Españolear

This is a ¨Españolada¨ , as it was deemed this kind of film by the time , a musical drama with usually unknown actors , singers and dancers . It deals with Luis (Luis Lucena) who is accused to rob a lot of money from the Cortijo of Don Pedro (Ramón Durán) . But it has been really stolen by José (José Campos) , Don Pedro's son , as José threatens Luis to confess himself as guilty , if not his father who works at the Cortijo to be framed for robbing . As an innocent Luis to be accused , that's why he breaks with his beautiful girlfriend Rocío (La Polaca) . Along the way , Luis advised by the sympathetic priest Don Antonio (Alfayate) helps a sick little boy , by participating in TV and Radio contests to gain money and to pay the operation of the crippled kid .

This is a drama/musical film with acting by popular performers of the sisxties and seventies such as La Polaca who sings and dances , El Principe Gitano and Luis Lucena himself , all of them play agreeable songs at the time . As Lucena sings the following ones : Hermano composed by Ruiz de Padilla, and Maestro Benito , Tengo el corazón cansío , Mi mañica , En la orillita del río , Aleluya de amor , Mi pobre pequeño , Españolear all of them well performed by Luis Lucena. And little interesting and simple script by the writer and playwright Alfonso Paso , the most prolific writer during Francoist period , as he wrote screenplays from Usted puede ser un asesino , Hay alguien detrás de la puerta , Adiós, Mimí Pompón! , Crimen para recién casados ,Pan, amor y Andalucía , Bombas para la paz , Navidades en junio , Las dos y media y... veneno , Bajo la lona , De espaldas a la puerta , Un tesoro en el cielo ,Sierra maldita, Camino cortado ,La fierecilla domada , Miedo , Susana y yo , Aquellos tiempos del cuplé , Felices Pascuas and several others . Being shot on various locations as San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid Salamanca, Castilla y León, San Pedro de Ribas, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain . It contains an atmospheric and adequate cinematography by notorious and prolific cameraman cameraman Aurelio G. Larraya who photographed La mentira tiene cabellos rojos , Fata Morgana , Brillante porvenir , El Bosque del Lobo , Sandokan , Los atracadores , No dispares contra mí and several others .

"Españolear" was regularly directed by Juan Jose Balcazar , although with no originality ; he managed to make an entertaining movie , though sometimes very mediocre . Juan Jose Balcazar alongside his brothers Francisco Balcazar and Alfonso Balcázar produced and directed a lot of Tortilla or Butifarra Western , most of them starred by Jorge Martin or George Martin , Luis Davila , Daniel Martin or Robert Woods ; such as 1972 The return of Clint , 1972 Judas... ¡Toma Monedas! , 1968 Sartana no Perdone or Sonora , 1967 With Death on Your Back, 1966 Dinamita Jim , 1965 Doc , Manos De Plata , 1965 Viva Carrancho , 1965 Five Thousand Dollars on One Ace . But J.J Balcazar also made other genres such as : Action as 1968 Crónica de un atraco , 1967 El hombre del puño de oro , 1967 El filo del miedo and Erotic as : Catherine Chérie , 1982 , Playa azul , 1979 Inés de Villalonga 1870 and 1970 El misterio de la vida. This ¨Españolar¨ was his only Musical film . Rating 4,5 /10 . Average though some brief moments fun . If you like traditional Spanish pictures remains watchable .