Welcome Mr. Marshall!

1953 1h 18m ES

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 127

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A small Spanish town, Villar del Río, is alerted to the upcoming visit of American diplomats and its ruling townsmen begin preparations to impress the American visitors, in the hopes of benefiting under the Marshall Plan. Hoping to demonstrate the side of Spanish culture with which the visiting foreign officials would be more familiarized, the Castilian citizens don unfamiliar Andalusian costumes, hire a renowned flamenco performer, and re-decorate their town in Andalusian style, meantime waiting for their uncertain arrival.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

José Isbert
Don Pablo, el alcalde
Manolo Morán
Manolo
Lolita Sevilla
Carmen Vargas
Alberto Romea
Don Luis, el caballero
Elvira Quintillá
Señorita Eloísa, la maestra
Luis Pérez de León
Don Cosme, el cura
Félix Fernández
Don Emiliano, el médico
Nicolás D. Perchicot
Boticario

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Luis García Berlanga
Writers: Miguel Mihura, Luis García Berlanga, Juan Antonio Bardem
Languages: Spanish, English
Countries: Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Luis García Berlanga, shot by Manuel Berenguer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jesús García Leoz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pepita Orduna shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

José Isbert and Manolo Morán and Lolita Sevilla carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0045554 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Luis García Berlanga directs. Manuel Berenguer behind the camera. Jesús García Leoz scores. Pepita Orduna cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Spain. Dialogue in Spanish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
273 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.
4Directed by Luis García Berlanga, shot by Manuel Berenguer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Jesús García Leoz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Pepita Orduna shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7José Isbert and Manolo Morán and Lolita Sevilla carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0045554 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "saloon", "dreams", "clock", "mayor".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.