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Fiesta (1947 film)

Fiesta
Illustration of Esther Williams wearing a traje de luces outfit for the French theatrical release poster for Fiesta.
French theatrical release poster
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Produced by Jack Cummings
Written by George Bruce
Lester Cole
Starring Esther Williams
Ricardo Montalbán
Mary Astor
Fortunio Bonanova
Cyd Charisse
John Carroll
Music by Johnny Green
Cinematography Wilfred M. Cline
Edited by Blanche Sewell
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • June 12, 1947 (1947-06-12)
Running time
104 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2,395,000
Box office $5,635,000

Fiesta is an American Technicolor musical-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1947, starring Esther Williams, Ricardo Montalbán, Mary Astor and Cyd Charisse. The film was directed by Richard Thorpe and written by George Bruce and Lester Cole.

The story focuses on Mario Morales (Montalbán), a bullfighter who wants to be a composer, and his twin sister, Maria Morales (Williams), who wants to be a bullfighter even though she is a woman.

The film was shot on location in Puebla, Mexico. This was Montalbán's first credited role in a Hollywood film, and resulted in him being offered a contract by the studio. It was also the first of three films pairing Williams and Montalbán, the other two being On an Island with You (1948) and Neptune's Daughter (1949).

Fiesta was the first time Williams's name was billed above the title.

Retired matador Antonio Morales is anxious when his wife gives birth, disappointed when the baby turns out to be a girl, then thrilled when a twin brother is born. He names them Mario and Maria.

As the children grow up, Antonio's wife dreads the idea of her son facing the danger of becoming a bullfighter, particularly inasmuch as Mario has an artistic side to his nature, an affinity for music. Maria, meanwhile, becomes quite expert in the ring, taught by her father's right-hand man, Chato Vasquez.

As a gift on their 21st birthday, Maria honors her brother by getting a copy of Mario's new music composition to Maximino Contreras, a famed orchestra conductor. Maximino, thoroughly impressed, pays a call on the Morales family just before Mario's first bullfight. Antonio prefers not to distract his son prior to entering the ring, so he promises to pass along Maximino's personal regards later. But he does not.


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