User Reviews

Edgar Neville did a bunch of movies who were starred by typical, or archetypal, or even topical, Spanish town characters. This is one of his best known, a sort of detective story which takes place in the last years of the XIX century, where a rich woman is killed and his lover and servant are suspects. The story then moves backwards to tell what happened before the crime, and moves forward into the trial clichés. So what's original about this movie? The characters and setting. It takes place in Madrid, in the most stereotypical Madrid you can ever imagine, with all its traditions, and the movie works a lot as an historical curiosity. Moreover, the characters are vivid and interesting, taking the place of the 'noir' clichés but adapting them to this world: a sort of femme fatale, a mean and selfish man, rich and poors... and all of them played by a truly wonderful cast. It works as a comedy, it works as a crime story, the musical sections it has in between are very good, and never drops your attention as you see how "Lola la billetera" (the, we could say, main character) is messed with dark feelings carried by jealousy and such. As many Spanish movies from this era, like the ones from Florian Rey, it's a pity that no one has kept the celluloid with more care all these years. Because Edgar Neville is, still, one of our better story-tellers and inspired directors.

On a dark night , the corpse of an upper-class society woman (Julia Lajos) is found at her apartment . When the body of a woman is discovered , the examination reveals that she died victim of a hitting with an iron , then the officers of the law immediately suspect that the killer was the woman's maid called Petra (Antonia Plana) . For her part, the servant demands that the woman's fiancé called Miguel (Manuel Luna) is the killer , besides , another suspect appears : a lottery selller named Lola (Mary Delgado) . Along the way , other happenings take place and things go wrong when some reporters covering the story gradually piece together the chain of events providing red herrings . Until the day in which takes place the trial at the supreme court , where ultimately are uncovered the causes that led to the killing and solving the criminal questions .

Entertaining and enjoyable criminal comedy narrated by means of flashbacks , containing intrigue , suspense , twists and turns . Based on an actual story about a crime in C/ Fuencarral 109 but due to the rigid censorship was changed to Bordadores street , in fact , many years later was shot another rendition for ¨La Huella del Crimen TV series¨ titled : ¨El Crimen de la Calle Fuencarral¨ (1985) by Angelino Fons and starred Carmen Maura, the latter was based on facts happened on July 1, 1888. More than this vintage retelling . It is a ¨Criminal Sainete¨ belonging to Edgar Neville trilogy along with ¨La Torre de Los Siete Jorobados¨, and ¨Martes De Carnaval¨. Due to production needs , it was also set in Bordadores street , as this intriguing film reflects the traditional Madrid of the late nineteenth century , without missing the typical popular zarzuela scenes and the Bombilla dances, with specific references to the chotis and including Cante Jondo , a vocal style in flamenco, an unspoiled form of Andalusian folk music . Main and support cast are acceptable , playing some usual actors of the 40s , such as : Manuel Luna , Mary Delgado , Jose Franco , Julia Caba Alba , Rafael Calvo , José Prada , among others . Actress Mary Delgado was commissioned to sing the Havana-born Soldadito de Chiclana, composed expressly for this film by maestro José Muñoz Molleda . Filming and locations took place in Madrid and Ciudad Lineal studios . As Edgar Neville shot in various Madrid streets : Puerta del Sol, Plaza de la Cebada , among them .

The motion picture was competently written and directed by Edgar Neville . It won some prizes as Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain 1947 ,Winner CEC Award Best Actress : Mary Delgado , Best Supporting Actress : Antonia Plana , National Syndicate of Spectacle, Spain 1946 Winner Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle Best Film . Director Edgar Neville , Count of Berlanga de Duero , was considered to be one of the best filmmakers in the Francoist time . He was a notorious playwright , screenwriter and director , Edgar opted for a humor not politically compromised , which he cultivated in all genres : theatrical stage , poetry, novels, cinema, painting and others . From their privileged positions he criticized without harshness the customs of the bourgeoisie at that time , in which Neville belonged himself as well as the kitsch and the absurd habits . Together with Tono, Antonio Mingote and Mihura, he wrote for the humor magazine La Codorniz , successor to the weekly La Ametralladora, which Mihura published in San Sebastián. Neville stood out above all as a good filmmaker . ¨La vida en un hilo¨ or ¨Life in a thread¨ was a great success with the public and critic . It was first conceived as a film and later it was turned into a musical comedy by his son Santiago . It is a smiling reflection on the mechanisms of chance, as well as a plot against the bourgeoisie , being understood as a disease of the soul , against cornyness and against narrow-mindedness disguised as common sense . The play ¨El baile¨, which ran for seven years on stage , it was also a great hit . It is about a loving trio that triumphs over time and generations . Adapted to the cinema, it was distinguished by its agile and brilliant dialogues , in which tenderness and nonsense alternate here and there . Edgar directed a number of films , some of them written along with his sweetheart actress Conchita Montes , standing out the following movies : La torre de los siete jorobados 1944 , La vida en un hilo 1945 , El crimen de la calle de Bordadores 1946 ,El traje de luces 1946 , Nada 1947 , El marqués de Salamanca 1948 , El último caballo 1950 , La ironía del dinero 1955 , El baile 1957 , Mi calle 1959 . He also made documentary , such as : La Ciudad Universitaria, Juventudes de España , Duende y Misterio del Flamenco, Cante Jondo, among others .