''Cervantes'' is a highly fictionalized 1967 film Franco-Spanish-Italian international co-production biography of the early life of Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616). Based on the 1937 novel ''A Man Called Cervantes'' by

Bruno Frank Bruno Frank (June 13, 1887 – June 20, 1945) was a German author, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and humanist. Biography Frank was born in Stuttgart. He studied law and philosophy in Munich, where he later worked as a dramatist and novelist ...

, it was the first screen biography of the author. Directed by Vincent Sherman, and filmed in color, it stars Horst Buchholz as Cervantes; Gina Lollobrigida as a prostitute with whom he becomes involved; José Ferrer as Hassan Bey, the Turk who held Cervantes in captivity;

Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Paradine Case'' (1947), '' Lette ...

as Cardinal Giulio Acquaviva; and

Fernando Rey Fernando Casado Arambillet (La Coruña (Spain), 20 September 1917 – Madrid (Spain), 9 March 1994), best known as Fernando Rey, was a Spanish film, theatre, and television actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States. A suave, i ...

as King

Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...

. Italian actor Tiziano Cortini who usually used the name "Lewis Jordan"" appeared under his own name to avoid confusion with Louis Jourdan.

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 ...

did the

production design In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wor ...

Plot

Cast

* Horst Buchholz as Miguel de Cervantes * Gina Lollobrigida as Giulia * José Ferrer as Hassan Bey *

as Cardinal Acquaviva *

Francisco Rabal Francisco Rabal Valera (8 March 1926 – 29 August 2001), better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter born in Águilas, a town in the south-western part of the province of Murcia, Spain. Throughout his career, Raba ...

as Rodrigo Cervantes * Antonio Casas as Favio * Soledad Miranda as Nessa * Ángel del Pozo as Don Juan de Austria *

Ricardo Palacios Ricardo López-Nuño Díez (2 March 1940 – 11 February 2015), better known as Ricardo Palacios, was a Spanish actor, film director and screenwriter. Born in Reinosa (Cantabria), Palacios graduated from the Official Film School in Madrid as a ...

as Sancho *

Maurice de Canonge Maurice de Canonge (March 18, 1894 – January 10, 1979) was a French actor and film director.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.222 He is also sometimes known by the name Maurice Cannon. Selected filmography Director * ''Inspector Grey'' (1936) * '' Captain ...

* Tiziano Cortini * José Nieto as Minister 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 ...

* Andrés Mejuto as Cervantes' Father

Production

Filming began in 1966, and the movie was released in several countries between 1967 and 1969.

Reception

Released in the U.S. as a

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

, and retitled ''Young Rebel'', the film went unnoticed at the box office and did not do well critically.

External links

* 1967 films 1967 adventure films 1960s historical adventure films 1960s biographical films Spanish historical adventure films Spanish biographical films French historical adventure films French biographical films Italian historical adventure films Italian biographical films Films directed by Vincent Sherman Films set in the 16th century Films set in Spain Films set in the Mediterranean Sea Biographical films about writers Cultural depictions of Miguel de Cervantes Films shot in Almería English-language Spanish films English-language French films English-language Italian films Films set in the Ottoman Empire 1960s Italian films 1960s French films {{bio-film-stub