''Lady in Ermine'' (Spanish: ''La dama del armiño'') is a 1947 Spanish

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Eusebio Fernández Ardavín Eusebio Fernández Ardavín (1898–1965) was a Spanish screenwriter and film director. He was the brother of the playwright Luis Fernández Ardavín. His nephew César Fernández Ardavín who also became a film director, began his career working ...

and starring

Lina Yegros Lina Yegros (1914–1978) was a Spanish film actress.Bentley p.95 Selected filmography * '' Stowaway on Board'' (1941) * '' The Hired Husband'' (1942) * ''Lady in Ermine'' (1947) * ''La Virgen gitana'' (1951) * ''Vertigo'' (1951) * '' Malvaloca'' ...

Jorge Mistral Modesto Llosas Rosell (24 November 1920 – 20 April 1972) known professionally as Jorge Mistral was a Spanish film actor. During the 1940s, he became a star in films produced by CIFESA. In the 1950s, he lived and worked in México and ap ...

and

Alicia Palacios Alicia may refer to: People * Alicia (given name), list of people with this name * Alisha (singer) (born 1968), US pop singer * Melinda Padovano (born 1987), a professional wrestler, known by her ring name, Alicia Places * Alicia, Bohol, Ph ...

.Mira p.56 It is based on by his brother Luis, which portrays a fictitious relationship between the daughter of the painter

El Greco Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos ( el, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ("The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El G ...

and a young

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), pl ...

in sixteenth century Toledo. The film was made by

Suevia Films Suevia Films was a Spanish film production and distribution company, founded in 1940 by entrepreneur Cesáreo González with his brother Arturo Gonzalez. During the 1940s–1960s they were one of Spain biggest studios and were responsible for more ...

, one of the dominant Spanish production companies of the era. It was shot at the Sevilla Film Studios in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, with sets designed by the

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Enrique Alarcón Enrique Alarcón Sánchez-Manjavacas (1917–1995) was a Spanish art director.Faulkner p.106 He worked on over two hundred films. Selected filmography * ''Eloisa Is Under an Almond Tree'' (1943) * ''The Phantom and Dona Juanita'' (1945) * ''Lad ...

Plot summary

During the reign of

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

, Catalina poses in ermine furs for his father, who is painting ''Lady in a Fur Wrap''. Jews Samuel the young, Abraham and Job go to the procession in

Toledo, Spain Toledo ( , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, capital of the province of Toledo and the ''de jure'' seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. Toledo was declare ...

to admire the

monstrance A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic Sa ...

. They feign being Christians to be inconspicuous. When the Theotokopouloses go to the windows to venerate the

body of Christ In Christian theology, the term Body of Christ () has two main but separate meanings: it may refer to Jesus' words over the bread at the celebration of the Jewish feast of Passover that "This is my body" in (see Last Supper), or it may refer to ...

, Samuel sees Catalina and falls in love with her. Don Luis courts Catalina but is barely tolerated. The old painter wants to reward his daughter with a jewel and sends her and Gregoria to the workshop of both Samuels. Don Luis leaves Catalina and Gregoria at the shop, where they meet Samuel the young, who gallantly woos her. Since Don Luis did not make his appointment to escort them home, Samuel takes the women there. When he returns, he praises Catalina, ignoring the love of Jarifa. He claims to believe in his art rather than any god. Andrés feels outraged and quits the workshop. Don Luis is displeased that the ladies have left and quarrels with Samuel. They fight and Don Luis takes the worst wounds. Andrés denounces Samuel to the Inquisition for attempting the murder of a Christian noble. Samuel and Catalina know that the religion is a barrier for their love. Samuel visits El Greco's house so that he and Catalina can choose a jewel. Meanwhile, the Inquisition takes Samuel the old prisoner and go to El Greco's house to find his son. Catalina hides Samuel in her room through the night when they fell to temptation. Gregoria arranges for Samuel to escape to Lisbon but, when he hears that his father is in prison, he returns to Toledo and is arrested. His father is released but dies soon. Samuel has started to accept Christianity out of love for Catalina. He is instructed by Friar Paravicino, who has become his lawyer. Don Luis's declaration before the Inquisition does not help Samuel in spite of Catalina's requests. The chief inquisitor poses for his portrait and hears Catalina's plaint. Samuel is baptized and works in the prison to make a magnificent monstrance. Another Corpus feast arrives. El Greco, Paravicino and Don Luis gather in the painter's house anticipating Catalina's joy. When the procession passes before the house, everybody admires the new monstrance. A free Samuel leaves the procession to embrace Catalina. Jarifa sees them from a distance and disappears leaving a lamp by a well.

Cast

as Catalina. Daughter of El Greco. *

as . Jewish master silversmith, son of Samuel the old. *

as .

Morisco Moriscos (, ; pt, mouriscos ; Spanish for "Moorish") were former Muslims and their descendants whom the Roman Catholic church and the Spanish Crown commanded to convert to Christianity or face compulsory exile after Spain outlawed the open p ...

slave. *

Julia Lajos Julia Lajos (24 February 1894 – 21 June 1963) was a Spanish film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1926 and 1963. Selected filmography * ''A Palace for Sale'' (1942) * ''Orosia (film), Orosia'' (1943) * ''Lady in Ermin ...

as . * Fernando Fernández de Córdoba as *

José Prada José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

as El Greco. Old master painter. *

Eduardo Fajardo Eduardo Martínez Fajardo (14 August 1924 – 4 July 2019) was a Spanish film actor born in Meis (Pontevedra), Spain. He appeared in 183 films, 75 plays and made 2,000 television appearances between 1947 and 2002. Biography He was born in ...

as Don Luis Tristán. Noble apprentice of El Greco and suitor of Catalina. *

Arturo Marín Arturo is a Spanish and Italian variant of the name Arthur. People *Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1985), American-born Salvadoran footballer * Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1959), Mexican footballer * Arthuro Henrique Bernhardt (b. 1982), B ...

as Abraham. Jewish silversmith. * Félix Fernández as Job. Jewish silversmith. *

José Jaspe José Jaspe ( gl, Xosé Jaspe Rivas) (10 August 1906 – 5 June 1974) was a Spanish film actor. He played Konev the conductor in ''Horror Express'' (1972), Ahmed in '' House of 1,000 Dolls'' (1967), Henneker in ''The Man Called Noon'' (1973), the ...

as Andrés. Christian silversmith, suitor of Jarifa and envious of Samuel the young. *

Fernando Fresno Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...

as Samuel el Viejo. Silversmith and father of Samuel the young. *

Accuracy

The existence of a daughter of El Greco is not documented. The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Any Jews in Spain were either illegal aliens or lapsed

Converso A ''converso'' (; ; feminine form ''conversa''), "convert", () was a Jew who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries, or one of his or her descendants. To safeguard the Old Christian po ...

s to be punished by the

Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ( es, Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition ( es, Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand ...

, not a tolerated minority as depicted in the film.

References

Bibliography

* Mira, Alberto. ''The Cinema of Spain and Portugal''. Wallflower Press, 2005.

External links

* 1947 films 1940s Spanish-language films Films directed by Eusebio Fernández Ardavín 1940s historical drama films Spanish historical drama films Films set in the 16th century Suevia Films films Films scored by Jesús García Leoz Spanish films based on plays Cultural depictions of El Greco Spanish black-and-white films 1947 drama films Films critical of Judaism and Jews 1940s Spanish films 2019 novel titled Lady in Ermine: the Story of a Woman Who Painted the Renaissance about the life of Renaissance artist Sofonisba Anguissola by Donna DiGiuseppe {{1940s-Spain-film-stub