Like the big-budget 1961 El Cid, The Castilian (1963) is based on an epic poem about a real medieval hero, in this case Fernan Gonzalez, who united the Spanish kingdoms of Castile and Leon in the tenth century and rousted the Moors from the region. The film was made on location in Spain with an international cast and crew, and released worldwide as Valley of the Swords, a reference to the film's climactic battle. It did not have the star power of Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren that helped make El Cid a Big Event, but it did have some stunning Spanish locations, including castles and still-standing walled cities from the middle ages, and effective, if sometimes gory, battle scenes.

The cast of The Castilian is a polyglot group of actors from around the world. The best-known among them was Cuban/Italian-American Cesar Romero, who plays Fernan Gonzalez's mentor. The versatile Romero began his film career in the 1930s as a dancer and played villains and gangsters, then graduated to swashbucklers and Latin lovers. Romero is top-billed in the English-language version of The Castilian, and his dashing persona and distinctive voice are among pleasures in the film, amidst heavily dubbed performances by unfamiliar European actors. The Brooklyn-born Romero achieved cult status later in the 1960s as the villainous Joker in the Batman television series. Less comfortable in the period film is tough-guy Broderick Crawford, who looks and acts more like a Brooklyn gangster than a medieval monarch. He is credited as a "guest star," in a role that is little more than a cameo. Other guest stars are Spaniard Fernando Rey and Italian Alida Valli, in small roles as Spanish royals.

Singer Frankie Avalon is second-billed and opens the film as the minstrel Jerifan, who relates the story of Fernan Gonzales in song, and shows up periodically to move the story along. Avalon had been one of the top pop stars of the late 1950s, but with his smooth, mellow singing voice, he was more of a crooner in the Sinatra mold than just a teen idol. He also had a more varied and successful film career than his contemporaries, many of whom were one-hit wonders in both music and film. The same year Avalon appeared in The Castilian he also starred in the first of the "Beach Party" movies with fellow pop star Annette Funicello. Previously Avalon had supporting roles in the big-budget blockbuster The Alamo (1960) alongside John Wayne, and the sci-fi fantasy Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961).

Playing Fernan Gonzalez is a Venezuelan-born actor who gets "Introducing" credit as "Spartaco Santony". As Espartaco Santoni, he became a successful star of action and horror films in Spain. Mexican actress Teresa Velazquez, who was often credited as "Tere Velazquez," was already a popular star of Mexican cinema when she appeared in The Castilian. She and Santoni met and fell in love while making the film. They married and had two children but eventually divorced. Spanish actress Soledad Miranda, who later became a cult star in the softcore porn/horror films of director Jess Franco, has a small role in The Castilian. A fatal car accident in 1970 cut short her career.

The Castilian was not a huge hit in the U.S., but did receive some respectable reviews. The New York Times critic was mildly enthusiastic: "Thanks mainly to an articulate script, full of historical footnotes, and the easy locomotion of a capable cast against some striking settings, this color picture has visual charm and genuine period flavor."

Director: Javier Seto
Producer: Sidney W. Pink
Screenplay: Paulino Rodrigo, Luis de los Arcos, Javier Seto, based on the epic poem
Cinematography: Mario Pacheco
Editor: Richard Mayer, Margarita de Ochoa
Costume Design: Jose Samora
Art Direction: Jose Antonio de la Guerra
Music: Jose Buenagu
Principal Cast: Cesar Romero (Jeronimo), Frankie Avalon (Jerifan), Spartaco Santony (Fernan Gonzalez), Teresa Velazquez (Sancha), Broderick Crawford (Don Sancho), Fernando Rey (King Ramiro of Leon), Alida Valli (Queen Teresa)
128 minutes

by Margarita Landazuri