Moors and Christians

With the idea of increasing their sales in mind, the Planchadells and the Calabuigs, both nougat manufacturers, decide to promote their Christmas products on a national scale through a food exhibition, which is going to be held in Madrid, and which the Princesses of Spain are rumoured to be attending. Their strategy consists of giving the Princesses some sweets when they walk past their stand. Despite the disapproval of the patriarch of the firm, Don Fernando, a conservative man who prefers more traditional methods, the family travels from Xixona to Madrid for their business purposes. In Madrid, the Planchadells live in Cuqui’s house, Don Fernando’s only daughter. Cuqui is a rich widow with political ambition who convinces her brothers to hire a public relations officer to help them carry out their plans and promote the nougat properly.

Cuqui then introduces them to her own image consultant, a cheeky swine called López who is also her lover, and drags the whole Valencian family into a hilarious odyssey in which they come across grotesque characters. When the Planchadells finally go back to their town, they all seem to feel they have improved their commercial image, except for the patriarch, who is the only one aware of having lost his own identity and dies of a heart attack when the promotional campaign is about to come out..

Production: Estela Films, S.A. (Madrid) – Anola Films, S.A. (Madrid) – Anem Films, S.A. (Madrid).

Director: Luis García Berlanga.

Story and Screenplay: Rafael Azcona and Luis García Berlanga.

Director of Photography: Domingo Solano (Agfacolor).

Editor: José Luis Matesanz.

Set Decorator: Víctor Alarcon.

Costume Design: Mercedes Sánchez Rau.

Producer: Félix Tusell.

Executive Producer: José Luis Olaizola M.

Associate Producer: Alfonso Ronda.

Production Manager: Ricardo García Arrojo.

Assistant Director: Miguel Ángel Gil. Second Assistant Director: Mischa Muller and Álvaro Armiñán. Continuity: Raimundo García. Second Cameraman: Domingo Solano. Assistant Camera: Andrés Torres. Still photographer: Rafael Fernández. Production Assistant: César Benítez. Unit Production Manager: Gonzalo Jiménez. Make-up Artist: Goyo Mendiri. Hair Stylist: Apolonia Bonilla and Paca Almenara. Assistant Make-up Artist: Pedro Camacho. Sound Manager: José M. Ibiricu. Sound Mixers: Alfonso Pino. Special Effects: Reyes Abades. Assistant Editor: Lucio Cortés. Assistant Sound Engineer: Javier Mampaso. Costume Assistant: Mª Carmen Rodríguez. Production Secretary: Claire Marquerie. Second Production Assistants: Alfonso Arandia and Juan Pablo Ocal. Second Assistant Camera: David Domínguez. Second Assistant Editor: Marina Matesanz. Tailor: Mª Teresa García Trueba. Props: Juan Escudero. Promotion: Paco Ortiz. Graphic Design: José María Lago (Producciones La Luna de Madrid, S.A.). Video Production: Juan Molina Temboury (Laya Producciones, S.A.). Shooting Assistant: Javier Zulueta. Head Gaffer: Vicente Peña. Grip: Alfredo Díaz. Electricians: Vicente Lozano, José Villalba and Adolfo Jiménez. Painters: José Cuadrado and Ignacio Ruano. Carpenters: Antonio Gómez and Guillermo Vinssac. Production Cars: Valentín Sánchez and Jesús Gil. Rosa María Sardá’s Costumes: Del Valle. José Luis López Vázquez’s Costumes: Rodier-Lista. María Luisa Ponte’s Costumes: Estacha. Cameras: Cámara Rent, S.A. Insurance: Legiscine. Transport: Cinegasa. Magnetic Transcriptions: Antonio Illán. Costume Design: Cornejo. Extras: Nueva Agencia. Electrical Material: Sadilsa. Economic control: Coprisa. Soundtrack: Estudios Exa, S.A. Laboratory: Madrid Film, S.A. (Madrid). Acknowledgements: Consejo Regular de la exclusiva de la Denominación de Jijona (Council which regulates the guarantee of origin and quality of products), Xixona Town Council, Red de Publicidades Exteriores S.A. (Outdoor Publicity Network), I.F.E.M.A., Galerías Preciados, Thomson, Restaurants “Los Remos”, “Caballeros del Cid” and “Moros Tuareg” from Xixona, Madrid Town Council and Local Police, Pryca Supermarket, La Única, José Sáenz, José Vicente Puente, Hewlett Packard, Blanco and Alfredo Caral.

Sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Culture.

Cast

Fernando Fernán Gómez (Don Fernando Planchadell), Agustín González (Agustín Planchadell), Pedro Ruiz (Pepe Planchadell), Rosa María Sardá (Cuqui Planchadell), José Luis López Vázquez (Jacinto López), María Luisa Ponte (Marcella), Andrés Pajares (Marcial), Luis Escobar (Brother Félix), Verónica Forqué (Monique), Chus Lampreave (Antonia), Antonio Resines (Olivares), Joan Monleón (Joan), Luis Ciges (wardrobe assistant), Diana Peñalver (servant), Jorge Roelas (employee), Pedro Romero, Florentino Soria (Florentino), Emilio Laguna (waiter), Chari Moreno (Pepe’s wife), Juan Tamarit (photographer), Elena Santonja (Elena Santonja), José Luis Coll (José Luis Coll), Antonio de Senillosa (Antonio de Senillosa), Jaime Ojeda (Jaime Ojeda), Félix Dafauce (doctor Cervera), Pilar Ordóñez (local police officer), Juan de Pablos, Marisa Tejada (woman on television), Antonio Gómez Rufo (Palomares), José María Sacristán, Jack Wu (servant), Xavier Domingo, Adriano Domínguez, Gaspar Cano.