''Doña Bárbara'' is a 1943

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

romantic drama film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...

directed by

Fernando de Fuentes Fernando de Fuentes Carrau (December 12, 1894 – July 4, 1958) was a Mexican film director, considered a pioneer in the film industry worldwide. He is perhaps best known for directing the films ''El prisionero trece'', ''El compadre Mendoza'', an ...

and starring

María Félix María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña (; 8 April 1914 – 8 April 2002) was a Mexican actress and singer. Along with Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río, she was one of the most successful figures of Latin American cinema in the 1940s an ...

and

Julián Soler Julián Soler (born Julián Díaz Pavia; 17 February 1907 – 5 May 1977) was a Mexican film director, actor, and screenwriter of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. In his career spanning half a century, Soler received two Ariel Award nominations ...

. The film is based on the 1929 novel ''

Doña Bárbara ''Doña Bárbara (Lady Bárbara)'' is a novel by Venezuelan author Rómulo Gallegos, first published in 1929. It was described in 1974 as "possibly the most widely known Latin American novel".Shaw, Donald, "Gallegos' Revision of Doña Bárbara 1 ...

'' by

Venezuelan Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

author

Rómulo Gallegos Rómulo Ángel del Monte Carmelo Gallegos Freire (2 August 1884 – 5 April 1969) was a Venezuelan novelist and politician. For a period of nine months during 1948, he governed as the first freely elected president in Venezuela's history. He was ...

, who also co-wrote the screenplay.

Plot

Bárbara is an attractive woman raised mostly on the rivers of Venezuela by her riverboat captain father. Her mother was an Indian woman who died while giving birth to her. She was madly in love with young Asdrúbal until tragedy smashed everything. Some of the men who worked for her father stole their boat and killed her father. The bandits then raped her and shot her boyfriend. This caused her to hate men, but at the same time sleeps with them to get what she wants. She becomes involved with Lorenzo Barquero, the owner of a cattle ranch, with whom she becomes pregnant and has a daughter named Marisela. Barbara later steals Lorenzo's home and fortune and kicks both him and their daughter out, leaving them to fend for themselves with absolutely nothing. Santos is the only remaining son of the Luzardo family, who had a feud with the Barqueros. He returns to his hacienda, Altamira, planning to sell it. Undeterred, Santos sets out to save his cousin Lorenzo and to educate young Marisela. After Barbara sees one of her old rapists and kills him she decides that in order to gain back the peace and happiness that was stolen from her that horrible night she must find and kill all five of her rapists. ''Doña'' Bárbara has a teenage daughter with Lorenzo Barquero, a former land baron that Doña Bárbara left broken and penniless. He is now an

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...

. The girl, Marisela, is left to fend for herself, and Doña Bárbara has no interest in her, though Juan Primito, a servant of Doña Bárbara's secretly looks after her. Eventually, Marisela is discovered by Santos, who takes her and her father in, and gives the girl education. Meanwhile, ''Doña'' Bárbara has become attracted to Santos, but when she finds that her own daughter is a rival for his affections, ''Doña'' Bárbara still looks for ways to ruin Santos.

Cast

as Santos Luzardo *

María Elena Marqués María Elena Marqués Rangel (14 December 1926 – 11 November 2008) was a Mexican actress and singer who was a star during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. Biography She was born on December 14, 1926 in Mexico City. She wa ...

as Marisela Barquero *

Andrés Soler Andrés Soler (born Andrés Díaz Pavia; 18 November 1898 – 26 July 1969) was a Mexican actor. He was considered one of the greatest figures of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Soler appeared in about two hundred films and received four Ariel ...

as Lorenzo Barquero * Charles Rooner as Don Guillermo *

Agustín Isunza Agustín Isunza (1900–1978) was a Mexican film actor.Agrasánchez p.158 He appeared in over two hundred films during his career. Selected filmography * ''In the Times of Don Porfirio'' (1940) * ''The Unknown Policeman'' (1941) * '' Jesusita in ...

as Juan Primito *

Miguel Inclán Miguel Inclán (1897–1956) was a Mexican film actor.Agrasánchez p.159 He became known for his villainous roles during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Selected filmography * ''Nobleza ranchera'' (1938) - Pánfilo * '' The Cemetery of the Eag ...

as Melquiades * Eduardo Arozamena as Melesio Sandoval * Antonio R. Frausto as Antonio Sandoval * Pedro Galindo as Nieves * Paco Astol as Mujiquita *

Arturo Soto Rangel Arturo Soto Rangel (March 12, 1882 – May 25, 1965) was a Mexican film, television, and stage actor. Soto was best known for appearing in over 250 Mexican films. He appeared in one American movie, '' The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'', which won ...

as Coronel Pernalete *

Manuel Dondé er Manuel Dondé (1906 – 27 May 1976) was a Mexican film actor.Kohner p.355 He frequently played villains during his long film career. Selected filmography * ''La llorona'' (1933) * ''Soulless Women'' (1934) - Policía * ''El bastardo'' (1937 ...

as Carmelito López * Felipe Montoya as Balbino Paiba * Luis Jiménez Morán as Pajarote *

Alfonso Bedoya Benito Alfonso Bedoya y Díaz de GuzmánSan Antonio Light, Dec. 17, 1957, p. 20 (April 16, 1904 – December 15, 1957) was a Mexican actor who frequently appeared in U.S. films. He is best known for his role in ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ...

as Peasant

Other versions

'' has also been adapted into a 1975

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

n telenovela, ''

'', as well as a 1998 Argentine film directed by

Betty Kaplan Betty Kaplan is a Venezuelan-American film and television director born in New York City and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. She is Co-Chair of the Directors Guild of America Latino Committee. Kaplan has directed the films '' Doña Bárbara'', '' ...

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dona Barbara (1943 Film) 1943 films 1940s romance films Films based on Venezuelan novels Films directed by Miguel M. Delgado María Félix Mexican black-and-white films 1940s Spanish-language films