The Great Madcap
- Fernando Soler Ramón de la Mata
- Rosario Granados: Virginia de la Mata
- Andrés Soler: Ladislao de la Mata
- Rubén Rojo: Pablo
- Gustavo Rojo: Eduardo de la Mata
- Francisco Jambrina: Gregorio de la Mata
- Luis Alcoriza: Alfredo
The big man about town (Spanish: El gran calavera ) was a Mexican film of the film director Luis Buñuel from the year 1949 The comedy tells the story of the rich Ramón, which plays to his family, he would have been poor, the but ultimately turns the tables and such. his family changed. It was the second film Buñuel filmed in Mexico, and assured his success with the further career of the director from. The theater template on which is based the screenplay is by Adolfo Torrado.
Action
The rich widower Ramón is exploited by his spoiled children Eduardo and Virginia as well as his rotten brother Ladislao and his wife. Ramón overtakes a heart attack, his second brother Gregorio family convinced in consequence play for him, his wealth would have been lost in order to save him. To make this story believable, the family moves into a working-class neighborhood. In addition, all begin to work in elementary occupations, in order to secure their livelihood. A neighbor of the new district clarifies Ramón on about this spectacle. However, since he sees the positive effects on his family, he decides not to investigate the situation. He turns the tables and makes even his family believe that he had really lost his wealth. Towards the end of the film he manages also to prevent the marriage of Virginia with a snob, and he supports the love between her and a simple, honest worker.
Background
The big man about town has been produced by the company Ultramar film. As a film producer Fernando Soler and Óscar Dancigers made their appearance. Was led production of Alberto Ferrer. The film was shot from June 9 to July 5, 1949 in the Estudios del Tepeyac Cinematográficos in Mexico City. The premiere took place in the Mexican capital on 25 November of the same year. The premiere took place in Germany on May 5, 1975 at Kino Arsenal in West Berlin in East Germany the film was first performed on 17 October 1986 at the Babylon cinema in East Berlin.
As a basis for the film was the play of Afolfo Torrado, which began more mixed Alvaro Custodio. Although he praised Torrados caution, but also criticized " his [ the film ] conventional small sins." The film rated Custodio, however, positive. He wrote: " plays, where there is a lack of substance, usually win when handled by a good script writers and an experienced director make the leap to the movies. This also applies to El gran calavera thanks to Raquel and Luis Alcoriza, those responsible for the adaptation of the screenplay, and thanks to the director Luis Buñuel. Also ... if you can not say that we are dealing with an exemplary film, I would venture to say that it is one of the most lovable and best comedies of Mexican cinema. "In contrast to this positive reception was the big man about town as well as Buñuel's first rotated in Mexico movie at the premiere in the GDR panned in the Central German Recent News. There, the critic wrote: " The aesthetics of these first two works Buñuel in Mexico surprised to some extent, the provocations of the European pictorial compositions and collisions are missing, the unbridled break with narrative traditions has solidified the iconography of the Hollywood school. Simples, straight theater cinema, the film Buñuelsche vocabulary displaced. The destroyer disappears hindering the brave Szenenarrangeur. "
The big man about town was the second film, the Luis Buñuel filmed in Mexico. Unlike Gran Casino from 1947 he was a financial success. It succeeded the director, his style of humor subtly to a broad audience to sell at the expense of the ideals of the middle class. With the success he secured from the further career of Buñuel in Mexico. The final scene of the fims The Graduate by Mike Nichols in the church seems directly inspired by Buñuel film.