I really cannot judge the film that was finished by Mr. Jesus Franco, but I did have some luck tonight in finding the missing "movie house" sequence that Welles shot with Patty McCormick, Francisco Reguiera, and Akim Tamiroff on "You Tube". It is easily worth watching, although it leaves one wondering about the actual final film had Welles finished it.
He was modernizing the novel by Cervantes. In that novel Quixote and Sancho see a puppet show and Quixote thinks he is being threatened by an enchanter, so he smashes the puppets. Here, Sancho has gotten separated from his master and enters a movie house. He is unaware of where the Don is, but finally sees him in a corner watching the film on screen. Sancho is obviously not at home in a movie house, and he is annoying the patrons by interfering with their views of the screen. Finally Patty McCormick (playing "Dulcie" - short for Dulcinea) gives Sancho the seat next to her to sit in. She is sucking a lollipop, and gives him one. He starts eating it without removing it's paper cover. She explains he is doing it wrong, and shows him how to take it off. Sancho now starts sucking his lollipop carefully and watching the "epic" movie on screen.
It is, unfortunately, a "sand and sandal" epic involving a scene with the Crucifixion of Christ. We cut frequently to the same intent stare in Riguiera's face as he looks at the screen - a curious stare as it is both childlike in it's wonder at watching the film, but determined. Soon he rises and advances to the screen (where an armed battle is occurring. We watch him start parrying with his sword, and slicing into the screen. The audience is furious but they don't attack him - they are frightened at the old man, and flee (except for Sancho and Dulcie...and the children on the top tier of the theater who are applauding the Don's destruction of the enemies. The scene ends with him having apparently won - the screen is in tatters, but his final thrusts seemed to be at the enemy who is vanquished.
The entire sequence ran about eight minutes. It lacks any sound track, which is unfortunate as we can't tell what is being said. Yet for a pantomime production (in this scene) it was a worthy piece of work after all, and I am glad it is available to see on a small screen.
He was modernizing the novel by Cervantes. In that novel Quixote and Sancho see a puppet show and Quixote thinks he is being threatened by an enchanter, so he smashes the puppets. Here, Sancho has gotten separated from his master and enters a movie house. He is unaware of where the Don is, but finally sees him in a corner watching the film on screen. Sancho is obviously not at home in a movie house, and he is annoying the patrons by interfering with their views of the screen. Finally Patty McCormick (playing "Dulcie" - short for Dulcinea) gives Sancho the seat next to her to sit in. She is sucking a lollipop, and gives him one. He starts eating it without removing it's paper cover. She explains he is doing it wrong, and shows him how to take it off. Sancho now starts sucking his lollipop carefully and watching the "epic" movie on screen.
It is, unfortunately, a "sand and sandal" epic involving a scene with the Crucifixion of Christ. We cut frequently to the same intent stare in Riguiera's face as he looks at the screen - a curious stare as it is both childlike in it's wonder at watching the film, but determined. Soon he rises and advances to the screen (where an armed battle is occurring. We watch him start parrying with his sword, and slicing into the screen. The audience is furious but they don't attack him - they are frightened at the old man, and flee (except for Sancho and Dulcie...and the children on the top tier of the theater who are applauding the Don's destruction of the enemies. The scene ends with him having apparently won - the screen is in tatters, but his final thrusts seemed to be at the enemy who is vanquished.
The entire sequence ran about eight minutes. It lacks any sound track, which is unfortunate as we can't tell what is being said. Yet for a pantomime production (in this scene) it was a worthy piece of work after all, and I am glad it is available to see on a small screen.