Agreeable and sympathetic film with the child prodigy Joselito well accompanied by a great support cast , all of them acting to perfection .
It is set in 1872 at a Sevilla ¨Cortijo¨ with Joselito as son of the noble Colonel Alvear (Jose Nieto) , and his friends Lieutenant Eduardo Aranda (Carlos Larrañaga and girlfriend Teresa (María Mahor) , corregidor's daughter . A bit later on , Alvear dies in battle , then his uncle the liar Don Martín Alvear (Tomas Blanco) becomes his tutor . But the uncle is a nasty , mean man who wants to take his inheritance . Along the way Joselito is abducted by a botcher band of bandits (Fernando sancho , Rafael L Somoza , angel Ter , among others) , but there is another Bandolero named Diego Valenzuela (José Guardiola) who agrees with Don Martin to kill Joselito . But Joselito befriends the bungler gang and becomes their chief and all of them take sympathy for him .
This is a sensitive story proceeded in simplicity , delicacy and humor by Antonio Del Amo . Here Joselito is magnificently supported by an excellent plethora of secondaries as Carlos Larrañaga , María Mahor , José Guardiola , Tomás Blanco , Ángel Ter , Jesús Tordesillas , Fernando Sancho ,Manuel Arbó and special mention for Rafael López Somoza as Buenafacha, boss of the Band del Cucú . This is a typical children film on the pretext that Joselito sings seven songs . These are the following ones : Caballito Lucero , La banda del cucú , Pequeño coronel , Se conoce al caballero , Nana del trabuco , Letrillas de Lucena , Canciones flamencas (Mirabrás flamenco) (con el Tirin-tin-tin) ,Por la sierra solo and the famous Ave María composed by Charles Gounod . In fact , Joselito was introduced to the movie business in 1956 by this filmmaker , who directed him in this first feature, El Pequeño Ruiseñor (1957) ("The Little Nightingale"), where he earned his famous nickname . He was widely known in Spain when he became a widely successful child star , following to ¨El Ruiseñor De Las Cumbres¨ , ¨Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ and ¨El Pequeño Coronel¨. The main role "Joselito" is played by himself in a phenomenal manner , can be said that he is perfectly adequate to his measure . He was a milestone in Spanish "child prodigies" under Franco along with Marisol , Pili and Mili and especially Pablito Calvo who starred the hits ¨The Bait¨ , ¨Mi Tio Jacinto¨ and ¨Marcelino Bread and Wine¨ . And the producers trying to keep them as little kids for as long as possible . Due to false advertising by the studios that made their movies, and which wanted to make him appear younger than they really were , an obsession that haunted them through the whole of their careers.
¨El pequeño coronel¨ is a joyful as well as entertaining Spanish musical/adventure movie , professionally realized by Antonio Del Amo . This an enjoyable and feeling movie full of mirth , drama , humor touches , agreeable message and in final takes places the ordinary happy end .
The scenarios in which develops the deeds are perfectly designed by Sigfrido Burmann . Gregorio Garcia Segura's musical score responds appropriately to the ambient , originating a careful atmosphere . Evocative and luminous cinematography by Alfredo Fraile , though a perfect remastering is necessary and filmed in Estudios CEA, Madrid, and Andújar, Jaén, Spain
Of course , Joselito steals the show as the singer boy . Spanish film studios were looking for a new child star to follow the steps of Pablito Calvo, and make popular and populist folkloric movies and they found Joselito . After the international success of El Pequeño Ruiseñor , and following successful films such as ¨La Saeta Del Ruiseñor¨ , ¨Bello Recuerdo¨ , ¨Los Dos Golfillos¨, which were big box-office hits in Spain during Franco's dictatorship he became Spain's most famous child actor , outstanding his highly expressive face and eyes , enormous eyes and innocent, angelical face . In his films he often sings Flamenco Cante , Saetas , Soleadas and other Folkloric songs . After several movies and records, and already a big star as a singer and an actor in Europe, the next move was trying to triumph in America, so Joselito went to Mexico where he filmed various projects, starting by ¨El Caballo Blanco¨ , ¨Aventuras de Joselito en América¨ (1960), which paired him with Mexican child star 'Cesáreo Quezadas Pulgarcito to grant local box-office . His success even reached around the world , in fact he was discovered as a singer by Luis Mariano, who got him to perform in France, pretending he was 9 at the moment of his debut, when he actually was 13 . However, life was not too glamorous for Joselito, as he was treated almost as a sideshow act by his managers, not allowing him to become an ordinary teenager , and even locking him in his room between rehearsals so he couldn't meet girls . He was forced to keep his childlike image up to 1969 (when he was in his mid-twenties) in ¨Loca Juventud¨ , ¨Falso Heredero¨ and when he appeared in his last film , ¨Prisionero En La Ciudad¨ (1969). But, as his voice had long broken, he was not successful anymore . Retired from acting at early age to become a drifter , even working as a mercenary . Disappearing from public life until it was discovered much later that he had become a heroin addict and even worked as a mercenary in Africa . An attempt of a comeback as an adult proved unsuccessful, as the tastes of the audience had changed, and his voice didn't resemble the one he had as a kid, so Joselito definitely retired from show business to his home in Utiel (Valencia), where he, now clean and sober, lives a quiet life far from movie and recording studios. Nowadays , he has reappeared doing brief TV interventions and cinema such as ¨Torrente¨ and ¨Spanish movie¨ .
The filmmaker Antonio Del Amo as well as the famous producer Cesáreo Gonzalez from his production Company : Suevia Films succeed in this picture , obtaining a great achievement , managing perfectly to the performers and taking advantage of them , giving the best of his acting . Antonio directs his fifth Jooselito movie and one of his best one. The picture touched the hearts of numerous Spanish spectators by the time . Rating : Acceptable and passable for its worthwhile mingle of music , comedy , sentimentalism and good feeling .
