The First Penélope Cruz: Sara Montiel

Amid the media storm of Thatchermania, two giants of Spanish history, Sara Montiel and José Luis Sampedro, passed away this week (this article will be focusing on Montiel). I wonder whether news of their departure has reached North American shores. Unfortunately, even Montiel had to compete, so it seemed, with Thatcher here in Spain as they both died on the same day. When I walked in the teacher's lounge that morning my eye zeroed in on a newspaper laying on one of the tables. It was El País and on the front cover was a massive black and white photo of Margaret Thatcher on the front page. It was a surprise to say the least. If it hadn't been for watching The Iron Lady last February or watching my Dad's Reagan videos a few years back, I probably wouldn't have realized how important she was (U.S./World history when I was in high school never went past World War II. Sad, I know). Then again, as one of the most prominent figures of the 20th century, it would have been hard not to know of her "legacy".

At the top right corner, underneath the title, was a small picture of Sara Montiel with the corresponding page numbers hinting at her legacy. I asked one colleague that if Sara Montiel was one of the most important Spanish actresses ever, why wasn't she on the front page instead? She responded, "In my humble opinion, in history, Margaret Thatcher was a much more important person." I can agree with that. Another colleague, however, put it differently and said, "They should have put the Angel on the front page instead of the Demon". After listening to his spiel, I think he had a point.

Sara Montiel was born in 1928 near Ciudad Real, Spain and made her way into acting, like many actors do today, through singing first. She was apparently discovered after singing at a high school event by a local patron. At the age of 16 she made her first movie in Barcelona, Empezó con boda which launched her career in Spain. After making a few films with moderate success, she moved to Mexico in 1950 at the height of its Golden Age where her career took off at lightning speed. She was featured in the box office hits Cárcel de mujeres, Furia roja and three hugely popular films with the great Mexican actor Pedro Infante, Necesito dinero, Ahí viene Martín Corona, y El enamorado where her indomitable spirit tested the "macho" character.  After leaving her mark on Mexican Cinema, she made the leap to Hollywood where she attracted the attention of directors and actors. Her Hollywood debut was in the legendary 1955 western Vera Cruz where she played a supporting role alongside actors Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster. Her second Hollywood film was the musical Serenade with tenor Mario Lanza, and stars Joan Fontaine and Vincent Price.

According to one of my colleagues, it was on the set of Serenade, which was being filmed right next to Giant (starring Elizabether Taylor and James Dean), where Sara Montiel and James Dean began their affair. In fact, the last photograph showing James Dean alive and well is the one where he is next to Sara Montiel; they're both laughing histerically about something. Its a beautiful photo, really. My colleague added that apparently they were supposed to leave together the day that Dean died, but a last minute job conflict stopped her from going with him. Had she left with him she might have died in that accident as well. Who knows? Years later, Montiel would say she noticed that Dean appeared to need glasses, but probably never got them because it would have hurt his image. Nevertheless, Montiel eventually married the director of Serenade, Anthony Mann in 1957.

Like so many Spanish artists at the time and due to the Franco dictatorship, Montiel had to find success abroad before she would earn star status in her native Spain. She returned in 1957 and starred in El Último Cuplé (The Last Couplet) which was an instant box office hit across Europe and Latin America. On top of that, it became one of the highest grossing movies in Spanish Cinema History. The movie also showcased her singing ability and because of it she immortalized many couplets (a light and popular musical style; a sung monologue). It would be the first of many successful films in Spain.

In the end, Sara Montiel's beauty and voice captured audiences around the world. Had she not crossed the pond to spread her wings, her fame might not have been what it is today, Spanish cinema might not be what it is today. She was the first Spanish actress to make in Hollywood; she was the first "Penélope Cruz". And although in today's world of angels and demons where demons usually win out on publicity, there are those that like to pay homage to angels regardless.