Miguel Delibes, Arturo Espinosa. CC license.
Miguel Delibes was born on October 17, 1920, in Valladolid, the centenary of one of Spain's greatest storytellers, who told tales like no other. I have mentioned here before that my family knew him, from when my grandfather traveled through the Ávila region and met him on a hunting trip. But today I'll give a brief overview of some of his works that were adapted for film, such as * El camino* , *Las ratas* , and *Los santos inocentes *. And I'll conclude with his * Cinco horas con Mario *, which is scheduled to return to the stage.
Filmmaking
The road
It was her third novel , published in 1950, and one of the first to be adapted for the big screen. Ana Mariscal directed it in 1963 , and the cast included Julia Caba Alba , Mary Delgado, and Maruchi Fresno. In 1978, it was also adapted for television as a five-part miniseries starring Amparo Baró.
Family portrait
The 1976 film was directed by Antonio Giménez Rico, who adapted it from the novel *Mi idolatrado hijo Sisí* (My Idolized Son Sisí ). The cast includes Antonio Ferrandis, Amparo Soler Leal, Miguel Bosé, Encarna Paso, Mónica Randall, and Mirta Miller.
The dethroned prince
The renowned director Antonio Mercero returned to adapting Delibes' works for the screen. This was his first adaptation , released in 1977 , which he titled * La guerra de papá* (Daddy's War ). The cast included the child actor Lolo García , Héctor Alterio, Verónica Forqué, Queta Claver, and Vicente Parra.
The holy innocents
Mario Camus directed this acclaimed and award-winning 1984 adaptation of the novel published by Delibes in 1981. It is undoubtedly his most memorable film and one of the best in Spanish cinema.
With a stellar cast at the top of their game, Alfredo Landa and Paco Rabal stand out , sharing the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival . But from Terele Pávez to Juan Diego , they all contributed to the best and most poignant portrait of a rural society that isn't so far removed from reality.
The disputed vote of Senor Cayo
Giménez-Rico repeated this feat in 1986 with this adaptation of another Delibes novel, in which Paco Rabal once again worked . He was joined by Juan Luis Galiardo , Lydia Bosch, Iñaki Miramón, and Eusebio Lázaro, among others.
The treasure
Mercero returns to Delibes in a version that verges on thriller territory with this novel, published in 1985 , which tells the story of a farmer in a small Castilian village who discovers a significant Celtiberian treasure . The screenplay was written by José Luis Garci , and the film starred José Coronado , Ana Álvarez, and Álvaro de Luna.
The shade of the cypress is elongated
It premiered in the same year as the previous film, 1990 , and was directed by Luis Alcoriza . The cast included Emilio Gutiérrez Caba , Fiorella Faltoyano, Julián Pastor, and María Luisa San José, among others.
The rats
The third by Giménez-Rico, in 1997. Álvaro Monje, José Caride, Juan Jesús Valverde, Francisco Algora, Esperanza Alonso and José Conde worked on it.
Diary of a retiree
That same year, this version premiered under the title * Una pareja perfecta* (A Perfect Couple ), an ensemble comedy directed by Francesc Betriu . The cast included Antonio Resines, José Sazatornil, Kiti Manver, Mabel Lozano , Chus Lampreave, and Luis Ciges.
Documentaries
In addition, Delibes wrote the script for two documentaries for Spanish Television :
- Lands of Valladolid.
- Valladolid and Castilla.
Five hours with Mario
A new theatrical production of this work, perhaps Delibes' most representative and frequently performed, is announced at the Bellas Artes theater . And of course, it will feature the actress—the actress—who has so often portrayed Carmen Sotillos in this unique monologue before the corpse of her husband, whom she keeps vigil over.
If conditions allow, and hopefully they will, Lola Herrera will return to the stage next year in Madrid from January to March. This will be more than 50 years after the novel's publication in 1966, and more than 36 years since Herrera first embodied this character who forever changed her career.