BLOOD AND SAND (1922) Indoors 1:45 pm; MUD AND SAND (1922) Indoors 2:15 pm

14948 Crenshaw Boulevard,Gardena CA 90249

15 January, 2023

Description

BLOOD AND SAND is a 1922 American silent drama film produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Fred Niblo and starring Rudolph Valentino, Lila Lee, and Nita Naldi. It was based on the 1909 Spanish novel "Sangre y Arena" (Blood and Sand) by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez and the play version of the book by Thomas Cushing. Plot: Juan Gallardo (Valentino), a village boy born into poverty, grows up to become one of the greatest matadors in Spain. He marries a friend from his childhood, the beautiful and virtuous Carmen (Lee), but after he achieves fame and fortune he finds himself drawn to Doña Sol (Naldi), a wealthy, seductive widow. They embark on a torrid affair with sadomasochistic overtones, but Juan, feeling guilty over his betrayal of Carmen, tries to free himself of Doña Sol. Furious at being rejected, she exposes their affair to Carmen and Juan's mother, seemingly destroying his marriage. Growing more and more miserable and dissipated, Juan becomes reckless in the arena. He is eventually killed in a bullfight but does manage to reconcile with Carmen moments before he dies. There is also a subplot involving a local outlaw whose career is paralleled to Juan's throughout the film by the village philosopher: Juan's fatal injury in the bullring comes moments after the outlaw is shot by the police. MUD AND SAND is a 1922 American silent film starring Stan Laurel. The title spoofs the Rudolph Valentino film "Blood and Sand," and many scenes directly parody that film: Dona Sol is replaced by Filet de Sole and Carmen is replaced by Caramel. The main character is named Rubharb Vaseline, riffing off the name of Rudolph Valentino. Plot: Rhubarb (Stan Laurel) has been sent to get flour and his family are moaning about how useless he is now he has his new friend Sapo. Sapo and Rhubarb laugh as they return, dragging the sack of flour on a rope. They go to the bullring and queue for a job as a matador. The first volunteer, Don Sox, is taken out on a stretcher. The second volunteer Don Pedro has a similar fate. His friend Don Sapo is next but does no better. Rhubarb announces himself as Don Vaseline and goes in to avenge Sapo. A bull gets thrown over the gate, then another. Rhubarb marks up a score of three in anticipation but on the third he is thrown over the gate. He erases the third score and re-enters. The third bull comes out on a stretcher and Rhubarb leaves triumphant. The crowd carries him through the streets where he meets an old school friend, sweet little Caramel, with her father. He tells her of his deed. She gives him a rose which has accidentally dipped into black paint. Rhubarb goes home. As he bends over the goat sees it as too much temptation and butts him. His mum chases him with a broom. His mum cries until she is shown the money he won at the bull fight. He is invited to fight in Madrid. He serenades Caramel under her window while a dog howls. He is dressed correctly as a matador. He climbs the trellis o her window but it breaks off. His friend who was playing the guitar gives him a stirrup lift and he gets up. Caramel asks if he will drink in Madrid. He answers "anything!". He gives her a jewellery box. It is empty. He finds a second box with a necklace and says they will meet at sunrise to marry. He breaks off the balcony as he drops down. His "throwing the bull" becomes the sensation of Madrid for two years. Crowds cheer him as he rides a horse through the streets, but when he tries to rear the horse he falls off. He goes to the Cafe Espagnol to dance. There he meets Filet de Sole, a temptress, and a Pavaloosky dancer. He accidentally squirts her with a soda syphon then they dance a tango. Filet de Sole watches his odd dancing style with interest. Two rival matadors sabotage his dance by making him slip. When Filet de Sole starts flirting he drops Pavaloosky in the fountain. Later that night he goes to Filet de Sole's apartment. Just at the point of their embrace, Caramel enters with his mother. Filet de Sole demeans him, calling him "her slave". She laughs at him. He tells Caramel he is innocent and only wanted to see her gowns. Preparing for a fight against a bull that has killed ten men Rhubarb gets dressed behind a screen and his assistants give him a large lollipop. He falls out of the window onto the bull as he gets ready. He styles his hair in various ways with vaseline as he makes his final preparations. lightning storm outside causes a Z-pattern in his parting. He is cheered all the way to the arena. Paying more attention to girls than to where he is going, he falls through the wrong door and a bull escapes into the street, chased by a picador. In the bull ring the crowd adore him. He wants to do it his own way. Filet de Sole is in the crowd yawning. The very docile bull ignores him. From the crowd, de Sole says to the two rival matadors that she must kill him as he made her take a bath. She gives them a bottle of ether. They soak his cloak (lying at the side) in ether. He picks it up and starts waving it in front of the bull's nose. The bull falls asleep. He is drowsy too and staggers around. The crowds throw hats in celebration. De Sole throws a brick and kills him... a line of attendants walk up and pour sand from buckets until he is covered. The moral of the story, shown after the last scene, is: "If you want to live long — and be happy — cut out the bull!" Admission to the film screening is free. After the screening, please stay for our potluck monthly meeting of the Friends of Gardena Cinema, which starts at 3 pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter and TikTok @GARDENACINEMA . Website: www.gardenacinema.com