It stars Magdalena (Paloma Valdes) , daughter of Don Nuño Manso de Jarama (Joaquin Roa) , a friend of the King. She secretly maintains relationships with the noble Don Mendo. The girl's father decides to marry her with a wealthy private of the King, Don Pero de Toro (Juanjo Menéndez) . She, who wants to ascend socially, accepts, without notifying her lover. Don Pero and all the castle of Don Nuño , as Magdalana's fiance discover the lovers. Don Mendo is self-incriminated saying that he entered the castle to steal, seeking in this way to protect Magdalena. He ends up imprisoned and condemned to death, by order of Don Nuño, and walled, by order of Magdalena. Although Don Mendo promised he would not say anything about their affair, she asks her father to be executed. Don Mendo discovers, with this act, the betrayal and miserability of Magdalena, which results in not loving anyone but herself. Then , Magdalena and Don Pero get married. A friend of his, the Marquis of Moncada (José Vivó) , rescues him from the tower, giving him the opportunity to carry out his revenge . As Don Mendo escapes with the help of his friend Moncada , and attempts to carry out his vendetta against Magdalena, disguising as a minstrel to approach her. As he begins a new life in which he ironically calls himself Renato ("reborn"), a handsome troubadour to whom they all flatter. They begin to work with him some shows , in this way they add dance to their songs. One of them is Azofaifa (Paula Martel) , who is madly in love with the minstrel. Magdalena, not knowing what Don Mendo is, also looks at him and seduces him. As if that were not enough, Magdalena also has secret relations with the king, Don Alfonso VII (Antonio Garisa) married to queen Berenguela (Lina Canalejas) .
The revenge of Don Mendo is originally a theatrical play written by playwright Pedro Muñoz Seca; It was premiered at the Teatro de la Comedia in Madrid in 1918. Its success was so great that, nowadays, it is the fourth most represented play of all times in Spain along with ¨Don Juan Tenorio¨, ¨Fuenteovejuna¨ and ¨La vida es sueño¨. It is also a journey through almost all meters , verses and strophic forms of Castilian poetry. The work belongs to the genre, created by the author, of the astrakhan. The astrakhan is a minor comic genre that only aims to make people laugh at all costs: the action, the situations, the characters and even the set seek only and exclusively the joke, which is usually pun and comic deformation of the language . It is set in medieval times and full of anachronism , jokes , entertainment and amusement . In this attractive and funny film is held the complete sense , farce and spirit of the original theatrical play .
The revenge of Don Mendo is a play divided into four acts, in which there are many puns and bumps of humor; a reduction to the absurd of the elements of the historical drama with parodic aims. Elements of yesterday and the present are united in obvious anachronisms, also making medieval characters move in a world dominated by the utilitarian morality of Muñoz Seca's time.
Fernando Fernán Gómez in the character name in title gives a sympathetic acting as Don Mendo Salazar, Marqués de Cabra, who after losing all his money playing cards, goes to the house of his beloved Magdalena , a very enjoyable performance by Paloma Valdés , there he is discovered by her fiancé well played by Juanjo Menéndez , then Don Mendo poses as a thief to not to stain her honor and is injailed . They are finely accompanied by a great support cast , such as : Antonio Garisa ,Joaquín Roa , José Vivó , Paula Martel , Lina Canalejas ,María Luisa Ponte , Francisco Camoiras , Fernando Sánchez Polack ,Lola Cardona and the incombustible Xan das Bolas.
The pic offers theatrical sets and colorful cinematography shot in Estudios CEA, Madrid by the great cameraman José F. Aguayo who was one of the first and most important Spanish cinematographers and deemed to be one of the best Spanish cameramen of the film story . And it contains charming opening credits illustrated by caricatures of the actors in character, drawn and signed by Enrique Herreros. The motion picture was well directed by Fernando Fernán Gómez who appeared in more than 200 films , directed another 20 and wrote novels , plays and poetry . He was a member of the Spanish Royal Academy and one of the best actors of the film history . Along with Icíar Bollaín , he's the only person to have been nominated as performer (El Abuelo (1998), director (El Viaje a Ninguna Parte (1986) and writer (Lázaro De Tormes (2001) for three different movies at the Goya awards . He actually won in every category at least once . This prolific and prestigious actor also directed a few films , such as : ¨Lazaro De Tormes¨ , ¨Fuera De Juego ¨, ¨Mambrú Se Fue a La Guerra¨ , ¨5 Tenedores¨ , ¨5.000 Dias Juntos¨ , ¨Ninette¨ , ¨Venganza De Don Mendo¨ , ¨El Extraño Viaje¨ that is today deemed a real ¨Cult Movie¨ and his greatest success ¨Viaje a Ninguna Parte¨ .
This one ¨La venganza de Don Mendo¨ has got several television renditions such as 1964 with Ismael Merlo (Don Mendo), Manuel Alexandre, Valeriano Andrés, María Banquer, Fernando Delgado, Jesús Enguita, Sancho Gracia, Vicente Haro, Vicky Lagos, Félix Navarro, Blanca Sendino, Laly Soldevila, Concha Velasco. 1972. Director: Gustavo Pérez Puig with Tony Leblanc (Don Mendo), Gemma Cuervo, Fernando Guillén, Manuel Alexandre, Mari Carmen Prendes, Antonio Ozores, Luisa Sala, Ana María Vidal. 1979. Director: Gustavo Pérez Puig with Manolo Gómez Bur (Don Mendo), Amparo Baró, Alejandro Ulloa, María Silva, José María Escuer, Joaquín Pamplona, Julia Caba Alba, Jaime Blanch. 1988. Director: Gustavo Pérez Puig with José Sazatornil (Don Mendo), Vicky Lussón, Luis Varela, María Silva, Francisco Piquer, Rafaela Aparicio, Luis Prendes, Luis Barbero.
