''The Extra'' (Spanish: ''El extra'') is a 1962 Mexican comedy film directed by

Miguel M. Delgado Miguel Melitón Delgado Pardavé (17 May 1905 – 2 January 1994) was a Mexican film director and screenwriter best known for directing thirty-three of Cantinflas' films, under contract of Posa Films. He directed 139 films between 1941 and 19 ...

and starring

Cantinflas Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely-accomplished Mexican comedian and is cele ...

and

Alma Delia Fuentes Alma Delia Susana Fuentes González (22 January 1937 – 2 April 2017) was a Mexican actress of film, television, and theatre. Career Fuentes began her career as a child actress. In 1951, she was nominated for an Ariel Award for Best Youth Perfor ...

. In the film, Cantinflas plays a man who works as an

extra Extra or Xtra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper * ''Extra!'', an American me ...

through several films. This was the last Cantinflas film whose art direction was made by long-time set designer

Gunther Gerzso Gunther Gerzso (June 17, 1915 – April 21, 2000) was a Mexican painter, designer and director and screenwriter for film and theatre. Biography Gerzso was born in Mexico City, in the times of the Revolution. His parents were Oscar Gerzso ( hu, Ge ...

Plot

Rogaciano (Cantinflas) is the modest worker of a Mexican film studio, who performs several roles as an

in the films shot there. His excessive zeal at work causes the antipathy of successive directors who do not support his forays into their films. After his run-ins into film sets, he dreams that he is the protagonist of each of the productions of which he has participated, such as him playing a ''

sans-culotte The (, 'without breeches') were the common people of the lower classes in late 18th-century France, a great many of whom became radical and militant partisans of the French Revolution in response to their poor quality of life under the . The ...

'' and saving

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

in a film about the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

, being the lover of Marguerite Gautier in a retelling of ''

La Dame aux Camélias LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'' in which she survives, and saving a maiden from an Aztec sacrifice by fighting a warrior (defeating him by fighting him as if it were a bullfight) in an Aztec film. In one of the productions Rogaciano is in, he meets Rosita (Alma Delia Fuentes), a young woman who also works as an extra, who is initially disappointed in the treatment of the studio workers, who tell her that they don't need more people like her to work there. Rogaciano, seeing the situation of Rosita, who is the guardian of her two younger brothers and has economic deficiencies, helps her to be chosen as an actress in an audition for a blockbuster conducted by the directors of the studio where Rogaciano and Rosita work. After signing Rosita to a contract, the directors, having been made aware of Rosita's relation to Rogaciano, tell her that from now on she must not get involved with him due to Rogaciano's low social status. Rosita is reluctant to this, but Rogaciano learns this and, albeit heartbroken, convinces her to follow through it.

Cast

as Rogaciano *

as Rosa Hernández "Rosita" * Carmen Molina as Actress who plays Marguerite Gautier *

Guillermina Téllez Girón Guillermina is a female given name with Spanish origins and may refer to: *Guillermina López Balbuena (born 1973), Mexican politician *Guillermina Bravo (1920 – 2013), Mexican ballet dancer, choreographer and ballet director *Guillermina Candel ...

as Actress with torta *

Magda Donato Carmen Eva Nelken Mansberger (6 February 1898 – 3 November 1966), known by the pseudonym Magda Donato, was a Spanish writer, journalist, playwright, and actress who went into exile in Mexico after the Spanish Civil War. She was the sister of wr ...

as Actress who plays Olympia *

Alejandro Ciangherotti Alejandro Ciangherotti (1940 – 30 May 2004) was a Mexican film actor. He appeared in 45 films between 1953 and 1999. Selected filmography Film * '' The Coward'' (1953) - Roberto, niño (uncredited) * '' The Second Woman'' (1953) - Ramó ...

as Director of Aztec scene *

León Barroso Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

as Film director *

Luis Manuel Pelayo Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archaic ...

as Director of cowboy scene *

Eric del Castillo J. Eduardo Eric del Castillo-Negrete Galván (born 22 July 1934) is a Mexican actor of theater, film and television who has dabbled as a screenwriter, director and arguer film, beginning his career in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Early yea ...

as Actor who plays Armand Duval (as J.E. Eric del Castillo) * Guillermo Rivas as Actor who plays villain on French Revolution scene *

Antonio Raxel Antonio Salazar Alejos (13 April 1922 – 25 November 1999), professionally known as Antonio Raxel, was a Mexican actor. He was also a dubbing actor for TV shows, movies, and animation. Education and acting career Raxel was born in San Cristobal ...

as Director of ''La Dame aux Camélias'' scene *

Armando Arriola Armando may refer to: * Armando (given name) * Armando (artist) (1929–2018), the name used by Dutch artist Herman Dirk van Dodeweerd * Armando (producer) Armando Gallop (sometimes written as Armando Gallup) (February 12, 1970 – December 17, ...

as Doctor *

Gerardo del Castillo Gerardo may refer to: People Given name Gerardo is the Spanish, Portuguese and Italian form of the male given name Gerard. * Gerardo Amarilla (born 1969), Uruguayan politician * Gerardo Bonilla (born 1975), Puerto Rican-born professional race ...

as Mr. Menéndez (as Gerardo del Castillo Jr.) *

Edmundo Espino Edmundo Espino (July 19, 1894 – December 24, 1964) was a Mexican film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern ...

as Don Julián *

Valentin Trujillo Valentin is a male given name meaning "strong, healthy, power, rule, terco". It comes from the Latin name ''Valentinus'', as in Saint Valentin. Commonly found in Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Latin America ...

as Chevo, Rosa's brother (as Valentin Trujillo Gazcon) *

Adrián Gallardo Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the main ...

Chabelo Xavier López Rodríguez (born February 17, 1935), better known as "Chabelo", is a Mexican American actor, comedian, television presenter and children's music singer who has been working on television for over sixty years. "Chabelo" has particip ...

as Panchito (as Javier Lopez Rodriguez "Chabelo") *

Antonio Bravo Antonio Bravo (12 May 1906 – 28 February 1992) was a Spanish-born Mexican film and television actor.Agrasánchez, Jr. p.159 He appeared in more than a hundred and forty productions during a lengthy career. Selected filmography * ''Beautiful ...

as Aztec film producer *

Manuel Alvarado Manuel Bernardo Alvarado Green (15 March 1948 – 30 April 2010) was a Guatemalan-born British academic, who specialized in media studies. During his career he was secretary of the Society for Education in Film and Television and the editor of '' ...

as Fat seamster *

Alberto Catalá Alberto is the Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic '' Albert''. It is used in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The diminutive forms are ''Albertito'' in Spain or ''Albertico'' in some parts of Latin America, Alb ...

as Assistant Director *

Enrique Lucero Enrique Lucero (October 9, 1920 – May 9, 1989) was a Mexican-American film actor. He was known for such films as '' Macario'' (1960) and ''Two Mules for Sister Sara'' (1970). He also played the role of the "Indian Chief" in ''Buck and the Preac ...

as Actor who plays Aztec priest *

Raúl Meraz Raúl Meraz Estrada (March 13, 1927 – April 20, 1996) was a Mexican actor of film and television. Selected filmography *''Balajú'' (1944) - Pueblerino (uncredited) *''La casa chica'' (1950) - Invitado a fiesta *''La fiera'' (1956) - Jos� ...

as Actor who plays French Revolution soldier * Roy Fletcher as Assistant Director of ''La Dame aux Camélias'' scene *

Yolanda Ciani Yolanda may refer to: * Yolanda (name), a given name derived from the Greek ''Iolanthe'' Places * Yolanda, California * Yolanda Shrine, monument located at Barangay Anibong, Tacloban, Leyte Film * ''Yolanda'' (film), a 1924 film starring ...

as Lilia, actress in cowboy scene * José Carlos Méndez as Cuco, Rosa's brother * Katherine George * Erika Carlsson as Actress who plays Marie Antoinette (Toñita) (as Erika Carlson) * Arya Morales * Jorge Casanova as Assistant Director of Aztec scene *

Armando Gutiérrez Armando may refer to: * Armando (given name) * Armando (artist) (1929–2018), the name used by Dutch artist Herman Dirk van Dodeweerd * Armando (producer) Armando Gallop (sometimes written as Armando Gallup) (February 12, 1970 – December 17, ...

as Don Matías *

Gabriel Álvarez Gabriel Álvarez Saborio (born May 3, 1969) is a Costa Rican slalom canoer. Career Álavarez competed in the early 1990s. He finished 43rd in the K-1 event at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast ...

Arturo Cobo 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), Br ...

as "Frank Sinatra" *

Irma Serrano Irma Consuelo Cielo Serrano Castro (; born 9 December 1933) is a Mexican singer, actress and politician. Famous for her "tantalizing", "untamed spitfire" voice, she is one of the most noted performers of the ranchera and corrido genres; she was ni ...

as Lady at audition *

Armando Acosta Saint Vitus is an American doom metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1979. They are considered to be one of the first doom metal bands, and have been labeled as one of the "big four" of that genre, along with Candlemass, Pentagram and Trouble. Ha ...

as Studio employee (uncredited) * Marco Antonio Arzate as Actor in cowboy scene (uncredited) *

Felipe de Flores Felipe is the Spanish variant of the name Philip, which derives from the Greek adjective ''Philippos'' "friend of horses". Felipe is also widely used in Portuguese-speaking Brazil alongside Filipe, the form commonly used in Portugal. Noteworthy pe ...

as Actor who plays Captain (uncredited) * José Luis Fernández as Actor in cowboy scene (uncredited) *

Nathanael León Nathanael is a biblical given name derived from the Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל (''Netan'el''), which means "God/ El has given" or "Gift of God/ El." Nathaniel is the variant form of this name and it stands to this day as the usual and most common s ...

as Villain in cowboy scene (uncredited) * Rubén Márquez as Martínez, studio employee (uncredited) *

Fernando Yapur 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 Douglas (uncredited)

Analysis

Professor Jeffrey M. Pilcher, on ''Cantinflas and the Chaos of Mexican Modernity'', argued that in the film, Cantinflas "continued to perpetuate" a theme from his previous films of "helping beautiful young women live fairy tales,"Pilcher, p. 190 and that during his character's dream sequence about the French Revolution, Cantinflas "preached a conservative view of national history" by "inserting referentes to Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution within a monarchist speech in defense of Marie Antoinette and respect for a traditional, hierarchical society."

In popular culture

The film is referenced in the Colombian novel ''Érase una vez en Colombia (Comedia romántica y El espantapájaros)'' by Ricardo Silva Romero.Silva Romero, p. 76

References

Bibliography

*García Riera, Emilio. ''Historia documental del cine mexicano: 1961''. Ediciones Era, 1969. *Pilcher, Jeffrey M. ''Cantinflas and the Chaos of Mexican Modernity''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2001. *Silva Romero, Ricardo. ''Érase una vez en Colombia (Comedia romántica y El espantapájaros)''. Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Colombia, 2013.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Extra, The 1962 comedy films 1962 films Mexican comedy films Films directed by Miguel M. Delgado Films about films 1960s Mexican films