Summer of the Accursed

Movie
German title	Summer of the Accursed
Original title	The Singer Not the Song
Country of production	Great Britain
original language	English
Publishing year	1961
length	132 (German version 116) minutes
Age rating	FSK 16
Rod
Director	Roy Ward Baker
script	Nigel Balchin
production	Roy Ward Baker
music	Philip Green
camera	Otto Heller
cut	Roger Cherrill
occupation
Dirk Bogarde : Anacleto Comanchi John Mills : Padre Michael Keogh Mylène Demongeot : Locha DeCortinez Laurence Naismith : Old Uncle John Bentley : Chief of Police Leslie French : Padre Gomez Eric Pohlmann : President Nyall Florence : Vito Roger Delgado : DeCortinez, Locha's father Philip Gilbert : Phil Brown Selma Vaz Dias : Chela Laurence Payne : Pablo Jacqueline Evans : Dona Marian Lee Montague : Pepe Serafina Di Leo : Jasefa

Summer of the Cursed (Original title: The Singer Not the Song ) is a British adventure film set in a western setting , which premiered at the beginning of 1961. Roy Ward Baker directed the work for The Rank Organization ; the script was based on the novel of the same name by Audrey Erskine-Lindop . The German version, shortened by a quarter of an hour, was first shown in cinemas on September 12, 1961.

action

Don Anacleto and his gang are the horrors of the Mexican town of Quintana. When the new priest, Padre Michael arrives - grudgingly received by Anacleto, who envies the Church's power - an opponent grows up who is brave enough to oppose the strength that has been revealed. Interesting conversations and bitter fights develop between the two cultivated and educated men. Anacleto shoots people in alphabetical order for the hated services. Padre Michael also has to deal with the problem that Locha, the village beauty, has fallen in love with him. Anacleto arranges a wedding with someone else. Since Anacleto cannot be dissuaded from chasing Padre Michael away even by his private sympathies, he makes him various offers, all of which are rejected, so that a duel decides. At the end of it both lie dying in each other's arms.

criticism

The criticism primarily examined the homosexual undertones of the story. The lexicon of the international film criticized, "The unusual topic is initially treated seriously in the context of a well-cast Western, but then sinks into the depths of kitsch." The camera work and the Morricone- suspecting musical implementation by Philip Green were praised .

Remarks

The film was made in Torremolinos, Andalusia .

Dirk Bogarde expressed dissatisfaction with the cast of the main role; Director Baker was second choice after Luis Buñuel . The film was not a success in the Kingdom but made a profit in Catholic countries.

The previously published DVD versions in German also contain the shortened version.

Web links

• Summer of the Accursed in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dirk Bogarde: the rebellion of a reluctant pinup , The Guardian , March 24, 2011
2. ↑ Summer of the Cursed. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .  
3. ↑ Review at Screen Online
4. ^ Obituary for Roy Ward Baker in The Daily Telegraph , Oct. 8, 2010