Lola la piconera

This sentimental musical, based on the play Cuando las Cortés de Cádiz by José María Pemán, was made for Spanish television. The most famous adaptation of his story was in the 1951 melodrama starring Juanita Reina. According to a magazine article about this film, the music is very Spanish and the costumes and choreography are spectacular. The film was shot during the summer, and it was apparently quite hot. A journalist visitor to the set admired the cast and crew's dedication and love for their work, despite spending so long in the heat and managing not to faint. Many scenes were set at gypsy camps and the studio used real gypsies, along with their donkeys and carts! There were a lot of big numbers, so many of the cast were professional singers and dancers. Though it was made for television, the director chose to use film cameras and also to shoot in color, as he was anticipating the future of television. Soledad Miranda plays a sympathetic gypsy. She and the actor playing her husband escaped a serious accident when a lamp exploded and shattered hot crystals where they had been minutes before.