthy Mexican couple. She had fied her native Czechoslovakia with her parents and brother to come to Mexico in 1940. She spoke Czech, French and German. Her English was so-so. Under Miss Albertson’s tutelage, she learned diction, poise and histrionic skill. Suddenly, there was illness in her benefactor’s family. Money ran out. Miroslava wept in her teacher’s arms, desperately anxious to scale the Hollywood citadel alone. If Marlene Dietrich had done it, so could she, the girl insisted, forgetting that Miss Dietrich had arrived in Hollywood a noted European star. Miroslava took Miss Albertson’s advice, went home to Mexico and quickly achieved star billing in down-under films. When producer-director Rossen was seeking a heroine for “The Brave Bulls,” she was the logical choice. Rough Sport Sports authorities who have seen both claim that bull fighting makes even the most rugged encounter of our own prize ring look like sissy stuff. Those who have never viewed the LatinAmerican sport can see it in all its violence in Robert Rossen’s production for Columbia Pictures, “The Brave Bulls,” now at the Theatre. eocreeeee Mat I-A; Still No. 141 MIROSLAVA Miroslava Uses Slap ‘Follow-Thrw’ Anthony Quinn claims you haven’t been slapped until you’ve been slapped by Miroslava. The husky actor, no stranger to violence, got the surprise of his life during the filming of “The Brave Bulls,” Robert Rossen’s production for Columbia Pictures, now at the Theatre. Expecting the nice gentle pat that John Bright’s script wanted, Tony got a wallop that left his face burning the rest of the day. It turned out that Miroslava, who is introduced to American audiences in “The Brave Bulls,” had been coached in self-defense by Mexico’s top athletes. She slaps with a wicked flip of the wrist. “She said she learned the trick from a jai-alai player,’ Quinn moaned that night to Mel Ferrer, who heads the cast of “The Brave Bulls,” which is based on Tom Lea’s best-seller. Kiss Know-How Miroslava, beautiful Mexican film star who makes love both to Mel Ferrer and Anthony Quinn in “The Brave Bulls,” blasted a widespread delusion about Latin lovers after the completion of the Robert Rossen production for Columbia Pictures, now at the ..... Theatre. “Don’t talk to me about Americans being dull lovers,” she told a friend. “I’ve been in 11 Mexican films, and no leading men have kissed me the way Mel and Tony did.” production, "The Brave Bulls," at the Lea best-seller. Brave Bulls Mat 2-D; Still No. 306 STORY OF A MAN AND A WOMAN, Columbia Pictures' new Robert Rossen features Mel Ferrer and introduces Miroslava Theatre in an impassioned drama based upon the Tom