Siete ciudades de oro

It's an inaccurate story of the Franciscan missionary Father Junipero Serra (Michael Rennie) toward to California, self-titled as New Spain at its time in charge of famous Captain Gaspar de Portolá (Anthony Quinn), at behest of Viceroy of Spain, both must pioneering such place starting by San Diego Bay, aiming for stablish Christian settlements at baja California and aftermaths reaches in northernmost San Francisco, the picture focuses this first leg only, exposing the unavoidable conflict with the native along the journey.

Meanwhile Captain Gaspar ought locates the legendary Seven Cities of Gold as overriding task, thus Father Junipero keep in San Diego with the Lieutenant Mendoza (Richard Egan), in the meantime the Father tries interacts with reluctant natives just getting smallest strides with the upcoming Chief Matuwir (Jeffrey Hunter), although the love affair between Lieut. Mendoza and Matuwir's sister Ula (Rita Moreno) on tragic outcome, just throw it all away, shuddering the still flimsy interplay among so differing ethnicities.

For dramatic purposes the picture points out a probable holiness of Father Junipero at least in four occasions, also his endurance when all hopes already running out, he still believing in something will coming from the sky, nicknamed by the natives a Grey Robe, Michael Rennie delivers all he could to portraits nearly perfect the famous Father Junipero Serra, that has been beatified in last Century, aside some flaws it has plenty enjoyable, sadly it never came out officially in Brazil.

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First watch: 1985 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5.