| Film Review _____________________________________________________ The "El ojo de vidrio" duology Year: (1969-70) Film subject and pre-production After successfully portraying other revolutionary heroes such as Heraclio Bernal, Benjamín Argumedo, Gabino Barrera, Lucio Vázquez, Valentín de la Sierra, and Lauro Puñales starting in the late 1950s to the late '60s, Antonio Aguilar decided that in his next revolutionary film he would give a comical starring performance. The film's story was derived from the corrido of the same name written by Víctor Cordero. It was adapted by Antonio Aguilar himself, and notable comic actor and screenwriter Alfredo Varela, Jr., who also wrote the screenplay or as credited in the film, "cinedrama". Casting The cast includes Antonio Aguilar as humorous, outspoken "Porfirio" in one of his few comic roles, and his wife Flor Silvestre as the beautiful, feisty singer "La Coralillo". In the original poem The third billing goes to bullfighter and actor Manuel Capetillo who had worked with Aguilar and Silvestre in previous years. Comic actors Eleazar Garcia 'Chelelo', Alejandro Reyna 'Tio Placido', and Guillermo Rivas who normally worked in supporting roles are given a big break here co-starring the aforementioned three film stars. For the supporting cast, Ariel Award-nominated actor and director Arturo Martinez is cast as the evil, stingy hacendado Meliton Barbosa, a role that fits him very well, and that also earns him an "actuacion especial" credit in the title openings' end. Raul Meraz plays Capitan Mendiosabal, who before had played federals in Tierra de hombres and La Valentina. Luis Manuel Pelayo plays Spanish expatriate and rancher Senor de la Maza. Arturo Castro, who was working with Rivas in Los Beverly de Peralvillo, portrays the rotund cattle rancher don Ramiro who invites Porfirio to his wife birthday luncheon. Filming started on March 6, 1967, in the 500-year old hacienda of the Aguilar family situated in the town of Tayahua. Aguilar's hacienda had been the main exterior filming location for his 1966 drama film, Juan Colorado, by Producciones Zacarias. The ranch had been portrayed first as don Ramiro's hacienda, then later as Coralillo and Cocorito's house using the interior patio of the ranch's mansion. Devious cinematographic angles managed to film many different areas of the hacienda, without noticing that it is the same location all along. For other scenes, the crew spotted locations outside of Tayahua, and also along Zacatecas' scenic cedar-lined rivers nearby. Rene Cardona, Jr.'s revolutionary-epic duology is released in 2007, by Tekila Films, in a special 2-DVD disc pack. A very nice DVD-set, both films are hilariously entertaining. Filmed in 1967, and released theatrically in 1969 and 1970, the film series was successful at the box-office.Tekila Films' Two-DVD "El ojo de vidrio"/"Vuelve el ojo de vidrio" Pack |
