Blood and Sand (1941) User Reviews

Quinn and Hayworth's Pasadoble remains one of the movie's best remembered moments..

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 10 November 2001]

'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...

The rise and fall of Juan Gallardo.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 25 May 2008]

Uneducated peasant Juan Gallardo rises to fame and fortune in the bullfight arena. From here he falls for the socially active Dona Sol; thus breaking the heart of his childhood sweetheart Carmen. Nevertheless she stands by her man as he continues to face danger in the bullring, but ego and love will give Juan his biggest fight of all.

This remake of the 1922 silent Rudolph Valentino picture is certainly a lavish production, the colour cinematography by Ernest Palmer & Ray Rennahan rightly won the Academy Award, and it's directed with adroit skill by Roublen Mamoulian. The story is a great one as well, following the rise of Gallardo (a solid if too staid Tyrone Power) is always intriguing, and it's watching his constant battle with his emotions that is the film's drawing card. However, there can be a case made for the film resting too much on its dialogue driven laurels, for far too many times I personally found myself hankering for an up turn in pace to help emphasise the emotional nature of the characters.

The cast do OK without really excelling, Rita Hayworth looks gorgeous and a fine career blossomed from here on in, while Linda Darnell as the other love interest glides nicely from scene to scene. Anthony Quinn takes the best supporting honours, where his Manolo is vigorous with a cheeky glint in the eye, whilst sadly John Carradine is underused and his Nacional is not fully fleshed out until its far too late.

It's at times sexy (damn flamenco always a winner to me), it's got guts, and it looks absolutely gorgeous, but it's not quite the whole classy package it could have been. 7/10

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

[Terrell-4 · 7/10 · 2 February 2008]

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.

Death in the Afternoon

[MGMboy · 23 December 2003]

`Blood and Sand' based on the novel by Ibanez and presented by 20th Century-Fox is a masterpiece of old style Hollywood filmmaking. Director Rouben Mamoulian pulls out all the stops to present this Technicolor flushed romantic story of Juan Gallardo who is portrayed by the impossibly beautiful Tyrone Power. Juan grows from a poor boy dreaming of glory in the bullrings of Spain to the epitome of arrogance and ignorant of the cost to his soul of his fame. The three principals of the story are, Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell as his childhood sweetheart Carmen, and Rita Hayworth as the seductive and hollow Dona Sol. Tyrone Power presents us with a marvelous, energetic portrait of a young, brash and over confident Juan. His first close-up bursts the edges of the screen and burns in the colors of Goya. Tyrone Power was made for the movies and cinematographers Ernest Palmer and Ray Rennahan film him with as much care as they do the two female leads. Thus this overpoweringly beautiful close-up sucks the viewer into the world of Juan and one is swept away by his charm and bravado. Mr. Powers's performance is almost overshadowed at first by his physical presence but as the story progresses his talent as a film actor takes over and sustains the viewer to the end.

Linda Darnell, a great beauty of the movies and by her own admission, not much of an actress, turns in a very good performance as Juan's discarded wife Carmen. I do not agree with Miss Darnell's opinion of her talents. One only has to look at `Letter to Three Wives' to see what an accomplished screen actress she was. And here too she takes the thankless roll of Carmen and makes one care about the poor girl. Then we have Rita Hayworth who here in `Blood and Sand' sets the standard for the great-lost beauties of the silver screen. Her Dona Sol is everything we hope for in the empty shell of a femme fatal. It is said of her, at one point in the film by a newspaper critic of bullfighting, as he points to the ring: `Gentleman, if this is death in the afternoon, then she is death in the evening.' And Miss Hayworth lives up to every inch of his description in this her breakout performance.

In the garden scene where she performs the `Toro!' seduction and sings to her victim Juan, she is utterly captivating and irresistible in her Travis Banton gown and cascading titian hair. Here we see the birth of Rita Hayworth and the demise of Rita Cansino. Also worth mentioning are Anthony Quinn as one of Juan's boyhood friends, Manola De Palma and the wonderful silent star Alla Nazemova who is heart breaking as Juan's mother. The music by the masterful Alfred Newman sets the tone and emotion of the film. Lush and full of the sounds of Spain it is one of his best.

Darryl Zanuck believed that story was everything in film. Without a good story you had nothing to build a film on. In `Blood and Sand' the head of Fox proves his point and gives us a great movie presented in the grand style of Hollywood's golden age.

Bull Shot!

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 6 May 2004]

"Blood and Sand" gave Rudolph Valentino one of the best roles of his career. It also established Tyrone Power as a star in Hollywood. Under Rouben Mamoulian's direction this film translates the novel by Blasco Ibanez into a Hollywood spectacle, so popular in the 40s. It is to Mr Mamoulian's credit, a film that paid attention to a lot of detail about the Spain of the beginning of the XX century.

The story presents us Juan Gallardo, a poor lad from the provinces, who became the greatest matador of his time. He goes from poverty to a life of luxury; a life for which he was ill prepared for. In fact, Juan never learned to read! It's a story of how someone overcomes difficult obstacles to attain fame and notoriety, only to be defeated by those same ambitions when the matador throws everything away in order to pursue a society woman, forsaking the decent wife that adores him.

Tyrone Power in the film was still a bit rough in the acting department, as well as in the cosmetic adjustments that all stars go through. Compare his smile here with later films: major dental work had not been performed yet!. Tyrone Power embodied the best of what a screen idol possessed. He had enormous charisma and no matter who he plays against, his presence is larger than that of the leading lady.

Linda Darnell was very effective as Carmen, a woman in love with the matador. Rita Hayworth's beauty doesn't come across as well here as in other films. Ms Hayworth was more of a siren in the movie. The first rate cast that was assembled is excellent. Anthony Quinn, Lynn Bari, J Carrol Nash, George Reeves, Alla Nazimova, John Carradine, just to name a few, shine in the background of this film.

The rise and fall of a bullfighter

[nnnn45089191 · 6/10 · 13 July 2006]

Not a bad movie,but a bit too melodramatic after my tastes.Tyrone Power in the lead role is good but not as exciting as in his best performances.Rita Hayworth plays the femme fatale in a way that for modern audiences would be laughable.Anthony Quinn in an early stage of his career delivers the best performance in the film. I feel that even at this early stage he would have suited the lead role in the film better than Power.Linda Darnell doesn't have much to do in this movie than play the part of a betrayed woman.Why anyone would betray such a beautiful woman is beyond me.Nazimova,the silent movie vamp of the 20's, is quite good as Power's mother. John Carradine,one of the most prominent character actors of this period,was excellent as Power's best friend.

Colorful film finally out on DVD

[blanche-2 · 9/10 · 5 May 2007]

Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, 1941's "Blood and Sand" is based on the Ibanez novel and a remake of the 1922 film starring Rudolph Valentino. Darryl F. Zanuck remade "The Mark of Zorro" and "Blood and Sand" for his top star, Tyrone Power. Despite a comment here that this film established Power as a star, he had been a star since 1936 and a superstar since 1939. But with the success of Zorro and this film, Power's fate as a swashbuckling hero was sealed. He wouldn't break out of the box until the mid-'50s.

"Blood and Sand" tells the story of Juan Gallardo, son of a famous bullfighter killed in the ring, who aspires against his mother's wishes to be a bullfighter himself. He becomes a star of the ring, marries his sweetheart, is seduced by a temptress, falls into disrepute and turns to drink. Woman has been the downfall of man since Adam and Eve, so the story goes - a constant theme of novelists.

The cinematography is incredible. Some of the shots resemble old paintings - Juan's cuadrilla in a line praying in church while Juan is at the altar; the final shot of Nacional's dead body in a bed under a crucifix; the blood symbols: a woman in her excitement over Juan's triumph smearing her lipstick as she runs her hand across her mouth; Dona Sol's red lips and scarlet fingernails; the cool, magnificent beauty of Dona Sol's elaborate home; the pasodoble Dona Sol dances in an incredible rose-colored gown with up and coming matador Manolo; Juan turning from the bull as he drags his cape behind him - all breathtaking, and more than worthy of its Oscar for Best Cinematography. Mamoulian's direction is flawless, telling the story through the actions of the characters. In one scene, Juan falls asleep on Dona Sol's patio; he wakes alone and walks through the house, seeking an exit; he opens a door and it's Dona Sol's bedroom, where she lays sleeping...In the next scene, Juan wears the ring she put on her finger after it was returned by her last suitor (George Reeves). Mamoulian tells us the affair has begun by showing us a ring.

Power was established before "Blood and Sand," - Rita Hayworth wasn't, but as the sadistic Dona Sol, gloriously photographed and gorgeous beyond belief, superstardom was hers once this film was released. Watching Tyrone Power as Juan is frustrating because he is so good. Why he never received the credit for his acting that he deserved can only be attributed to his impossible beauty. By the time of this film, he is past his pretty stage and just entering handsomeness. A sweet, humble, perfect gentleman in real life, Tyrone Power's Juan Gallardo lumbers through Dona Sol's house, eats with the manners of a cave man, chews with his mouth open, wears smelly fragrance and is both arrogant and uneducated. When doing a film, the actor had to shave three times a day; here, in order to make him look seedier as time passes, he begins to sport a faint 5 o'clock shadow. There was a comment made that Power hadn't yet had dental work. Power never had cosmetic dental work. Like the model Lauren Hutton, he had a small space between two teeth and, like Lauren Hutton, he had a piece of enamel to place there. For this role, he didn't use it. He didn't care about his looks and in fact, came to resent them. Space between two teeth and slicked down hair or not, his huge eyes, framed by the world's longest eyelashes, practically smolder through the camera.

Power's performance is simply fantastic - especially when you consider that attending a real bullfight, he became nauseous. His wife had to say she was sick so they could leave! All of the acting is marvelous, but besides Power, there are several standouts - Alla Nazimova is brilliant as Juan's pessimistic mother, her performance making the role seem even larger; Hayworth's beauty is mind-boggling and she gives Dona Sol not only sexiness and sensuality but coldness. According to Power's stand-in, all the actor did off-camera was stare at Hayworth. Gee, wonder why. Linda Darnell, another underrated actress, is sweet as Juan's loving wife. John Carradine, as the socially-conscious Nacional, is excellent as one of the cuadrilla; and as a turncoat, Laird Cregar gives an appropriately bombastic performance. Ambitious Manolo is played by a young, attractive Anthony Quinn, who is perfect in this film, and his small, showy role portends fabulous things to come from him. The only criticism from me would be that the little boys playing Juan and the cuadrilla in the beginning of the film are too American. Before anyone says anything about the lack of accents, I will repeat the convention - if you're playing a character in a country where English is not spoken, then you're not speaking English -you're speaking the language of the country. Therefore, no accents are used. Spaniards don't walk around Spain all day speaking English with a Spanish accent to other Spaniards.

This film is a curiosity - there is an aura of impending death as predicted by the Nazimova character, and in fact, many of the fine actors appearing in the movie came to early and/or tragic ends. Tyrone Power died 17 years later, at the age of 44, of a heart attack while making the film "Solomon and Sheba" and didn't live to see his only son; Linda Darnell would die in a fire when she was 41; Laird Cregar only lived 3 more years, to age 30, succumbing from a heart attack. The saddest is Rita Hayworth, a true goddess. After abuse and great unhappiness, she developed Alzheimer's in the early 1960s and died in 1987. But what wonderful legacies they left us.

"Blood and Sand" is a jewel in the Twentieth Century Fox crown, a great achievement in acting, directing, and cinematography.

Very nice Toro! Toro! movie.

[gazzo-2 · 7/10 · 20 June 2009]

Great technicolor, fine bullfighting scenes, top cast. Llaird Cregar as your slimy critic kinda steals the show, but you do wind up w/ fine turns by Linda Darnell(beautiful) as the jilted wife, Rita Hayworth as the upscale trollope, Anthony Quinn as the old friend turned rival, and John Carradine in a strangely truncated Socialist-leaning part, too.

The Catholic imagery and symbolism permeates the workings-Mother Mary talking to a praying Darnell(!), the Priest at the end(Victor Killian!), Carradine's deathbed scene just below the crucifix, yes this was set in Spain alright.

Tyrone Power was Errol Flynn w/ better skills and an even shorter lifespan. It's a pity, I hadn't seen all that many of his movies, and am finding out yes I did miss quite a bit here. This movie is well directed, interesting, somewhat slow at times, the music is good and you'll enjoy it just because.

*** outta ****

Into Valentino's Shoes

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 17 August 2004]

When 20th Century Fox decided to re-make Rudolph Valentino's great silent screen triumph Blood and Sand it probably was Tyrone Power's biggest test as an actor and a box office draw up to that time.

Valentino's performance was still fresh in everyone's mind. Well, Tyrone Power passed the test with flying colors that showed up in Ray Rennahan's fabulous cinematography here.

One of the previous reviewers who was from Brazil expressed a lot of what I would have said. Tyrone Power with three roles, here, in The Mark of Zorro and in Captain From Castile became a Latino cultural hero for those portrayals. Hard to believe since the Power family theatrical tradition goes back a couple of centuries in Ireland. But those portrayals have stood the test of time and to get such an accolade from a Latino viewer is the highest possible praise for his acting.

Tyrone Power as Juan Gallardo whose mission in life is to become an even greater Matador than his father who was killed in the bullring, brings a combination of panache and bumptiousness to the part. He's bold and daring, but not terribly sophisticated and never learned to read and write. And he's got two women all in an uproar over him, Linda Darnell who is his wife and the temptress Dona Sol.

This loan out for Rita Hayworth playing Dona Sol is what really launched her career as sex symbol. Dona Sol was Hayworth's trial run as vamp and temptress, the forerunner of Gilda which was her signature part.

The cast is well populated with some of the best character actors Hollywood had to offer. Anthony Quinn, Nazimova, J. Carrol Naish, Monty Banks, John Carradine, etc., all are perfectly cast.

One I think should be singled out is Laird Cregar. Cregar plays Curro the bullfighter critic and I think Cregar enjoyed playing this part, allowing an actor to exact some revenge on critics as a breed. Bullfighting isn't just some guy going into a ring to kill a bull. It's all in the showmanship and Curro is a critic like a theater critic, not a sportswriter. You really love to hate Curro as the film progresses and I wonder just what made him such an expert? Cregar was fleshing out that old expression about critics being eunuchs, they know how to do it, but can't do it themselves. I think Cregar was paying back every critic whoever gave him a bad review with this one.

Blood and Sand was certainly a jinxed picture. Tyrone Power died so young of that heart attack while shooting Solomon and Sheba in Spain, Linda Darnell died a few years later in a house fire trying to rescue someone she thought trapped in the flames, George "Superman" Reeves who played one of Rita Hayworth's admirers committed suicide, Rita Hayworth had that tragically lingering Alzheimer's Disease and Laird Cregar was the first to go of a heart attack in his twenties. Another great work of art attached to so much tragedy.

As far as I'm concerned Rudolph Valentino starred in the silent version of Tyrone Power's, Blood and Sand.

Worth a Watch

[Richie-67-485852 · 7/10 · 15 September 2017]

Tyrone, Anthony, Linda and Rita to name a few await you here in this classic heart-moving story of a boy who wants to grow up to be a man by being a Matador i.e. the best there ever was. That's the intrigue and we are also entertained as we watch childhood friends grow up together into adulthood too. Then there is love both the carnal and the heartfelt. Throw in some poverty, poor boy makes good and you have a decent story to tell. Every time I watch these rags to riches to rags again movies I always wonder why these people don't put something away when on top? Surely what goes up must come down not to mention bad luck and how about early retirement too? That's what hooks you! Its when they don't do it or something goes wrong that you now become a part of the movie world wondering if that could happen to you and how would you handle it? This is called entertainment and they pull it off nicely here. There is a eating scene or two so prepare to eat while watching and of course have a tasty drink and some snack for later. Blood and Sand is an appropriate name for the bullfighter game...

Disappointing Hollywood Classic.

[jpdoherty · 4/10 · 19 January 2010]

20th Century Fox's 1941 production BLOOD & SAND is a remake of the 1922 silent classic that established Rudolph Valentino as the greatest star of early cinema. Beautifully photographed in vivid 3 strip Technicolor by Ernest Palmer and Ray Renahan the elaborate newer version had the obvious heir-apparent to the silent screen star in dashing Tyrone Power. Written for the screen by Jo Swerling from the novel by Vicente Blasco Ibanez it was directed with a certain amount of flair, it has to be said, by Rouben Mamoulian who just the previous year had had his greatest success with Tyrone Power when he directed him in the classic "Mark Of Zorro"

BLOOD & SAND recounts the story of a young, ambitious and quite naive bullfighter Juan Gallardo (Power) who falls under the spell of a beauteous and attractive socialite (Rita Hayworth) wrecking his relationship with Carmen (Linda Darnell) the girl who has always loved him since childhood. The picture culminates with Juan discovering too late that he is only a toy for the manipulative socialite. And finally in the end when he is gored by a bull in the ring it is the forgiving Carmen, his only true love, that comes to his side to comfort him as he lays dying.

BLOOD & SAND was a very popular picture of the War years and remains a great favourite with Power devotees. However I have to confess to never being very fond of it. There is little doubt Ty Power is good as the aspiring Matador and Hayworth chews up every bit of scenery in sight as the alluring Donna Sol. But with the exception of Anthony Quinn and that memorable dance sequence he does with Hayworth I found the rest of the cast - particularly the young actor Rex Downing who played Juan as a boy - unconvincing and altogether uninspiring. In fact the whole picture for me was curiously uninvolving! Also Juan being gored by the bull towards the end is very badly done! You don't really see what happens to him. Was he gored in the back or the front? It is very difficult to decipher. And he appears very clean and unmarked in his ensuing death scene.

Nevertheless the great Alfred Newman saves the day with his terrific score. Besides his music capturing all the heat, dust and passion of the bullring the composer also incorporates into his score the sumptuous traditional Spanish guitar melody "Romance D'Amour". An engaging and totally ravishing piece that was used to greater effect in "Forbidden Games" in 1952 when it was played by guitar genius Narciso Yepes.

BLOOD & SAND can at least be enjoyed for its awesome colour Cinematography, Newman's great music, the star power and presence of Tyrone Power and the flowing beauty of Rita Hayworth.

"If that is death in the afternoon, that is death at evening!"

[theowinthrop · 10/10 · 18 August 2006]

In English speaking countries we barely recall his name, but in his heyday (the 1910 - 1920s) Vicente Blasco Ibanez was one of the most popular novelists in the world. His stories, in particular his tale of bullfighters in Spain (BLOOD AND SAND) and his look at the effect of World War I on Europe and on his native Argentina in THE FOUR HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE, were avidly read all over the Americas and Europe. Movies were made of his tales, including other lesser stories like THE TORRENT and MARE NOSTROM. But like so many other figures of literary importance in that period, Blasco Ibanez has gradually been eclipsed. Yet, I can vouch that when I was working in my high school library in 1970 - 71 copies of BLOOD AND SAND and THE FOUR HORSEMAN were on the shelves.

BLOOD AND SAND is more than just a look at the rise and fall of the career of a great matador (Tyrone Power as Juan Gallado) but a look at the darker side of athletic fame in the world in general. Power follows his father as a bull fighter, despite the latter's death in the ring. He has an entourage including his closest friend, Nacional (John Carridine) and Garabato (J. Carroll Naish) and marries a good woman (Carmen Espinosa - Linda Darnell), but he also has a greedy sister and brother-in-law to conjure with (Lynn Bari and Monty Banks), and he has to deal with the leading bullfighting critic (Curro - Laird Cregar). There is also his other old friend, but growing rival, Manola (Anthony Quinn) and the wealthy groupie who hurts his home life and image (Dona Sol - Rita Hayworth).

When the going is good, Power allows his fortune and success go to his head. He does not recall that Garabato happened to be a great matador too, but was reduced to poverty when he ceased pleasing the public (or Curro, for that matter), and was only saved by Power's personal goodness. He does not heed the comments by Nacional about the blood-thirst at the heart of the game of the bullfight. His attractiveness to Dona Sol is dependent on his greatness as a matador. And Manola is slowly catching up.

There is a lot of religious symbolism in Blasco Ibanez work. At the end of THE TORRENT, Greta Garbo, in her last delirium, gives a sum of money that might have saved her to a stranger that she thinks is Christ. In THE FOUR HORSEMAN a set of fireplace andirons come to life in the skies of Europe showing the pestilence and evil hitting the center of the world in World War I. And even here, Rouben Mamoulian brings in the symbolism. Nacional sacrifices himself for Juan in the ring, and is fatally gored. As he is dying in a bed, surrounded by Juan and his friends, Nacional is set up with his arms in a "crucifixion" position on the pillows at the head of the bed. He is denouncing the evil of bullfighting as he dies, a Christ unheeded in his world.

Also language plays a hidden role. Laird Cregar's self-important and venal critic has the last name "Curro". In Spanish, "Curro" is the rectum of a bull or beast. And at the start of the film Cregar proudly announces his name as a guaranty of authenticity on his views about the matadors.

The fact that Juan is a bullfighter should not hide the universality of the story. It could be about the rise and fall of a football, soccer, or baseball player - but the bullfighting background is due to the cultural background of the author, and because of the brittle nature of success as a bullfighter - you see, bullfighting is more than avoiding being gored by a bull. It depends on the style and technique of the matador, and how elegantly he moves in the ring. Age can slow a man down, ruining his reputation (as it did with Garabato). Or personal problems may affect ring performance (as it does with Juan). And once that happens the fans lose interest and even faith in the matador.

So Juan has no where to go but down, having reached the top. That is the fate of all matadors. In the end he momentarily redeems himself, but at the cost of his life. At least he will not face growing old in poverty as Garabato nearly did. But it is a downer of an ending - possibly the saddest of any of the Tyrone Power films before 1946's NIGHTMARE ALLEY.

Good looking, but hit and miss

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 30 November 2018]

Beautiful imagery and a good-looking cast, but a formulaic plot, one-dimensional characters, and a runtime which is about 30 minutes too long. In a nutshell, a matador (Tyrone Power) rises to fame, gets married to his childhood sweetheart (Linda Darnell), but has trouble remaining faithful when he locks eyes with a femme fatale (Rita Hayworth).

I'm a fan of director Rouben Mamoulian, and he really takes advantage of the movie being in color, with many of the scenes having a vibrant, opulent feel to them. I also liked the flamenco music and dancing, even though Hayworth's number was obviously dubbed and didn't seem to suit her. It was great seeing a couple of film greats in supporting roles at the opposite ends of their careers - Alla Nazimova at 62, and Anthony Quinn at 26. I also liked how bullfighting, which is a pretty barbarous sport if you ask me, gets at least at least a little bit of criticism here, though unfortunately not much from the animal's perspective; we see the bloodlust of the fans, how fickle they are, and the ultimate fate of many who dare to fight bulls for a living.

On the downside, while Darnell is easy on the eyes, her 'stand by my man' moments and little spiel at the end were nauseatingly sweet, and they certainly didn't seem honest. The choice Power has between saint and seductress is so tired, and the way this is played out here is poor even by the trope's standard. It's just a shame that some of the energy that went into the sharpness of the visuals wasn't channeled into sharpness in storytelling; among other things, the arc that takes us from headstrong boy to top bullfighter is tedious. Lastly, Mamoulian uses too much foreshadowing in an already simple story, and goes once too often to the well of putting a large crucifix in the background of his shots.

Watch it for those swirling capes, the architecture, the fabrics, the music; watch it for whoever you may be attracted to - the incomparable Rita Hayworth, Power and Quinn in their tight outfits, or Darnell, who was just 17 when the film was released ... and hey, maybe that will be enough for you.

Even with the STAR power, this movie lacks any shine...

[mrcaw12 · 5/10 · 25 March 2023]

I'll keep this movie review short and sweet.

This is NOT a good movie.

Boring and too long.

Oddly both Power & Hayworth both known for their great looks don't look terribly good in this movie.

Most of the movie has Power's hair coming down over his forehead and it's amazing how this odd hair style totally throws off his looks.

Hayworth always seem to have unflattering shadows on her face. Her right upper eye seems swollen like she got punched and her nose appears to have this odd bump in the middle.

LOL..I know, I sound so shallow but really, I've never seen either one of them so poorly lit and shot.

Only Linda Darnell appears with her famous beauty intact.

The first 20 minutes of the movie is a long drawn out section showing Power's character as a boy. WAY too long a setup.

There's not too much plot as every scene seems to drag on forever. The movie would have been so much better if it kept to the standard for the time 90 minute running time.

Laird Cregar is usually a fun addition to a movie but in Blood & Sand his two scenes of note he does the SAME thing in both scenes. Sitting down an laying compliments on thick. In the first scene to the famous matador at the moment. Then later in the film when Power has become top of the heap, Laird spends five minutes practically saying the same lines, only this time to Power.

I really can't see what all the fuss is about in this movie. I LOVE old movies and I love all three of the leading stars but I'm telling you, this is one overly drawn out movie that plays like a bad episode of some old time soap opera.

I really hate that I have to write this but it's bad. Watch Power in the Zorro movie instead. Much better than this yawner.

Tyrone Power in the Valentino role...Hayworth as the siren...

[Doylenf · 14 May 2001]

20th Century Fox gave Tyrone Power one of his most famous roles as the bullfighter torn between the love of a noble woman, his wife (Linda Darnell), and the tempestuous "other woman" (Rita Hayworth). A technicolor remake of the 1922 classic with Valentino, the studio spared no expense in making this a lavish, well-paced version of the tale depicting the rise and fall of a great bullfighter.

While establishing Power as a romantic hero of swashbuckling roles, it made a star of Rita Hayworth who, up until this time, was seen mostly in low-budget films. If anything, 'Blood and Sand' assured of the stardom she sought.

Especially interesting in one of his more flamboyant character roles is Laird Cregar as the critic of the art of bullfighting, alternately praising and damning the hero and eventually getting his comeuppance from Power.

Directed with great style by Rouben Mamoulian, it is still the best version of the story to date, photographed in the lush technicolor of the 1940s.

You may be interested in looking at my article on Laird Cregar that appeared in the March 2001 issue of CLASSIC IMAGES.

okay melodrama

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 4 March 2006]

This is a remake of the old Valentino film. Instead of the silent heart-throb, Tyrone Power plays the studly bull fighter. Initially, Power's character is a really young prodigy--with amazing natural talents and a drive to improve even more. But, through the course of the film, he becomes lazy--instead focusing on the ladies and having a good time instead of honing his skills. As a result, he becomes a bit of a hack--just going through the motions. The crowd begins to react negatively and his career seems about over. The rest of the film you can see for yourself to see how it all comes to pass.

The film is very pretty--shot in Technicolor. But, aside from a few really interesting scenes here and there, I just felt bored after a while. While a technically competent film, it's not very memorable. However, it is still much more watchable than the original--especially since the original was so heavy-handed and old fashioned (even in its day).

Power Gets Gored By Ambition

[boscofl · 7/10 · 13 September 2017]

Filmed in 1941, "Blood and Sand" is a colorful yarn about the downfall of an arrogant young bullfighter, Juan Gallardo. Tyrone Power essays the character and rubs most people the wrong way with his cocksure attitude and stupendous vanity. His ambitions are inflamed by the writings of an equally vainglorious bullfighting critic portrayed by Laird Cregar. The movie is clever at foreshadowing Power's inevitable fate by showing us (and him) a once-famous bullfighter (J. Carrol Naish) who becomes penniless because he let fame go to his head. The film goes one step further by providing a contemporary rival, portrayed by Anthony Quinn, who usurps Power's crown as top dog and will likely follow down the same tragic path. All the melodrama is captured in glorious Technicolor.

The film itself is a bit of a bore. It is slow-moving and spends the first 25 minutes showing us the main characters as kids while establishing Juan as an ambitious jerk. The majority of the remaining running time concerns Gallardo marrying his childhood sweetheart (Linda Darnell), having an affair with Rita Hayworth, and alienating everyone around him with his insufferable behavior. There is surprisingly little footage devoted to actual bullfighting and the bulk of the action is contained in a sexually charged dance sequence between Quinn and Hayworth.

As Gallardo, Tyrone Power is fairly solid although his character is just plain unlikable from the start. He does an impressive job playing up the faults in Gallardo's character but the scenes of him playing nice with his wife and mother ring hollow. Linda Darnell is appropriately saintly as his suffering wife while Rita Hayworth annihilates the scenery as the amoral temptress. She has minimal dialogue and spends the majority of her screen time in a perpetual smile bearing her perfectly white teeth like some sort of predatory animal. She's so obvious that one wonders how the men don't see her for what she truly is.

Miss Hayworth has competition for the top scenery chewing honor. Laird Cregar sinks his choppers into the role of the bombastic critic Curro; constantly referring to himself in the third person as he proclaims the current flavor-of-the-month bullfighter the greatest thing since the discovery of enchiladas. He is quite entertaining. J. Carrol Naish, on the other hand, seems way too theatrical and anyone familiar with his work knows exactly what I mean. Naish was a solid performer but his tendency to go over the cliff with his characterizations, while appreciated in his grade B thrillers, is out of place here.

The rest on the cast does a splendid job. John Carradine and Anthony Quinn, no strangers to gobbling up sets and fellow actors, perform with wonderful restraint here. Quinn really doesn't have much screen time but he is stellar at conveying a festering hatred of Gallardo and delights at usurping Gallardo's mistress and champion bullfighting title. The dance sequence with Miss Hayworth is probably the highlight of the picture. Carradine gives a wonderful performance as Gallardo's only true friend who sticks by his chum until his untimely end. It is pretty amazing to witness how Carradine managed to excel in A-List productions like this one and still find himself mired in Grade C films like "Voodoo Man." Also worth noting is a mustachioed George Reeves in a brief role as Miss Hayworth's first inamorato who gets tossed aside for Gallardo.

"Blood and Sand" is definitely a movie worth watching for lovers of classic cinema despite its occasional sluggishness. The cast is grand, the Technicolor photography is lush, and the film features a star-making performance by Rita Hayworth.

Excellent steamy melodrama

[funkyfry · 8/10 · 8 October 2007]

"Blood and Sand" shows trademarks of producer Daryl Zanuck – top actors well-cast in both leading and supporting roles, direction and performances that match the subject matter and never sacrifice story and character logic to show off, and fantastic production values featuring many authentic locations. Tyrone Power cuts a dashing figure as fearless bullfighter Juan Gallardo, whose father's death in the ring left him with a massive chip on the shoulder. Linda Darnell is lovely and sweet as his long-suffering wife Carmen; she's so appealing that I wonder why Power's character is so attracted to Dona Sol (Rita Hayworth) that he basically destroys his career over her. Hayworth's performance is intriguingly cold, like a deliberately 2-dimensional version of her later iconic work in "Gilda" where she was a more ambivalent character. Rita's got a rictus grin that she wears through the entire film which is truly chilling, especially when she sadistically exposes Gallardo's cheating and crushes his wife's free and easy spirit. At first I thought the grin and her stiff bearing were a miscalculation but after seeing that scene I know that Mamoulian and Hayworth knew exactly what they were doing.

There's a particularly strong supporting cast – you know you're in for a treat when Power's gang includes John Carradine and Anthony Quinn. Carradine is unusually animated in this film and plays a kind of sacrificial lamb thrown to the bulls (sorry for the mixed metaphor there, lol). In fact there's some rather bizarre and straightforward Christ symbolism associated with the character, and it's impressive how well it's pulled off especially in Carradine's death scene. Nobody does death scenes like Carradine. But even that isn't as bizarre as the scene where Darnell's character prays to the Blessed Mother and the statue speaks back…. In the voice of Gallardo's mother (Nazimova)! To understand the impact of this unusual and perhaps even unprecedented device (a character's voice as the voice of god) I think we'd have to look closely at the film's layered approach to character identity in general. Each significant character is a double or a doppelganger for another character. That double represents the potential future and/or a certain aspect of the individual. We're instantly made aware of a strong identification between the boy and his father, a famous matador who perished bullfighting. The boy has several father figures including matador Garabato (J. Carrol Naish). When they meet later their positions have changed and Garabato is destitute; Gallardo takes him in as a valet and their relationship serves as both a connection to his father and a portent of one of the two inevitable fates towards with he seems destined – the other being death in the ring.

There are similar parallels between Nacional (Carradine) and Christ and also between the mother and Carmen. She will become just like "Madrecitta" if and when Gallardo meets his demise at the horns of the bull.

This structure allows for rich, if somewhat overstated, symbolic and melodramatic opportunities for character development, all of which comes to a head at the film's conclusion in the scene between Nazimova and Darnell and the subsequent prayer, and the drama is resolved in suitably symbolic fashion in Gallardo's religiously staged death scene.

Madrecitta reveals in that first startling scene how she prays to Jesus because he is a "Man-God" and stronger than the Madonna – and that she prays not for his safety as does Carmen but for a maiming injury that will end his career but allow him to avoid his father's end. It's too easy to interpret this strictly as an affirmation of male superiority. What I think it suggests is a deeply Catholic pessimism about ambition, avarice, and pride which are represented in this film (and, presumably, the source novel) by the father/son ego bond revolving around the bullfighting ring and the terrifying beasts they battle therein. Hayworth's sensual vamp is just such a beast of the ring (symbolized quite literally by the ring she passes from one lover to the next) and she is the one who truly slays Gallardo, the beast he believes has never been born. She plays the bull for him and shouts "toro!" but ultimately passes the ring and plays the bull for Gallardo's jealous nemesis (Quinn) in a remarkably stylized and beautiful dance sequence. When she was a child she threw away her toys when she grew bored with them, and as an adult nothing has changed – no matter what she gets she is never happy but instead looking for the next thing. Sin does not make us content – the thesis of Augustine's "Confessions" and the core of Catholic asceticism.

Gallardo cannot escape his fate; he and even Carmen have asked for too much perfection from this mortal world. Nacional is too perfect for this world just as he is too intelligent and well-intentioned for the bullfighting world where he remains out of loyalty to Gallardo. It is an extraordinary performance and one that gives Carradine a rare opportunity to show the real extent of his talent. Likewise for Power, whose performance carries the entire film and compels us to remain invested in a character with fatal personality flaws and a story whose ending we should know far in advance. Darnell is adequate; she seems to me an average actress well-directed, though I don't know her work well enough to say for sure. Nazimova is very "typical" in a way, but she pulls off what could have been a forgettable role. She has the wisdom that Gallardo and Carmen lack; not that men are stronger than women but that only sacrifice as represented by the Man-God Christ (and symbolized by Nacional) can show us the path through moral life. The violent and glamorous world of men, and the women who sustain themselves like vampires on the power of champions, will show no more mercy to yesterday's champions than the matador does the bull.

Vicente Blasco Ibañez's adaptation about the classic story of a poor boy who rises to fame in the bullring

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 25 May 2022]

Exciting and colorful rendition dealing with rise and fall of a bullfighter with the seductive Rita Hayworth who was catapulted to stardom and her unfortunate conquest , Tyrone Power . This one concerns the tragic rise and fall of Juan Gallardo (Tyrone Power) and the women he loved , inside and outside of the bullfighters ring . This yarn talks about a sender labourer who wishes to achieve a big hit as a matador . Along the way he finds distresses , penury , great successes and a Femme Fatale . In spite of opposition his mother (Alla Nazimova) Juan wants to be Torero and escapes with his friends El Nacional (John Carradine) and Manolo de Palma (Anthony Quinn) to the Big City . He meets the attractive bombshell Doña Sol (Rita Hayworth ) , half Spanish, half American , but he marries his loyal bride Carmen Espinosa (Linda Darnell) . Juan on the verge of super-stardom risks it all when he falls under the spell of a seductive woman , forsaking his first love . Later on , bullfighter Gallardo celebrates triumphs but leaves his wife and falls for his lover , Doña Sol , turning from the faithful Carmen who nevertheless stands by her man , as he continues to face real danger in the bullring. He , then , risks and destroys his one opportunity for fame when Doña Sol lets him down . Things go wrong when a friend dies by a ¨Cornada¨ or goring . You Haven't Seen Tyrone Power Till You've Seen "Blood and Sand" . All the fiery romance ! ..the colorful spectacle ! .. the dramatic adventure of Blasco Ibanez' Immortal Novel of the Men Who Face Death in the Arena and the Women They Love!

This classy 1942 picture is considered to be the best version , stunningly directed by by Robert Mamoulian with big name cast , such as : Tyrone Power in the film that made him a great star , Linda Darnell , Anthony Quinn and standing out Rita Hayworth , primarily for her dancing and charming acting ; including the new brilliant Technicolor technique . Spectacular film with plenty of drama , passion , bullfighting , a triangular love story and tension at the plaza . Written by prestigious Jo Swerling and well based on the novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez . The film gives a real description about ¨Bullfighting art¨ with a veritable explosion of color and spectacle , as the bull is released into the ring , where he is tested for ferocity by the matador and Banderilleros with the magenta and gold Capote . Interpretations from the main and support cast are stunning . As Tyrone Power gives a nice performance as the matador becomes famous and then falls for a socialite and he is torn between two women . Alongside Rita Hayworth who delivers enough sexiness and seductiveness , while Linda Darnel is fine as the faithful and understanding wife . Support cast is pretty good , such as : Anthony Quinn, J. Carrol Naish , Lynn Bari , John Carradine , Laird Cregar , Monty Banks Monty Banks , George Reeves , Pedro de Cordoba , Fortunio Bonanova , Victor Kilian , among others . Cameramen Ernest Palmer and Ray Rennahan painted this movie in the new technicolor technique which makes it a veritable explosion of spectacle and color . Adding a sensitive and evocative musical score from Alfred Newman and uncredited David Buttolph . The motion picture lavishly financed by Darryl F Zanuck was competently directed by Robert Mamoulian . It obtained big success at the international box office and being praised by reviewers and audience .

The homonymous novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez , about illiterate Juan Gallardo who rises meteorically to fame and fortune in the bullfight arena only to sow the seeds of his own fall , has been adapted several times : 1916 silent first rendition by the same author Vicente Blasco assisted by cinema pioneer Ricardo Baños . 1922 recounting by Fred Niblo with Rudolph Valentino , Nina Naldi , this film made Rodolfo a star who catapulted him to stardom . A silent comical parody title ¨Bull and sand¨ (1924) by Mack Sennett . .This hit led to a Mexican Parody ¨Ni Sangre Ni Arena¨ by Alejandro Casona with Cantinflas . ¨Sangre y Arena¨ by Javier Elorrieta with Christopher Rydell , Sharon Stone , Ana Torrent . And this this film Blood and Sand (1941) is considered to be the best one . These films are interesting for people who actually enjoy the 'art of bullfighting' .

Temptation And Tragedy In The Bullring . . . . Gorgeous Feast For The Eyes . . . . A Contender For A DVD Release

[Noirdame79 · 9/10 · 8 April 2006]

Rouben Mamoulian's remake of the silent classic that made a star of Rudolph Valentino is a visual treat. The techincolor is rich, with all the shades of color (especially the blues and reds)glorious. And the stars don't look too shabby either! Tyrone Power makes a gorgeous Juan Gallardo, the poor boy who rises to fame in the bullring, but who is unable to resist the shallow and deadly beautiful noblewoman Dona Sol (Rita Hayworth, on loan from Columbia, about to be catapulted to stardom), despite his gentle, loving wife, Carmen (Linda Darnell, in her fourth and last teaming with Power).

He is no more than a passing fancy to Dona Sol, who has a thing for handsome matadors, and then discards them like last week's trash when she tires of them. And the crowds who gather at the ring are no less fickle. Only Carmen and his mother love him unconditionally, but he does not see that until it is too late.

Anthony Quinn is absorbing as Manola de Palma, Juan's friend, who gravitates to Dona Sol and becomes her latest boy toy, as well as the new star of the bullring. Laird Cregar, an underrated character actor with a short career, is his very reliable self as critic Natalio Curro, who pronounces Hayworth's temptress as "death in the evening". (And she is).

Other reviewers have commented on how many of the actors in this project met tragic and premature ends. It is alarming, not only the three leads, but Cregar, George Reeves (as Hayworth's rejected suitor, Pierre) and Victor Kilian, as the priest, who was found beaten to death in his apartment after strolling past Grauman's Chinese Theatre and meeting up with his assailant.

Too bad that Carmen and Dona Sol only meet once in the film, but it is entertaining to see the loyal wife and unscrupulous seductress in the same frame, and both Darnell and Hayworth were classic beauties, as well as underrated as performing artists.

One minor quibble - 20th Century Fox picked the wrong singer to dub Hayworth's vocals! "Verde luna" is a lovely song, but the uncredited Gracilla Pirraga was completely unsuited to provide a singing voice for Rita, expert lip-syncher that she was. If there ever was a way to tell if her voice was dubbed, that moment would be it! There is a waiting list at amazon for the DVD of this movie when it becomes available. A VHS copy is a good substitute for now, but DVD format (and hopefully, extras) will definitely enhance the viewing experience.

It's worth seeing for the cinematography and stars alone!

Really good film, but I just don't "get" bullfighting

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 11 September 2017]

I glad to have finally watched this film for several reasons. First, because I like Tyrone Power in most of his films. Second, because I thought it might help me understand the concept behind bullfighting...something I have never been able to comprehend. And I can now say, having watched this film, that I still don't understand the concept of bullfighting. It seems like one of the dumbest, cruelest sports I have ever been aware of. Oh well, one out of two ain't bad.

If there's a problem with the film -- and it is an extremely well done movie -- it's that we already know how the film will end. That's obvious even before the opening credits role. The question is: will it be able to hold our attention for the 125 minute running time? And, despite a lull here and there, it does hold one's attention.

Oh, there is one other problem with the film. I don't think they utilized some of the supporting actors very well. Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell come off very well here; each is excellent. Rita Hayworth...well, she's reasonably good here, but I didn't find her performance anything special...other than for her looks.

This film was made a decade before Anthony Quinn became a true star, rather than an almost bit player. But I think in this film he showed great potential, but unfortunately he gets very little screen time. J. Carrol Naish comes off a little better, but not much. John Carradine gets more screen time than he often did in films; boy, was he skinny!!! George Reeves (later Superman) has a small role here; quite a handsome guy.

There are many nice little touches here that make you think you are experiencing Spanish culture of the era. Good production values.

Recommended...at least once.

Terrible

[npnancy · 1/10 · 7 November 2020]

A story of the life of a bull fighter. It begins with Juan as a young boy, already planning his future fighting bulls. He is arrogant and unlikeable. Sadly, he never changes and the movie ends with him still arrogant and unlikable. In fact only one of the characters, Carmen, has redeemable qualities. Don't waste your time.

My Take...

[absolutemax · 10/10 · 24 December 1998]

Great movie dealing with obsession, the power of women and fate. Excellent Love triangle between Power, Hayworth and Darnell. What is amazing is, as beautiful as Linda Darnell was, she is blown away by the gorgeous Rita Hayworth. Great writing and acting.

engrossing character study downgraded to colorful entertainment

[kkbasil · 7/10 · 17 October 1999]

Tyrone Power plays a famous, now-deceased bullfighter's son who also goes on to become a famous bullfighter, along the way mistreating his wife and friends as he becomes arrogant. It's a basic story you've seen in movies such as "Citizen Kane"(1941) and "All the King's Men"(1949), but with its own expected variations. The film has a tendency to drag, and Power's love scenes with Rita Hayworth are so corny. Linda Darnell as Power's wife, John Carradine as Power's bullfighting friend, and Anthony Quinn as a bullfighting friend-turned rival all turn in fine performances. There is, some great music. Aside from these technical issues, the story/script of the film is good, but could have been better. Power's character should have been fleshed out much more, and the bright Academy Award-winning cinematography has a tendency to badly contrast the darker story elements, which themselves should have been focused on much more. What could have a been a great multi-character study and study on how Power's decisions affects others instead is presented as an entertaining, brightly-colored drama/romance--not bad, but not the 4 star film it had the ability to be. I'd still recommend it, though, because it does entertain and manage to show some of the character study-elements, albeit not as much as I wish it had.

"Ole!"

[strong-122-478885 · 3/10 · 16 May 2018]

Personally speaking here - I found 1941's "Blood and Sand" (that's "B.S." for short) to be nothing but a laughable cinematic curiosity piece. It was all pure Catholic kitsch heavily spiced with the flavour of Spain (and the psychotic passion for bullfighting, thrown in for good measure).

IMO - The sport of bullfighting (like cockfighting) has got to be the absolute, most despicable form of "crowd-mentality" entertainment, imaginable, in the entire world.

Within 15 minutes of watching this picture I was already bored to tears with the whole B.S. of "B.S." - But I patiently stuck with it to the bitter end.

It wasn't until this film's final moment that the meaning behind its title was finally revealed to the viewer.... But - WTF!? - "B.S." was a major disappointment on all counts.... "Ole!"