Luna de verano (1959) Poster

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5/10
Lazy and weak flick with too many topics, but with the best actors of the Spanish comedy
ma-cortes14 July 2022
Routine comedy with a disjointed and irregular script as well as mediocre direction. It deals with two young French girls, Monique (Analía Gadé) and Colette (Laura Valenzuela) , arrive to Spain in their convertible car to attend summer courses at the International University of San Sebastian. The first contact with the country is in Pamplona , happening in a short amount of time a car accident . There , Monique considers heroes the boys who run in front of the bulls during the San Fermines and herself participates at a ¨Encierro¨. At the beginning they promise not to fall in love but they soonly undertake romances with a brilliant professor (Fernando Fernán Gómez) and a rogue hustler (Tony Leblanc).

A cheerful and sympathetic comedy that shows the image in those years prior to development of the touristic boom and providing the ordinary abroad topics of the foreign people had about Spain . Here everything is idealized in a romantic plot without great pretensions but with sympathy and mirth enough . Highlights the Sanfermines scenes as well as the sightseeing of the marvellous cities where the anecdotes take place . It also plays with the most Spanish topics because at one point Tony Leblanc says "all Spanishmen are bullfighters". The movie turns out to be a little bit boring in many moments and that is the worst thing that can be said about a comedy . It is an uneven and colorful product with its ups and downs , being interpreted without much grace , nor style by its protagonists , exception for the always great Fernando Fernán Gómez and Tony Leblanc ; but it turns out to be visually pleasant due to the gorgeous exteriors from Pamplona and San Sebastian , being well photographed by Manuel Merino , Jess Frank's regular cameraman . While Analía Gadé and Laura Valenzuela do what they can with their insubstantial characters as silly girls in love , but it is impossible to bring them out from an embarrasing script . The rest of secondary cast , appearing here and there some beautiful girls as students going after the wise professor , such as Isana Medel , Laura Granados and Mercedes Alonso and other familar faces as José Manuel Martín , Anibal Vela or Mario Berriatúa .

It is curious that along with writer/producer José Luis Dibildos who married Laura Valenzuela, appears Jesús Franco, the most prolific filmmaker in the Spanish industry, participating in this slight storyline . But it results in a weak comedy a lot of yawning and little talent displayed . This forgettable Spanish comedy was regular but professionally directed by Pedro Lazaga . Here he was not successful in this silly yarn full of carpetovetonic topics. Lazaga directed various film with the popular comic player Paco Martinez Soria who were his biggest successes . Pedro was born in Valls , Tarragona , Catalonia , and died on November 30, 1979 in Madrid . He was a prolific director and writer , specially known for Los Chicos del Preu (1967), María Morena (1951), Cuerda De Presos (1956) and Posición Avanzada (1966) . Pedro was a craftsman , a notorious director and writer who directed all kind of genres such as Peplum : Siete Espartanos , Wartime : Cuerda De Presos , Posicion Avanzada , Torrepartida , La Patrulla ; Drama : Rostro De Asesino , Otro Arbol De Guernica , but especially known for comedies in low budget . Director Pedro Lazaga made , during the fifties and early sixties , eight films , mostly comedies : ¨Muchachas De Azul¨, Ana Dice Si¨,¨Luna De Verano¨, ¨Económicamente Debiles¨ , ¨Trio Damas¨ for screenwriter and producer Jose Luis Dibildos and his ¨Agata Films Productions¨. The best of all them resulted to be ¨Los Tramposos¨. He continued making comedies such as Patrulla De Los Once , Los Tramposos , Sabian Demasiado , El Vikingo , ¡No Firmes Más Letras, Cielo! , Vente a Ligar Al Oeste , Hasta El Matrimonio Nos Separe , La Amante Perfecta , Fulanita y Sus Menganos , Vota a Gundisalvo , Terapia Al Desnudo , Tres Suecas Para Tres Rodríguez , Yo soy Fulana de Tal , 5 Almohadas Para Una Noche , En La Cresta De la Ola and several others . His most known films were with the popular comic player Paco Martinez Soria , such as : Abuelo Made in Spain , Padre De La Criatura , Alegre Divorciado , Estoy Hecho Un Chaval , Vaya Par Gemelos , among others . Luna de verano (1959) rating : 4.5/10 , mediocre , a film to see and quickly forget.
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