Beauty and the Bull

Beauty and the Bull (1954)

** (out of 4)

Rather bizarre short from Warner features Bette Ford going down to Mexico where at first she's shocked by the idea of bullfighting. Matador Pepe Ortiz then takes her back to his place where he teaches her to the tricks and soon Ford is fighting her own bull. BEAUTY AND THE BULL somehow received an Oscar-nomination when it was released and I'm going to guess it was because of the Technicolor and not anything that actually happens in the film itself. The film is a pretty boring affair clocking in just under 20-minutes and while watching it I had a hard time figuring out what the point was. This was Ford's first film so perhaps the studio was just wanting to show her off but if that's true then the subject matter seems strange. What we basically get is her working out with Ortiz while the narrator talks about her emotions and thoughts. The only thing this film has going for it is some downright beautiful cinematography that really jumps off the screen. The Technicolor is extremely rich and detailed and just look at all the terrific colors captured during the scenes in the stands.

Just watched this on TCM 8/22. Yes, on the surface it seems uninteresting, but, it shows how a fashion model, visiting Mexico, became a bullfighter in the early '50s. This was Bette's first film. She had a long career, including appearing in "Sudden Impact". Inspiring for a woman at that time to accomplish what she did.

Marvin Miller narrates this Oscar-nominated short subject about how New York fashion model Bette Ford became a bull fighter. It's a true story in broad, if not in fine. Apparently Miss Ford and some friends were visiting Mexico, and a toreador unsurprisingly invited the pretty girls out to his ranch. Eventually, Miss Ford became the first woman to fight bulls on foot in a major arena.

It's directed by Larry Lansburgh, who also directed CHARLIE MCCARTHY AND MORTIMER SNERD IN SWEDEN. Mostly he directed shorts and features about animals, including several movies for Disney in the 1960s and 1970s. THis one was in poor shape when I saw it.The print was scratched, and the lighting and color variations demonstrated it had been pulled from several sources. Miss Ford, in her first apearence in the ring, is hardly an accomplished and polished performer, but it's an appealing mixture of travelogue and personal accomplishment.

The other reviewers here profess to be somewhat puzzled by what they see as a travelogue about bullfighting that uses a pretty model as a prop. What they miss is that the story is basically true. Bette Ford was an aspiring actress and model when she became intrigued with bullfighting while on a trip to Columbia (not Mexico as in the documentary). She soon abandoned her acting and modeling career to become a bullfighter, ultimately becoming the first female bullfighter on foot in the Plaza México, the world's largest bullfight arena (not shown in the documentary).

Thus the scenes of her bullfighting in the documentary are genuine, and lend authenticity to the film. While the documentary itself is standard fare for the '50s and the story is somewhat contrived while beautifully filmed, it does have historical interest. It also seems a bit stilted by today's standards as the film has no problems playing up her beauty. The film shifts back and forth between bullfighting and time spent on her dressing and her appearance. There are even scenes of her bathing in a stream.

After her bullfighting career was over, Ms. Ford went back to acting and is still alive as of this writing. It sounds like a very interesting life.

Dwarol you must have stumbled onto the same cable classic movie showing as I did last night! I can see why other reviewers assumed this was fiction because her obsession seems beyond reality.

The Gods Must Be Crazy has always been one of my favorites -- love the way the makers affectionately spoofed the look & feel of gentle 50s documentaries set in strange yet charming foreign cultures. Now I suspect I know what specific one they used as their core reference!