Recruit with a Child¨ (1956) by director Pedro Luis Ramirez himself starred by José Luis Ozores , Manolo Morán , Julia Caba Alba , which was a huge box office success. An amusing and charming film with great Spanish cast giving funny and attractive interpretation. Decent comedy with the great and likable comedian José Luis Ozores, giving a real comical spectacle. In this Ozores vehicle he plays a redneck who's is caring his little brother Pipo (Miguel Gil), being subsequently drafted. The story , though typical is not bad , there are several good points , and enjoyable acting as well . After being called up to the ranks of the air army, incautious Miguel Cañete (José Luis Ozores) must leave his village and his six-year-old little brother for whom Miguel is responsible. There the hapless new soldier suffers all kinds of pranks by a group of veteran soldiers. While joining the army, it happens habitual clumsiness of him what makes Sergeant Palomares (Manolo Morán) furious , becoming him in the target of the ridicule and jokes from his colleagues at the barracks . One day the sudden appearance of Pipo, his little brother , causes a real mess in the battalion. Later on , Cañete attempts to find a place to leave his brother, and, after much searching Miguel finds a very cosy house , where Julia (Encarnita Fuentes) , a kind blind girl , and her mother live.
Set in Madrid in the 50s in Cuatro vientos, it tells the story of the unguarded Miguel Orégano -José Luis Ozores-, a poor and unfortunate guy, and it had a remake: ¨Cateto a babor¨ (1970) with Alfredo Landa. This is one of those films you must pay attention to if you want to fully enjoy it. Funny and diverting comedy about a dupe redneck or Spanish ¨Paleto¨ who leaves his rustic job and enlists as a rookie soldier into air headquarter and the veteran soldiers pull off a few pranks on him . It delivers a lot of silly situations, entertaiment and amusement. The highlights of the movie are the successive practical jokes that the veteran soldiers execute against the unwary José Luis Ozores. This movie is a comedy in a classic way , that sometimes reminds others films in the absurd of the humour with diverting actors emitting sparks . There stands out the always excellent José Luis Ozores as a village man who is called up by the army to do military service , but he lives alone with his little brother and doesn't know where to leave him . It is pleasant to watch , and the actors are quite fine . Attractive and agreeable screenplay from two greatest writers : Vicente Coello and Vicente Escrivá . Tender and fun , this version is based on the comical vision of José Luis Ozores, who's , as usual , fantastic ; by then he already had enormous success as an actor and he would become a social phenomenon in the 50s.
First of the four films directed by Pedro Ramirez with José Luis Ozores as the protagonist (¨El tigre de Chamberi¨, ¨Recruit With Child¨ or ¨Recluta con Niño¨, ¨Los Ladrones somos Gente Honrada¨ , ¨El Gafe¨) co-starred by the always fine Manolo Morán. The film designed to show off the hilarious skills of this sympathetic actor , José Luis Ozores , who has at his side another heavy weight of the Spanish comedy at the time, Manolo Morán. The latter plays his superior, the stiff-upper-lip Sergeant Palomares but with a very good heart. .Fun comedy set in the Cuatro Vientos air barracks, along with the bemusing images and hilarious set pieces at the air, as he has to pilot a plane when the commanding officer faints. The funniest scenes result to the confusion and mayhem that our starring causes, the botched images of José Luis Ozores fighting the inconveniences and rigidities of military service . Furthermore, there are a number of familiar faces , in fact one of the main entertainments of the picture turns out to be guessing which secondary will appear in the next sequence , including the following ones : Julia Caba Alba, Joaquín Roa, Angel Ter, Félix Briones, María Isbert , José Prada, Rosario García Ortega, Ángel Álvarez, among others.
The picture contains an evocative cinematography in black and white by cameraman Manuel Merino as well as an atmospheric musical score by Federico Contreras . Being shot mostly in Cuatro Vientos aerodrome, Madrid, Getafe airport, Getafe, Madrid and Sevilla studios , Madrid , with nice production design by the important designer Enrique Alarcon . Well produced by Aspa Producciones Cinematográfica, being professionally directed by Pedro L Ramírez. This fine filmmaker had an uneven career , being made in his best period when he directed successful comedies , such as : "Ladrones Somos Gente Honrada¨, ¨El Tigre de Chamberi¨ , ¨Fantasmas en la Casa¨, ¨El Gafe¨, ¨La Cenicienta y Ernesto¨ , Crimen para Recién Casados¨ , ¨? Donde Pongo Este Muerto?¨ and ¨Recluta con Niño¨" . Although Pedro L Ramírez also directed other genres as Paella Westerns : "Judas Toma Tus Monedas¨, ¨Clint El Solitario¨ , ¨Ninguno de los Tres llamaba Trinidad" and Giallo and terror as "El Pez de los Ojos de Oro¨ , ¨El Colegio de la Muerte" . Rating : 6.5/10. The picture will appeal to José Luis Ozores fans and Spanish comedy enthusiasts.
