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10/10
A visual and emotional stunner
18 February 2005
Favorite: Flor de Mayo (1959) (Cozumel Films, Ventura Distr.)

I found this recent DVD which apparently is widely AVAILABLE now. It is in Spanish but with my high school and post school Spanish I thoroughly enjoyed this stunning movie filmed in Topolobampo, Sinaloa.

Cinematography is by the legendary Gabriel Figueroa (John Ford's The Fugitive, 1947) . This is also a chance to see the great María Félix (at age ~44) and Pedro Armendáriz along with Paul Stewart (Citizen Kane).

Jack was ~ 39 at the time of filming but Félix and Palance seem much younger. It is quite an artsy film effort and a somewhat different kind of role for Palance. He does refer to himself as a lesser pirate (una pirata menor) when young Pepito asks him if he really is a pirate. The movie has a terrific close (you might cry).

People will probably ask for and search the English version which came out about 1960 under the title Beyond All Limits. The scenes may be different and it might be worth it if there is additional magnificent footage from Gabriel Figueroa. Being a life scientist/student of the Sea of Cortez I was looking for a surrealistic scene of Jack running thru a forest of giant columnar cardón cacti which I recall from some movie that saw many years ago (1960s on a b/w TV in Tucson when I was a student). Maybe, my memory is faulty.

The film was totally different from what I expected and I do not understand why it is not mentioned more. I understand that Jack speaks 6 languages including Spanish, Italian, French along with Ukrainian and Russian and English. He speaks great Spanish and the movie is considered by some as one of the better Mexican movies of the 1950s.

I am going to look for other Gabriel Figueroa works (Night of the Iguana, La Perla, others) as I realize now that movies are really a visual thing....
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10/10
HERMAN BRIX... an inspiration to young track and field athletes.
17 July 2004
Herman Brix:

6' 2" 203 lb shot putter held world indoor and outdoor records for several yrs in late 20s and 30s''' ( according to Track and Field News) Chapman's book never delved into his workout routines (He did not lift heavy weights and did not use steroids)

Straight arrow married to the same woman from 1933 til her death in 2000..... He may live to the age of 100 or more....

Somebody should do a serious , more in depth interview of Bruce Bennett as I felt that there was much more to be revealed than was discussed in Mike Chapman"s book " "Please don't call me Tarzan"

I watched the Republic serials on KPHO TV Phoenix (early fifties on the Wallace and Ladmo kiddie show) before there was regular network programming..

John Wayne and Herman Brix, two great ex football players who made there mark on the psyche of all movie goers..

STEVE IN ORO VALLEY
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