The National Shotgun

Jaume Canivell is a Catalan manufacturer of intercoms who travels with his secretary and lover, to the surroundings of Madrid to take part in a hunting expedition. The event is sponsored by the businessman himself, at the estate of the Marquess of Leguineche, an aristocrat who is having money problems. Government executives and influential people are invited. In fact, Canivell’s real intention is to do business and meet a Francoist minister who will help him introduce the new technological advance into the Spanish homes.

However, the situation takes a turn for the worse when the minister’s lover, a young and attractive actress, escapes to the servants’ quarters in the palace along with the Marquess’s masturbating son, whose wife lost an eye in a hunting expedition. From that moment on, with his initial objective in mind, Canivell acts as a reconciling, diplomatic figure, pretending to be a cinema producer and gets into a series of outrageous situations that have nothing to do with him, but cause him to be humiliated several times. All the while, there is a conflict between the Falange (the Spanish Falangist movement) and the Opus Dei going on around him. When he seems to be about to achieve his objective, a sudden change of government results in the minister’s dismissal, ruining all his plans and making him return to Barcelona empty-handed after a troubled, but eventful weekend.

Production: In-Cine Compañía Industria Cinematográfica, S.A. (Madrid).

Director: Luis García Berlanga.

Story and Screenplay: Luis García Berlanga and Rafael Azcona.

Director of Photography: Carlos Suárez (eastmancolor).

Editor: José Luis Matesanz.

Set Decorator: Rafael Palmero.

Costume Design: Javier Artiñano.

Executive Producer: Alfredo Matas.

Production Manager: José Manuel M. Herrero.

Production Chief: Marisol Carnicero.

Assistant Director: Miguel Ángel Gil. Continuity: Isabel Mulá. Second Cameraman: Alfredo Fernández. Assistant Camera: Fernando Fernández. Still photographer: Alejandro Diges. Production Assistant: Esteban Gutiérrez. Unit Production Manager: Juan de la Flor. Make-up Artist: Julián Ruiz and Fernando Florido. Hair Stylist: Vicenta Palmero, Rosa Martín and María Luisa García. Assistant Make-up Artists: Antonio Segovia and Dolores García. Set Dresser: Félix Murcia. Sound Engineer: José Nogueira. Studio Sound Engineer: Francisco Peramos. Assistant Editor: Claudio García. Second Assistant Director: Raimundo García. Second Assistant Camera: José Luis Criado. Second Assistant Editor: Lucio Cortés. Special Effects: Antonio Bueno. Tailors: Mª Teresa García Trueba and Milagros Álvarez. Head Gaffer: Ricardo Arenas. Props: Mateos-Luna-Mengibar. Costume Design: Cornejo. Credits: Story Film-Pablo Núñez. Sound Studios: Tecnison, S.A. Laboratory: Madrid Film, S.A. (Madrid).

Cast

José Sazatornil “Saza” (Jaume Canivell), José Luis López Vázquez (Luis José), Luis Escobar (Marquess of Leguineche), Antonio Ferrandis (Álvaro, the minister), Amparo Soler Leal (Chus), Mónica Randall (Mercè), Rafael Alonso (Cerrillo), Agustín González (Father Calvo), Andrés Mejuto (De Prada), Bárbara Rey (Vera), Conchita Montes (Soledad), Lay Soldevila (doña Laura), Rossana Yanni (Libertad Iris), Luis Ciges (Segundo), Félix Rotaeta (prince Adrián Korchosky), Florentino Soria (Pacheco), Zelmar Gueñol (Alsina), Fernando Hilbeck (López Carrión), Chus Lampreave (maid), Sergio Mendizábal (Bermejo), Luis Politi (Julio), Ángel Álvarez (estate employee), Oscar Aguerre, Mari Carmen Alvarado, Maribel Ayuso, Pascual Costafreda, Mimí Muñoz, Carlos Oller, José Antonio Rico, Pedro del Rio, Julio Wizuete, Elsa Zabala.