''The Lioness of Castille'' (Spanish: ''La leona de Castilla'') is a 1951 Spanish historical

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 ...

directed by

Juan de Orduña Juan de Orduña y Fernández-Shaw (27 December 1900 – 3 February 1974) was a Spanish film director, screenwriter and actor. Subservient to the ideological tenets and preferences of Francoism, he was one of the regime's standout directors d ...

and starring

Amparo Rivelles María Amparo Rivelles Ladrón de Guevara Medal of Merit in Labour, MML (11 February 1925 – 7 November 2013), better known as Amparo Rivelles, was a Spanish Actor, actress. She was the daughter of actor Rafael Rivelles and actress María Ferna ...

, Virgilio Teixeira and

Alfredo Mayo Alfredo Fernández Martínez (17 May 1911 in Barcelona – 19 May 1985 in Palma de Mallorca) better known as Alfredo Mayo was a Spanish actor. Biography After studying medicine, in 1929 Mayo made his debut in the theatre with the company of ...

. De Orduña had directed a number of the most expensive Spanish costume films of the era for the leading studio CIFESA. The film portrays the sixteenth century noblewoman María Pacheco, in a fictitious story that has her battling foreign agents during the reign of

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

Synopsis

After his defeat in the Battle of Villalar, Juan de Padilla, chief of the comuneros, is executed by beheading together with Juan Bravo and Francisco Maldonado in the presence of his wife María de Pacheco and his son. After that they swear, before the Council of the city of Toledo, to avenge her death and continue the war against Carlos I. She is a Castilian lady of high rank, with fragile health but strong character who reacts heroically and participates in dangerous combats against the tyranny of King Carlos I, becoming the Leona de Castilla, a symbol of oppressed popular freedoms.

Cast

References

Bibliography

* Bentley, Bernard. ''A Companion to Spanish Cinema''. Boydell & Brewer 2008.

External links

* 1951 films 1950s historical drama films Films set in Spain Spanish historical drama films 1950s Spanish-language films Films directed by Juan de Orduña Films set in the 16th century Spanish films based on plays Cifesa films Films scored by Juan Quintero Muñoz 1951 drama films Spanish black-and-white films 1950s Spanish films {{1950s-Spain-film-stub